How to Follow Another Sailboat out of Sight?

[Ex-Calif]

It has to be passive. The other guy can't turn it off and it has to be believable. 99% of the people in the world believe tracking devices work. Over the horizon - meh!

He doesn't even need to get it up the mast. Have him stick it in a locker or under the cockpit table. Make it magnetic and stick it to the fiberglass (LOL - Just kidding stick it on with 5200 and watch everyone here get pissed off)

Only geeks on CF will know a tracking device can't work OTH.

[StuM]

Sneak a Spot or Inreach on board and monitor it over Iridium/Internet

[Bluefuss]

Why dont u just leave ur ex wife and her boyfriend alone?

[nimblemotors]

Question is can you do anything or install anything on the boat being followed?

You can fly a tethered blimp with a video to get just above the line of sight.
Or if you want to get high-tech and maybe more exciting would be another tiny remote controlled boat that follows them fairly close and can transmit the position back to the following boat.

[Bluefuss]

You guys all sound like failed aplicants for the NSA

[martinworswick]

Would a sailboat make enough noise to be tracked with a hydrophone?

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Bluefuss

You guys all sound like failed aplicants for the NSA

thats why i would just go for the low tech approach...........and attach a bit of "long line" 1000lb filiment to the keel and get a tow

[Tellie]

nimblemotors beat me to it a bit. My version would be a fishing kite with a simple stabilized zoomed camera. Can easily be raised an lowered. Kinda like an airborne periscope.

[Ex-Calif]

All these awesome ideas

I guess we're gonna have to buy the book to find out how to track a sailboat

[Tellie]

If Lee Woods use's one of our ideas do we get a free copy?

[Matt sachs]

Why not float an IR camera on a baloon, or follow the plankton trail left by prop wash from their hydrogenerator...

[micah719]

Attach a whistle that functions underwater to the lower rudder bearing...then follow it on the high grade sonar.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Matt sachs

Why not float an IR camera on a baloon, or follow the plankton trail left by prop wash from their hydrogenerator...

Lol thats the best one yet

[Cheechako]

Radar, if the antenna is up the mast it will reach that distance no problem.

[DailyLunatic]

Are the two boats of similar size? If not, then the lead boat could have a significantly higher mast. This would allow the shorter mast boat to see the higher mast, but not the other way round.

Don't get too close, don't get too far away. Keeping in that narrow window of distance could add to the tension...