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Franziska · 04-01-2020, 03:48

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?

**tkeithlu** · 04-01-2020, 05:43

I hope you'll try it and report back. Maybe go with the pole for a first try. Cameras can readily feed your smart phone or tablet. The biggest question in my mind is whether a reasonably priced camera will withstand the first wave that immerses it. A second question is whether the camera lets you see enough, under the bow basically, that you don't see from the cockpit. That's useful information versus cost and inconvenience.

Franziska · 04-01-2020, 05:58

The idea is actually to go directly underwater with the cam. Below the waves.
Either a waterproof webcam or a webcam cast into resin. Or a cheapo Gopro rip-off with a cable attached for life feed.

**a64pilot** · 04-01-2020, 06:16

Where are you?
I can’t imagine the water being clear enough for that to work except in a very few places.

I assume this is for creeping in slow? How about an inexpensive Sonar on a pole at a 45 degree angle or so? There are many inexpensive hand held fishing Sonar’s.
The length of pole would be key I believe with either a camera or transducer.

I’m thinking even a good camera and display pale compared to the naked eye

Franziska · 04-01-2020, 06:20

Thanks.

It's not about our current location, no bommies here :-)

It was purely a discussion I had with a friend about if that would be useful in the tropics or not.

Yes only as an added safety feature for slowly creeping into narrow reef passages.

Regarding sonar, they are not very good in looking ahead in shallow water and are far more expensive than a cheap cam.

Nice side-effect would be pretty pics of bow wave riding creatures :-)

Wayne hoath · 04-01-2020, 06:49

Forward facing sonar? Harder to fit but ultimately more use possibly?

**Pete7** · 04-01-2020, 07:03

PBO did a review of forward facing sonars. Frankly I was disappointed with the results for spending the thick end of £1000.

https://www.pbo.co.uk/gear/5-forward...r-tested-29321

Pete, also in Gosport

Franziska · 04-01-2020, 07:13

Yep.

Forward facing sonar has very limited use in shallow waters, and is expensive.
The shallower it gets the less range it has.
That's why we talked about cameras instead. In clear water you can see reasonably far, even in shallow water and you have no glare issue...

Maybe someone with experience in the tropics can chime in?
It's obvious that the cam would only work with clear water and daylight...

Maybe I should have put the word tropics in the thread title...

Wayne hoath · 04-01-2020, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

PBO did a review of forward facing sonars. Frankly I was disappointed with the results for spending the thick end of £1000.

https://www.pbo.co.uk/gear/5-forward...r-tested-29321

Pete, also in Gosport

Hi Pete,

When I bought the current boat it came with an interphase forward facing sonar. To be honest in the Solent I barely look at it so it’s hard to know it’s value. As the PBO article says these are like radar and a skilled operator will get more from it than a novice. Maybe one day I’ll get a chance to become a skilled operator of it but for now it’s just a solution looking for a problem. I look forward to the day I’m dodging coral bommies!

All the best

Wayne

El Pinguino · 04-01-2020, 11:44

Some thoughts while on first cup of coffee for the day.....

Glare... rule #1 don't enter with the sun in your eyes or low in the sky and in your eyes... or in your camera's lens.... I think that is in those books as speak of navigating in coral.... admiralty pilots and the like. Angle of incidence = angle of reflection.

Bit of height is good.... mount camera on top of boat hook mounted on pulpit or maybe at the lower spreaders?

Wifi? Buy something like a ( genuine ) SJCam 4000 Wifi or later model. Run the SJCam app on your iPad or whatever... bingo .... fwrd vision from the helm.

Will check the range of the wifi on my cam later today... after I find it...

Pic one... sun on water....pic two.... sun on back... taken in the dreamtime with standard sort of a camera....

Off to organise second coffee....

kev_rm · 04-01-2020, 11:51

Having lived in PNW and GA (Both with crappy visibility) , but also cruised Bahamas, virgin islands, and done "a bit" of world travel... I think clear water is a bit more than "a few places".

Quote:

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Where are you?
I can’t imagine the water being clear enough for that to work except in a very few places.

Franziska · 04-01-2020, 12:33

@El & @Kev

You seem to have tropic experience.
Would an underwater (!) camera work & be useful?
Eliminates the glare issue.
I'm not talking of mast mounted cameras here...

El Pinguino · 04-01-2020, 12:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franziska

@El & @Kev

You seem to have tropic experience.
Would an underwater (!) camera work & be useful?
Eliminates the glare issue.
I'm not talking of mast mounted cameras here...

Limited tropical experience...

However I have used my SJCam for underwater hull inspections, rope round prop issues etc quite succesfully. In clear ( Chilean ) water works well out to 2 metres at least.
Sadly I can't find any of my underwater pics....
I have seen video ( Youtube) taken underwater of dolphins on the bow taken when yachts underway.
Visibility should be the same as anything you see filmed by scuba divers.

So... in my opinion no probs filming underwater from camera mounted at bottom of boathook.

Issue would be getting live feed as wifi doesn't work under water... been there ... experimented with that... worked a few inches under... no further...

So... idea is sound... getting live feed is the issue...