I miss it already!

[Team118]

I can't wait for April, 2011 to get here!

I was looking at a few videos I took of my boat this year, messing around with a kite cam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDwKIpTwiUc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

I bit jittery at times, but it almost looks like I'm sailing off the coast of Mexico. I guess the color's get changed in the edit process and they look alot bluer...Lake Ontario certainly isn't THAT blue!

Still makes me smile watching it!

Happy New Year to everyone!
Chris

 

[rbmcintire]

Best of everything to you in the New Year too, Chris. Lake Ontario and your boat are gorgeous. Thanks for the video! What kind of cam were you using?

Rob

 

[All U Get]

I can't wait for April, 2011 to get here!

I was looking at a few videos I took of my boat this year, messing around with a kite cam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDwKIpTwiUc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

I bit jittery at times, but it almost looks like I'm sailing off the coast of Mexico. I guess the color's get changed in the edit process and they look alot bluer...Lake Ontario certainly isn't THAT blue!

Still makes me smile watching it!
Happy New Year to everyone!
Chris

We were just talking cameras, those are great clips.
All U Get

 

[Jkenny13]

Can you tell me how and what you used to get those pictures? Very Nice.

 

[Team118]

Thanks guys. I've seen a few videos of sailboats using kite cams. My inspiration was this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geQLUGY6d1M&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL This guy has a few vids.

I use a Pentax Optio WS80. I got it on Ebay cheap, it's waterproof to 5 ft. I don't like the picture quality all the time, but it takes a decent video and it is pretty light.

I made a picavet rig out of 1/8" thick aluminum. I riveted 2 pieces together into a cross. I then drilled holes into each end of the cross and bolted small thumbhooks.

The heavest part of the rig is the camera holder. I used some extra tin from the furnance. I think it's too much and I am going to redo with something different this winter. Maybe plastic.

Here is a nice sight for rigging it.. http://www.kaper.us/basics/BASICS_picavet.html

A lot of the sights assume the kite has remote control for panning and focus.

I use a Flow Form 8 Kite. It doesn't use any structure and works great in light to heavy winds. I bought a cheap line retriever on Ebay from China. It kept binding up and finally the ball bearings started falling out. I'm going to have to figure out a new way to wind the line out and in.

Unfortunately, I lost the kite and retriever on my last sail... I had retrieved the camera, but the kite was still about 100' in the air. I had the boat on autopilot and I wasn't paying attention. When I got the kite within 20' of the boat, the kite got behind the mainsail's shadow and kerplunk! Right into the Lake. Now I had a 48" sea anchor with 80# line attached. Sadly, my boat weighs a bit more than 80 pounds.

I couldn't get the boat off auto pilot before all the line and the retriever went over board. Never to be heard from again...

Damn kite cost $60!

It's funny, but the hardest part is editing the videos. I use some free ware programs but they are slow and clunky. I'm working on better editing techniques.

Also, it's easier to fly with another person. Most of the time, I set up the rig alone and if I wasn't using the autopilot, I was all over the place.

Thanks guys!
Chris