Mavic or Spark during Sailing trip?

[nutsnbolts]

Has anyone taken their drone with them on a sailing trip? I'm looking for experiences that folks encountered or even lessons learned in taking their drone with them and possibly close calls with it?

 

[Squamer]

Mavic all day

 

[Anthony Viscomi]

Primary concern is water
Secondary concern is landing & homepoint

 

[msinger]

A concern with flying the Spark over water is there is no way to choose what happens if the remote controller signal disconnects.

 

[nutsnbolts]

A concern with flying the Spark over water is there is no way to choose what happens if the remote controller signal disconnects.

Yeah as you mentioned in the Spark forum there is no hover feature. With that said I don't plan to fly it unless I'm stationary in the boat so I'm hoping the home feature will get it close enough for me to catch it or at least stop it before landing on water. Either way I have a feeling it will be challenging. I just don't know what to expect? Will the metal parts on the boat interfere? Will I have GPS signal or ??? I'm hoping someone shares some experience and had some good outcome.

 

[msinger]

Will the metal parts on the boat interfere?

Are the metal parts magnetic? If so, they will likely affect the Spark/Mavic compass if you take off near those magnetic metal objects.

Will I have GPS signal

Assuming the boat is not inside of a cavern, the Spark/Mavic should have a clear view of the sky.

 

[nutsnbolts]

Are the metal parts magnetic? If so, they will likely affect the Spark/Mavic compass if you take off near those magnetic metal objects.


Assuming the boat is not inside of a cavern, the Spark/Mavic should have a clear view of the sky.

I'm assuming there will be enough metal parts or there won't be a whole lot of space to really find that may not have metal parts. I'm sure the mast, the railing, just on top of my head.

I'm not taking risks but I may even get on of those floating orb things that you can attach as a landing leg.

 

[msinger]

Or you could just launch and catch it from your hand?

 

[nutsnbolts]

Or you could just launch and catch it from your hand?

That I will do but if it prematurely decides to land on water at least it won't sink.

 

[princeofthehouse]

I would say, with a environment where you have no safe place to land for the most part except a relatively small boat I would go with the drone that can handle weather, wind, so on a lot better then the spark and has the longer battery flight time.

so use the mavic

 

[Dronix]

Go with the Mavic and learn how to hand-catch it.

 

[princeofthehouse]

Go with the Mavic and learn how to hand-catch it.

I did hand-catch day 1, it really is not that difficult. only factor with boat is the movement of the boat on the waves, but you can compensate for that.

 

[nutsnbolts]

Yeah I definitely will hand catch it. Although I can probably land it but hand catching is probably a lot easier from what everyone is saying.

Aside from that anything else that I need to consider?