CCTV

[Bergman]

Having moved to the Watson with its wheelhouse from a proper yacht with tiller steering I find it difficult to judge the distance to the berth when parking. Visibility is restricted by the high bow leaving the position of the pontoon completely out of site for the vital last few yard.

Its literally done by sense of touch - which when you are touching with 15 tonnes is not ideal

Has anyone used CCTV cameras to assist in providing a decent view. I though of one camera on each side of the wheelhouse roof pointing forwards and outwards a bit.

Does anyone have any thoughts/advice - better siting, type of camera, can cameras use laptop for screen etc etc

 

[Remmington]

Check out proximity devices designed for vehicles - CCTV and Bleap distance warning

 

[Woodlouse]

They had a camera system on the Raymarine stand at LIBS. The picture quality wasn't great, but more than suitable for what you're after. Plus it was surrounded by a huge bank or IR leds which means it can see in the dark aswell.

No doubt it costs an arm and a leg though.

 

[sarabande]

I know the feeling well !

How about a CCTV camera mounted somewhere up the mast ? If you work out the mounting height and width of view, you would only need one unit to overlook both bows, and to give you a better sense of speed of approach.

Can also be used as a motion sensor with appropriate software as a burglar alarm. Also useful for checking if the crew is sunbathing at the correct angle relative to heel, or if they are standing to attention properly when leaving harbour. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Some issues with a gaff rig, though, as the parrels whizz up and down the mast ?

 

[Salty John]

When you are in your berth, look around and mark on your bulwarks or safety lines a few reference points. These would be, for instance, where a point on your bulwark lines up with the edge of the adjoining pontoon, or a building in the distance, or a tree etc.
If that doesn't work, get a CCTV camera!

 

[rich]

I have just what you want, setup on Hermees (can't see to starboard)
it's the same cam as ray m, but much cheaper on the net,and i can see in the dark,
it is connected to a 13inch flat screen tv,
i will try and look up makes ect,later. cctv cams

 

[Searush]

You're really desperate to find someting to spend your disposable income on aren't you!

If you approach steadily and slowly, you know when you are there coz it will gently go bump - as you said yourself. That's why we have fenders. 15 tonnes or 1,500 tones for a ferryboat it ain't that much different, except the fenders are stronger! Try the big 1metre round mooring buoy style. They will look good on a boat your size & style and do the job well. I suspect you'll soon get the hang of where the pontoons & edges are with a bit of practice.

 

[Bergman]

"You're really desperate to find someting to spend your disposable income on aren't you!"

As a card carrying Yorkshireman I regard this as the foulest slander!

You are probably right - It may be that I will get it right with practice. But the practice could be expensive. The marina I use has a lock entry and parking alongside a boat already in the lock may cause some small distress.

Imagine sitting in your boat watching the watson chugging at you with the idiot skipper jumping up and down in the wheelhouse trying to see where you are. Not a pretty sight!

As for ferries I actually got the idea from watching the CCTV screen on the Holyhead - Dunwatsit ferry.

To Sarabande:

I thought about the mast - and indeed may end up doing that. It may depend upon the future of the topmast. My thought about the wheelhouse was to get a camera close to the side of the boat to give a view along the length of the boat. That was the beauty of the tiller - just lean back and you could see the gap to the last inch.

 

[mobeydick]

B&Q have a wireless security system, including waterproof camera/transmitter and reciever for abut £80 (B/W) or £100 (Colour). They have infra-red cability for night. They have mains adapters, and look like they run off low voltage DC, possibly 12V. I was pondering idea of adapting one of these to present a picture on a Raymarine E80 (or laptop)for those difficult to see places, or just for fun. (eg camera on a stick for underwater views of fouled propeller and so forth)

 

[Clive_Rigden]

How about an angled split mirror on the bowsprit?

Just a thought - and a lot cheaper . . .

 

[Clive_Rigden]

Could me made out of polished stainless steel.

 

[Bergman]

A sore point

The bowsprit - were I to have it rigged - would cost over £500 a year in mooring fees.

Which naturally brings into question the future of the bowsprit

Which in turn brings into question the future of the topmast

Which in turn brings into question the sail plan, particularly the headsails

Which in turn brings into question the siting ond leads of the halliards

which in turn brings into question the issue of winches around the front mast

Which in turn brings into question of whether the rig will be a ketch or a schooner if I remove the topmast

Which in turn means that I have forgotten what I started writing this about.

How do we get ourselves into these things

The joys of gaff rig

PS

Must admit I did consider a pair of wing mirrors

 

[Clive_Rigden]

Another solution would of course, be a selection of mini tyres encircling the hull. It would have the added benefit of putting off people tying up alongside !

 

[pelicanpete]

Maybe a second steering station mounted on the exterior of the wheelhouse? Wheel+throttle control+bowthruster joystick = bliss, happiness, confidence...

 

[Bergman]

Bow thruster?

Do you think I'm made of money.

And what if its raining

 

[Bergman]

This sounds just the ticket.

Off to B&Q at the weekend

Many thanks

 

[pelicanpete]

[ QUOTE ]
Bow thruster?

Do you think I'm made of money.

And what if its raining

[/ QUOTE ]

If you live in N. Yorks, by default you live in rain so that's not a problem.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Billjratt]

Mast mounted camera has been known to be useful in fog - it shows all the other masts running around, but not the stinkboats... sometimes you can hear them.

 

[Bergman]

The main reason that I bought the CW was to have a nice warm dry wheelhouse.

I spent years sitting out in the wet and cold and one thing I'm not going to do is go back to that.

Once sailed down the Humber in early March. It was so cold I froze to the seat and couldn't stand up. Crew had to pull me up and I went down the companionway head first because my legs wouldn't work.

Don't want to go into that sort of nonsense again

 

[bobgosling]

There is a waterproof ( submersible ! ) CCTV camera often available on eBay with 60ft of cable. I just checked and it is not currently there though. Looked ideal for what you want. It plugs into a USB on a laptop. Could be stuck to a boathook to check anodes and maybe to help see how to disentangle ropes from the prop. Also freeware is readily available for security camera set-up ( although I'd have thought the laptop would be the first thing to get nicked ).