Drones ...

Jan 1, 2006
7,520
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
There thread about the two ladies and a dog boat which was surveilled by a drone from a Volvo Ocean Race boat got me thinking. What other uses for a drone can we conger up?
Some notions: For navigation wouldn't a high up vantage provide useful visual info to the pilot while approaching unfamiliar waters or harbors. Water depth contours? Rocks, reefs, clumps, shoals and dumplings? Maybe spot buoys not visible at sea level. Or other boat traffic. What about racing? Couldn't a anemometer equipped drone give real time wind shift predictions from in front of the sail plan, or above it? Track competitors? Sail trim from a different vantage point than onboard? Or MOB situations. Imagine a drone linked to personal locator which could hover above MOB with a visible light so the position would be visible in waves. Maybe a drone could make a super high radio antenna. or adjunct to radar. What does anyone else's imagination bring up? How could this technology revolutionize our sailing?
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Apr 5, 2009
3,112
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
What is think is cool about those VOR drones is that they can launch and retrieve them from a sailboat traveling at 20knots+!
 

JamesG161

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Feb 14, 2014
7,756
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
How about casting my fishing lure perfectly?
How about hooking my line when I am berthing my boat?
How about a submarine drone to inspect my Zincs?
How about an Osprey scarecrow? Just start it up and scare them away.
How about taking up a July 4 rocket to higher than all the others and impressing the crowd?
How about dive bombing anything?
Jim...
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
May 12, 2004
1,505
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
Hovering over boats with babes in bikinis is all I can come up with. :cowbell:
Had that happen a couple of years ago. Had these young lady college students out on a charter and here comes a drone. Well, they weren't lookin' at me. Spring Break's a comin'! :dancing:
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,973
O'Day Mariner 19 Littleton, NH
Drones for masthead work.
And, of course, that other thing, Justin mentioned with the addition of garment stealing :cowbell::yikes:

- Will (Dragonfly)