Masthead camera...are they a useful addition to accessories available today?

[Greenheart]

Is any of this serious, or am I not getting the joke?

I was serious in asking the question, though scarcely for my own purposes...where did you infer the leg-pulling began?

As chaps here have said, going aloft in the old days added an important additional dimension for navigation, which we can't enjoy at deck level...although, with technology, we probably could.

 

[sarabande]

blue sky thinking. Who would have believed in the old days of being able to look at a little handheld gadget which tells you where you are in the world to 2 metres accuracy ? If it's in the future, it's magic; if we use it, its technology.

 

[Cruiser2B]

I've contemplated one too. But the low-cost solution (fixed camera) presents the question of where to point it - down is useful for docking, watching for coral heads, security cam, etc.; but forward extends visual range, confirms bridge clearance, potentially permits recording of colreg situations, etc. It would be nice to hear some firsthand reviews.

 

[Ardenfour]

I'm interested to know how seeing a bridge approach via a camera would tell you if you were about to hit it...

 

[sarabande]

perhaps gadget #7 to be mounted on the masthead is a set of those reversing sensors you see on cars ? It wold give you a few milliseconds' warning.

 

[oldvarnish]

I was serious in asking the question, though scarcely for my own purposes...where did you infer the leg-pulling began?

I'm sure you were serious. I was just amused by the idea that of all the things you really need on a boat, this is probably the last - except possibly for those about to enter coral reefs in the Pacific, although they've managed up till now.

I eagerly await the first post which reads "has anyone discovered the best thing for getting seagull s..t off the lens of my masthead camera?"

 

[ip485]

I'm sure you were serious.

It could all be a bit tongue in cheek, couldnt it.

However, seriously with the sort of sailing I do from a practical point of view, and with a good autopilot and a boat that will plug on in most anything, there are time its rather pleasant to snuggle down at the chart table and let the world go by - except even with radar and AIS (two more fangled bits of tec. on the chart plotter) it doesnt always tell you whats sneeking up on you. So I can peer out the windows, but the view isnt great, and can wander up on deck, but sometimes its all rather horrid and there is this wet stuff, so a camera to pan around (and especially check whats under the Genny) seems quite appealing.

Its the day night passages that do it and with two of you on board and the dog (who usually isnt much help) all the help you can get is great.

If I am honest there are times I become quite reluctant to get out my chart seat which is a rather lovelly leather affair surrounded with all sorts of electronic gizmos and a bottle close to hand :-}

 

[Resolution]

You'ld be able to look some bloody starling square in the eye.

Not sure it would be the eye, judging by what they leave on the deck these days!

 

[Storyline]

A way round the problem of keeping the lens clean would be to use a camera which has a lens cover that opens when the camera is switched on - similar to point & shoot cameras. Do not know if this is available in a cctv type camera.

 

[PhillM]

Why not just get a couple of drones? One to sail ahead of you, running a side scan sonar and sending back the data and another to fly over you, giving you a better picture of the sea and any traffic around you.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I'm sure you were serious. I was just amused by the idea that of all the things you really need on a boat, this is probably the last - except possibly for those about to enter coral reefs in the Pacific, although they've managed up till now.

I eagerly await the first post which reads "has anyone discovered the best thing for getting seagull s..t off the lens of my masthead camera?"

Probably parallel to the coral reef bit, but a crow's nest was regarded as essential on vessels such as whalers that were likely to have to operate in ice, where you need to be able to trace leads through the ice far enough to see whether they join up. Pretty much all the polar expedition ships were equipped with a nice warm crow's nest for ice navigation (often a barrel with lining!). I guess a video camera at the mast-head would be useful in the polar regions, though I think I'd be worried about the serviceability of such kit in extreme weather conditions!

 

[doris]

On my boat at the top of the spinnaker pole track would probably be high enough. Makes it very simple to fit remove etc but would still give a hugely enhanced view compared to the cockpit.

 

[sarabande]

and then link the drone data into the GPS and nav system, and you could sit at home watching the screens, while soemone throws water over you. Warm water, perhaps.

 

[bigwow]

and then link the drone data into the GPS and nav system, and you could sit at home watching the screens, while soemone throws water over you. Warm water, perhaps.

Love it:encouragement:

 

[Storyline]

and then link the drone data into the GPS and nav system, and you could sit at home watching the screens, while soemone throws water over you. Warm water, perhaps.

Has been done minus the water
Someone very rich obviously (Larry Ellison ?) rigged a yacht in Aus that could be sailed remotely using cameras and electronic systems from CA

 

[Greenheart]

...link the drone data into the GPS and nav system, and you could sit at home watching the screens, while soemone throws water over you.

We may be creeping into the zone of unreality that Old Varnish was questioning...

...as a dinghy sailor, I was really thinking that if it was easy to climb the mast and have a good look round, I'd get a pretty beneficial additional perspective. I suppose yacht-owners do, or could enjoy that perspective if they choose to fit mast-climbing steps - although I doubt many folk with steps use them for the traditional overview they permit.

But of course a boat big enough to have mast steps will have sufficient plotters, GPS and other nav gear not to need an aerial view as well. It was just a thought.

Admittedly last week I glanced through Arthur Ransome's We Didn't Mean to go to Sea, in which the kids are blown east across the North Sea on a windy night, and in the morning with no idea where they are, John climbs the mast and suddenly can see steeples and sand-dunes and ships which weren't visible from the deck. It's all there, out of sight.

 

[Pete R]

Given that one can mount a camera anywhere on board for minimal cost and weight, is the masthead a good spot for improving judgement of distances, and of seeing over the horizon, plus verifying safe bridge clearance? Not that I'm thinking my Osprey needs one.

I'm often surprised how near the beach fixed marks seem, from an elevated place ashore. Any yacht's masthead would give a very different view from what we see at deck-level.

Not so sure of the uses a camera would be up there but the view would be great!

As other have said, keeping the lens cleanish would be a major problem. You only have to look at web cams at marinas on lousy days to see how poor the picture can be. And if a spider ever gets up there and enjoys the heat so much that it decides to build a home then...........

With that in mind what about putting a camera up there only when you want it?

A simple wired PTZ dome camera hoisted up the mast track (with or without the sail) would work. (or maybe not)
The view in one direction would always be obscured by the pole but that could be varied.

Or if the camera was inverted and moved up the silver pole it would give an all round view but maybe not of the cockpit, especially if you only have a dinghy.

Obviously might need a bit of tweeking

Good luck

 

[[70521]]

I'm interested to know how seeing a bridge approach via a camera would tell you if you were about to hit it...

Looking down at the cars might be a hint

 

[SeamanStaines]

You are all missing the point here.

We have a 12mtr catamaran, from the helm I cant see the port bow easily and certainly not well enough to estimate my distance from boats, pontoons etc; in close quarters situations. We have a camera on the mast looking down and with the display in front of me it is easy. Scares the hell out of other boats in the marina when I happily get to within a metre of them when turning around

 

[Cruiser2B]

We have a camera on the mast looking down and with the display in front of me it is easy.

That's the sort of stuff I was talking about. Can you rate your camera? Give us the pros and cons?
It would be also useful to hear if someone has a forward looking camera. My thinking is that it's a bugger looking around the genoa, so it would be nice if a camera could fix that.