Share Your Drone Loss Stories

[Dockhead]

Misery loves company! So I'll tell mine if you tell yours.


I have had, that is, had, until yesterday, a DJI Mavic 2 Pro with the lucious large sensor Hasselblad camera. For a year and a half. I have not used it all that much, but recently started making better videos and started really enjoying it.


I was feeling confident enough to try to fly it for the first time from a moving boat. The conditions were perfect -- sunny day, almost calm, glassy sea sailing at 2 knots.


Taking off was no issue, flying it was no issue, but naturally I screwed up the landing. I think my chances would have been better in stronger wind and sailing faster. Because I had a momentary brain fart and forgot that letting go the sticks would NOT stop the drone in relation to the boat. I got within 12 inches of a landing on my afterdeck, then hesitated briefly, and there the drone goes over the pushpit. It hits my flagpole and right into the drink. Damn!


Scratch one drone cum Hasselblad camera.

[Pete7]

Ouch, I take it they don't float.

Business opportunity: auto inflating mini life jackets for drones.

Pete

[Breaking Waves]

I'd rather video of me sailing did not exist. They just provide too much opportunity for people to point out my many F*&k ups.

For boat recovery - it is possible to rig some sort of net and fly them into that? Or would the blades break? Normal 'landing' seems rather tricky in any but the most perfect conditions.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Breaking Waves

I'd rather video of me sailing did not exist. They just provide too much opportunity for people to point out my many F*&k ups.

For boat recovery - it is possible to rig some sort of net and fly them into that? Or would the blades break? Normal 'landing' seems rather tricky in any but the most perfect conditions.

One of my crew during my summer in Greenland had a Phantom drone and flew it many times from the moving boat, and never lost it. Watching him maybe made me underestimate how hard it is.


He had difficulty controlling that drone -- it was hard to override the collision avoidance, and sometimes it wouldn't get a good GPS signal. I have had zero such problems with mine, which made me think it would be easier.


Well, but I stupidly thought to just land it on my afterdeck -- which I have done when the boat was docked. HE, on the other hand, had another crew member, with heavy gloves on, grab it in mid air by its loop-shaped landing gear.



The Mavic doesn't have anything like that. Some people, I've heard, dangle light cordage to grab onto.


I will replace my Mavic, which I really liked (I've got bids in on Fleabay as we speak), but I am definitely not going to fly it from a moving boat. For that I am going to acquire a much cheaper simpler drone -- maybe even an old Phantom. And practice carefully. Try not to make the same mistake again.

[wholybee]

I catch mine, and have only been bit once. A string isn't' really safe, as the drone will try to regain control and rev the motors to full. If you catch it, and flip it upside down, the motors will emergency shut off.

Watch to the end -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fzqpI7kO5w

I have not lost it yet, but I don't fly it while I am sailing very often.

[Fishzine]

No drone yet, but I do keep seeing the app in my Raymarine Axiom MFD and thinking I need to pick up a Mavic. Curious how well the Raymarine Mavic control application actually is, but will do auto-return to boat (again haven't used it and no idea how well it works). I would assume sails would be problematic for that too.

https://www.raymarine.com/multifunct...use3/v3-6.html

[Iaangus]

Have you considered a Splash Drone? I have no experience with them, only heard of them, suppose to be waterproof.

[coopec43]

Maybe this is the answer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IfjxYmmiIk

https://www.google.com/search?q=dron...client=gws-wiz

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Breaking Waves

For boat recovery - it is possible to rig some sort of net and fly them into that?

SafeHaven Marine use a net to catch their drone as they normally film their sea trials in rough and windy weather.

Here's one video, but there are others. Catching the drone is at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsi_PGW6CZg

[44'cruisingcat]

Just got a DJI Mini 2.

These things are soooooo easy! (I flew RC helis for a few years.)

Recovering onto a moving boat though, I think you'd need to catch it. Landing, it seems you get down to about 1/2 metre, then the computer takes over. It just goes straight down, which is fine on land, but not so much when the "ground " is moving out from under it.

I'll have to try maneuvering close to the ground, see if it will do it.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by coopec43

Maybe this is the answer?

https://www.google.com/search?q=dron...client=gws-wiz

If nothing else, you'd be able to recover the wreck, which if you have DJI's insurance, would save you a few hundred bucks.

[Letterkenny]

There’s a video out there on this but the answer is turning off the ground visioning system and getting a light plywood dowel and using Velcro straps to attach to your drone. Ive been flying these for years but this is my plan for the boat. That and some gloves to protect against cuts.

[Bill Seal]

Elons method

[double u]

stage:
Elan 410 (wide, open stern, very big wheel, broad reaching in light winds & gentle swells under windvane (=lots of paraphernalia & strings at stern & criss-crossing the cockpit), transatlantic Canaries to Caribbean
actors:
our photographer son accompanying the lady (doing sacktime off-watch) & me, operating the drone. He in the cockpit, I standing on the coachroof, heavy leather gloves on & prepared to catch drone.
the act:
on third or so try the drone misses my hands, passes the young gentleman in the cockpit, flyes through the wheel which is turning to & fro being operated by the selfsteering, in between the steering lines of the windvane & the stern lifelines, shedding rotorblades on it's way, hits the frame of the wv a final goodby before going into the drink & sinking immediately.
Luckily our jaws were attached, otherwise they would have been gone too.
(nobody could possibly succeed flying a drone through all these obstaclesif they wanted, but machinery on it's own...)

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by double u

stage:
Elan 410 (wide, open stern, very big wheel, broad reaching in light winds & gentle swells under windvane (=lots of paraphernalia & strings at stern & criss-crossing the cockpit), transatlantic Canaries to Caribbean
actors:
our photographer son accompanying the lady (doing sacktime off-watch) & me, operating the drone. He in the cockpit, I standing on the coachroof, heavy leather gloves on & prepared to catch drone.
the act:
on third or so try the drone misses my hands, passes the young gentleman in the cockpit, flyes through the wheel which is turning to & fro being operated by the selfsteering, in between the steering lines of the windvane & the stern lifelines, shedding rotorblades on it's way, hits the frame of the wv a final goodby before going into the drink & sinking immediately.
Luckily our jaws were attached, otherwise they would have been gone too.
(nobody could possibly succeed flying a drone through all these obstaclesif they wanted, but machinery on it's own...)

Bummer. What kind of drone was it?