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Old 01-12-2022, 18:31   #1
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Best drones for boats

Anyone have experience flying drones off a sailboat? What are the best models and what features should you look for or seek to avoid?
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Old 01-12-2022, 23:41   #2
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Re: Best drones for boats

Start flying at anchor in calm weather. Landing on a moving boat is not easy.
If you want to fly from a moving boat, have a very good helmsman or autopilot who can maintain a steady course.

Ideally you can focus on flying and someone else catches the drone.

We have a DJI Mini 2, primarily because it can be flown in many jurisdictions without a lot of hassle.

Make sure your drone can handle the wind.
Floats are important if you have a DJI insurance contract. They give you a new drone if it falls in the water and is damaged, but you need to return them the damaged one.

These are perhaps a safer bet:

https://www.swellpro.com/

&

https://gannet.co.za/collections/gan...t-ii-max-drone

For retrieval of these, add a large zip tie, land beside the boat and lick them up with a boat hook.
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Old 01-12-2022, 23:48   #3
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Re: Best drones for boats

DJI Magic Mini 3 Pro here with the added floats mainly for something to grab when sailing.
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Old 01-12-2022, 23:54   #4
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Re: Best drones for boats

I have experience flying drones - I have a Mavic Pro- but have never been game enough to 'land on' at sea .

Although dated I like the DJI Phantoms with their big bedstead undercarriage which makes snatching them out of the sky fairly simple - also cheap second hand so no big deal if it 'buys the (fish) farm'.

The drone on my Santa List is the DJI Mini Pro 3.

A submersible drone isn't a lot of use if it misses the flight deck when you are poking off down wind at 7 or 8 knots.
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Old 02-12-2022, 00:37   #5
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Re: Best drones for boats

You may have noticed that DJI is the brand of choice.

Models under 249 grams keep you under the regulations in many countries including the US.
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Old 02-12-2022, 02:03   #6
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Re: Best drones for boats

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Originally Posted by El Pinguino View Post
I have experience flying drones - I have a Mavic Pro- but have never been game enough to 'land on' at sea .

Although dated I like the DJI Phantoms with their big bedstead undercarriage which makes snatching them out of the sky fairly simple - also cheap second hand so no big deal if it 'buys the (fish) farm'.

The drone on my Santa List is the DJI Mini Pro 3.

A submersible drone isn't a lot of use if it misses the flight deck when you are poking off down wind at 7 or 8 knots.

I have a DJI mini pro 3. You set the return to home to the controller as opposed to the GPS position it took off from and it comes back to the moving boat. No side sensors so if you have a little space no problem to land on a boat. Good wind performance and excellent battery life. A great unit for a boat.
I looked at the swellpro drones but the video quality was not great as well as having a relatively short flying time. But it can capture underwater video and pics. Horses for courses I guess.
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Old 02-12-2022, 02:10   #7
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Re: Best drones for boats

By the way with the Litchi App from the Android (and perhaps Apple) store you also have the option, that a Mini 2 can follow the controller.
This is possible since DJI released the software development code for the Mini 2 and many others.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ere.visionplus
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Old 02-12-2022, 03:32   #8
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Re: Best drones for boats

On a recent trip, the photographers had 3-D printed legs they'd attached to their (may have been Mavic? I'm not a drone guy) drones for catching. While underway, one would lean out with heavy gloves and catch while the other flew. It was pretty ticklish, especially in a seaway with breeze. I can't imagine doing it solo.
The legs essentially provided helicopter skids that were easy to grab. However, the drone could not be folded with the printed legs in place.
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:46   #9
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Re: Best drones for boats

We mostly fly a Mini 2, as it is easier to handle on board and carry on land. For higher winds, the heavier Mavic is a little better and easier to control.

Landing on the boat takes some practice, and mishaps will surely happen unless you have an aircraft carrier cockpit like a VO70 to land in. Remember the boat has leeway under sail and swell may move the boat up/down a significant amount in relation to the drone.
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Old 02-12-2022, 17:40   #10
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Re: Best drones for boats

Thanks to all for the informative replies. I’m focusing on the Dji mini pro 3 for multiple reasons and the tip about setting it to return to controller is huge. I assume crew could that way catch it on approach, with gloves of course. I’m wondering if you can pre-program a landing GPS coordinate so it could just return to some nearby land spot for later retrieval?
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Old 02-12-2022, 19:49   #11
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Re: Best drones for boats

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Originally Posted by Zygodactyl View Post
I’m wondering if you can pre-program a landing GPS coordinate so it could just return to some nearby land spot for later retrieval?
Read about the “return to home” feature and how you can set the home point. It’s really a safety feature in the event you lose contact with the drone. I wouldn’t want to rely on it for routine use.
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Old 03-12-2022, 00:06   #12
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Re: Best drones for boats

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Read about the “return to home” feature and how you can set the home point. It’s really a safety feature in the event you lose contact with the drone. I wouldn’t want to rely on it for routine use.
Correct, but do not try to use the standart "return to home" to try to land on a boat. It goes back to a predefined GPS location, usually the take off point.
Boats tend to change positions, even at anchor.
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Old 03-12-2022, 02:04   #13
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Re: Best drones for boats

if you even think about flying (& landing) from (on) the moving boat at sea: practice on a slowly moving pick-up truck. &practice&practice...
we lost one in mid-Atlantic, little swell, wind maybe 10kn, broad reach.
It went so fast we were open-mouthed:
I missed catching it standing on the coach-roof, it went past the second person in the cockpit, through the spokes of the slowly turning wheel, in between lifelines & windvane-lines straight into the drink & sank immediately.
Our son the drone operator was pretty experienced...
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Old 03-12-2022, 02:20   #14
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Re: Best drones for boats

Quote:
Originally Posted by double u View Post
if you even think about flying (& landing) from (on) the moving boat at sea: practice on a slowly moving pick-up truck. &practice&practice...
we lost one in mid-Atlantic, little swell, wind maybe 10kn, broad reach.
It went so fast we were open-mouthed:
I missed catching it standing on the coach-roof, it went past the second person in the cockpit, through the spokes of the slowly turning wheel, in between lifelines & windvane-lines straight into the drink & sank immediately.
Our son the drone operator was pretty experienced...
This speaks very much for the waterproof drones I mentioned previously.
In not to harsh conditions you can pick them up with a boat hook if the fall in the water, as they can float too.

As someone further mentioned I agree that the Spry+ by Swellpro could have better video quality.
But, one could add a GoPro to it to overcome that.
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Old 03-12-2022, 03:03   #15
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Re: Best drones for boats

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This speaks very much for the waterproof drones I mentioned previously.
In not to harsh conditions you can pick them up with a boat hook if the fall in the water, as they can float too.

As someone further mentioned I agree that the Spry+ by Swellpro could have better video quality.
But, one could add a GoPro to it to overcome that.
Like to add they have mixed reviews..
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