Bow camera anyone?

[Franziska]

Thanks El.

Adding a waterproof cable to a cheap GoPro style cam to get power to the cam and life feed to a display should not be too difficult for a cruiser, no?

The cam needs to be able to put the life feed out to the USB though...

Ha. Should have clicked your link first though, bigsmile!

[rbk]

If you’re considering a portable setup you can buy prepacked underwater fish cameras with monitor from cabelas for cheap. Pull it out and have crew stand watch at the bow. Might be useful being portable for underwater inspections etc

https://www.cabelas.com/browse.cmd?c...&CQ_zstype=REG

[Franziska]

Thx. That's also interesting, even though more expensive than DIY.

[Paul L]

In the tropics in areas with bommies you are relying on the sun being high enough to see the reefs and bommies. You are working your way in making your own 'channel' so you need a good overview of the area, not a short view directly in front. When you get in close enough you are looking for a sand patch to anchor in and eyeing the area in the entire swing zone for bommies, again not directly in front.

We use our forward looking sonar extensively. It is most useful in cloudy waters, although it does pickup a bommie in front pretty well.

[BigAl.NZ]

To help with the glare you need to use a polarising filter.

[Rapanui]

I had an early Echopilot 2D and it worked really well in UK south coast, and Northern France, even in shallow water. Looking for bommies and reefs should be easier because the water is generally deeper and you can pick up the rising wall at a greater distance.

You could easily modify a waterproof USB camera to mount it either on a stick or even modify a scrap speed paddle wheel transducer as a housing. However the big problem with small format CCD cameras such as USB and GoPro types is the fish eye effect which distorts the view and makes determining depth and distance more difficult.
What would allow night vision from onboard eyeball or an UW camera is to mount a high intensity light underwater at the bow. There are lots of very high intensity 12V LED illegal headlamp bulbs that push out 1000s of lumens. Get a 2nd scrap paddle wheel trnasducer and machine up clear acrylic cylinder to waterproof it and mount the stick LED bulb inside. Boy racer blue 6000+K will have longest range.
Now you have 2 extra through hulls!!

[GordMay]

How about something like a car back-up camera?
Ie: Yada Backup Camera CDN$140.00 (±$107 USD)
➥ https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B007AAUTG8?...=digitren0e-20

[Franziska]

Hi Paul, what model of fwd looking sonar is that&at what price range.

Actually the cam is just meant an additional feature...

Originally Posted by Paul L

In the tropics in areas with bommies you are relying on the sun being high enough to see the reefs and bommies. You are working your way in making your own 'channel' so you need a good overview of the area, not a short view directly in front. When you get in close enough you are looking for a sand patch to anchor in and eyeing the area in the entire swing zone for bommies, again not directly in front.

We use our forward looking sonar extensively. It is most useful in cloudy waters, although it does pickup a bommie in front pretty well.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hi Paul, what model of fwd looking sonar is that&at what price range.

Actually the cam is just meant an additional feature...

Echopilot.
Sure the bow camera would be one more piece of info. If the light is not good enough to see the bommies from the high deck, then the bow camera isn't going to show you a path in and a place to anchor. Think of yourself threading your way into an anchorage in good sun. The bommies stand out once you learn to read the water colours. Then a heavy squall comes in. The camera is not going to get you to a safe anchor spot.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Rapanui

What would allow night vision from onboard eyeball or an UW camera is to mount a high intensity light underwater at the bow. !

The problem with underwater lights and cameras is the back scatter of light cause by minute particles in the water. The eye doesn't see them when diving but take a photo and any flash will reflect.

What would be nice is if Raymarine made a U/W camera that slotted into the speed transducer hole when you are approaching shallow water.

Pete

[Tudorsailor]

In the Mediterranean where one reverses into a berth, a rear facing sonar would be useful. Is there a portable option?

TudrSailor

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Tudorsailor

In the Mediterranean where one reverses into a berth, a rear facing sonar would be useful. Is there a portable option?

TudrSailor

Not that I know of. I would bring the bow up to a boat length or 1.5 length away and have a look in with forward mounted unit prior to backing in. The slope to the seawall should show prominently.

[Franziska]

What stops you from mounting a fwd looking sonar at the stern with the sensor facing aft?
You could even fit the sensor to a pole.

I can see sense in that on a center cockpit boat.
On an aft cockpit you can see normally deep enough to know what's going on, if the water is not terribly murky.

[Tudorsailor]

Originally Posted by Franziska

What stops you from mounting a fwd looking sonar at the stern with the sensor facing aft?
You could even fit the sensor to a pole.

I can see sense in that on a center cockpit boat.
On an aft cockpit you can see normally deep enough to know what's going on, if the water is not terribly murky.

I have 49ft centre cockpit boat. When reversing onto the quay in places like Greece, there are often boulders near the quay that I would not want to hit! A rear so an adaptation of forward facing sonar to face rearwards is ideal. On reflection I wonder if I should try a car reversing camera on a stick and non-wireless so as to avoid transmission issues

Thanks for the ideas

TudorSailor

[dickfred]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hi,

I'd like to mention that I searched the forum with the built in search function of the Android app before and did not find the right info.

We just had a discussion on the possible advantages of having a watertight webcam under the bow when entering a small channel of clear water in daylight.
Basically to have one more chance to spot bommies a couple of meters before the bow. Enough to just avoid them at slow speed.
The cams are cheap and easy to install, less complicated than drones and there are ways to clean the lens just before entering a channel.
One could even fix it on a temporary pole.

Masthead cams have been discussed before but have issues with glare.

Of cause any of this is just meant as a further aid/safety feature and not in any ways as sole orientation when entering.

So did anyone in tropical waters try this? What are your experiences?

Seems to me, any camera would need to have a circular polarizing filter for any kind of usefulness. This means you would have to manually turn the filter for maximum effectiveness in eliminating glare. I know cameras pretty well and do not sea (!) how one could do this.

I know a lot and have sailed a lot, but didn't know what a bommie was. Thanks for adding to my vocabulary. How to speak Australian?