Extreme social distancing!

[boathealer]

Currently about as far from any crowds as is possible!

This week we are bouncing around one of the most beautiful areas in the county - the Everglades National Park. Our first time here. Just stunning.

Had some fun with the drone over the past few days:

SCOUT does the Everglades....

 

[FlyWright]

I sure hope the alligators are practicing social distancing if you fall in.

Nice job on the video. Looks like heaven.

 

[Wayfarer]

How long d'you reckon before someone names their boat 'Social Distancing?'

 

[FlyWright]

Baker just posted that idea on his FB page today. Great minds think alike.

 

[Nightsky]

How long d'you reckon before someone names their boat 'Social Distancing?'

Last summer I saw a sportfisher on the ICW called "Deplorable".

 

[Leatherneck]

BoatHealer, I was wondering what model drone/camera you are using. Spectacular video!

 

[boathealer]

BoatHealer, I was wondering what model drone/camera you are using. Spectacular video!

Hi, L.

I have a 4 year old Spark from DJI. I don't think they are made anymore. There's a replacement for it now at the same price point.

I wanted a price point that I wouldn't slit my wrists if it went in the drink (to prove a point, my first one is at the bottom of the Neuse River). It does quite a good job for what it cost.

EDIT: and post #7 here -

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/reliable-drone-recommendation-46292.html

Best,

 

[healhustler]

Great video. Make sure to check your swim platform in the AM before opening the transom door. Occasionally a gator may visit overnight or rest there in the morning sun if the transom is pointed east.

 

[boathealer]

Great video. Make sure to check your swim platform in the AM before opening the transom door. Occasionally a gator may visit overnight or rest there in the morning sun if the transom is pointed east.

Yikes!!!!

 

[healhustler]

Yikes!!!!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, the gators on the swim platform...it’s better not to disturb them in the morning...kinda grouchy, you know. Better to keep that social distancing! BTW, you do have good flappers on the exhausts, no? The water snakes tend to collect in those warm places. Don’t worry about the occasional “thung” sound from your rudder area. It’s just the Bull sharks launching themselves at the snakes as they sprint out the exhaust. How are the mosquitos and nosee’ems this time of year.

All above just legend, of course. Wish I was there to join you in a veranda cocktail (on separate boats, of course).

 

[BruceK]

Great video. Make sure to check your swim platform in the AM before opening the transom door. Occasionally a gator may visit overnight or rest there in the morning sun if the transom is pointed east.

The Aussie dirt equivalent is checking for funnel web spiders in boots and shoes left outside. They take exception to toes entering their shoe refuge.

 

[healhustler]

The Aussie dirt equivalent is checking for funnel web spiders in boots and shoes left outside. They take exception to toes entering their shoe refuge.

Bruce, you guys really have it down there. I mean, we’ve got our black widows and brown recluses, gators, snakes, sharks, etc. but nothing in the lethal quantity you’ve got down under. And what about those nasty jelly fish.

 

[FlyWright]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, the gators on the swim platform...it’s better not to disturb them in the morning...kinda grouchy, you know. Better to keep that social distancing! BTW, you do have good flappers on the exhausts, no? The water snakes tend to collect in those warm places. Don’t worry about the occasional “thung” sound from your rudder area. It’s just the Bull sharks launching themselves at the snakes as they sprint out the exhaust. How are the mosquitos and nosee’ems this time of year.

All above just legend, of course. Wish I was there to join you in a veranda cocktail (on separate boats, of course).

Criminy! Covid is the LEAST of his worries! ?

 

[markpierce]

The boatyard I employ is remaining open, but has introduced the usual procedures to reduce the chance of disease transference.

 

[boathealer]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, the gators on the swim platform...it’s better not to disturb them in the morning...kinda grouchy, you know. Better to keep that social distancing! BTW, you do have good flappers on the exhausts, no? The water snakes tend to collect in those warm places. Don’t worry about the occasional “thung” sound from your rudder area. It’s just the Bull sharks launching themselves at the snakes as they sprint out the exhaust. How are the mosquitos and nosee’ems this time of year.

All above just legend, of course. Wish I was there to join you in a veranda cocktail (on separate boats, of course).

Boy, you're just a treasure trove of positive energy, aren't you? ?? Just kidding...

No mosquitoes where we were. A little bit of noseeum action for about an hour around sunset. Could have been much worse.

Heading out this morning to head further north -- carrying no reptiles (that I know of)....

 

[Leatherneck]

BH, looks like they have the DJI Mavic Mini for $399/$499 with extras. Will it return home to a moving boat or is that asking for Davey Jones to claim it?

 

[boathealer]

BH, looks like they have the DJI Mavic Mini for $399/$499 with extras. Will it return home to a moving boat or is that asking for Davey Jones to claim it?

Yeah that's the Spark replacement. That's a good drone for the money. No you can't land on a moving boat.

There is a way to keep moving your home position using the remote's location. That gets you close when landing. With the boat stopped you interrupt the return to home process and land manually when it is close.

Underway shots are: Stop the boat. Launch. Get moving. Film. Stop the boat. Land.

Get the extras and more batteries. The trade-off for having such a small conveniently sized drone is the flying time is a little short around 7 minutes. No problem for me.

Oh, and just because you're stopped relative to the water doesn't mean the boat is not moving (current) -- don't ask me how I know.....


Have fun!

 

[Leatherneck]

I wont ask but suspect it has something to do with the Neuse River <LOL>

 

[boathealer]

i wont ask but suspect it has something to do with the neuse river <lol>

????

 

[Nomad Willy]

The “extreme distancing” (6’) is only “mostly” effective if you don’t let anybody into your house. But when you go to the store or buy gas you’re exposed .. the door handle, the money, the nozzle on the hose ect. And many to most aren’t doing the 6’ distance. How are you going to pass in an isle? So one needs to minimize how often you go out.

But this thing will change and evolve. It may magically disappear (like Trump said) or in a year the world’s population could be a small fraction of what it was.

 

[w8n4sun]

That was beautiful, thanks for sharing!

 

[ABfish]

My younger brother tends to be a hermit. He says he was practicing social distancing before it became trendy.

 

[DC36Monk]

The boatyard I employ is remaining open, but has introduced the usual procedures to reduce the chance of disease transference.

Is that a Bueller Duck?

 

[Nomad Willy]

As one moves about one should assume that everyone has the virus. Absolutely everybody.
This should be obvious as we don’t know who has it w the exception of those that show most of the symptoms preferably profoundly so.
And we should assume every door knob and hand rail was just grabbed by a very sick person.
And on top of that we don’t even know if we ourselves have the virus so we should assume that too.

 

[markpierce]

Is that a Bueller Duck?

It isn't a Duck but rather a Coot. Buehler was involved with the design but it was built in China.

 

[Dougcole]

The abject terror that many people hold for alligators can be very amusing. I once traveled with a sales manager who lived in one of America's great western cities, one of the high tech places where it costs you five year's wages to rent a crappy studio apartment. We were driving through Clearwater on US-19 and stopped at a light near a little 1/2 acre drainage pond next to the road. He looked over at it and asked me if I thought a gator could be in that pond. I said "sure, they like places like that sometimes." He rolled up his window and locked the car door.



I wouldn't want a big gator trapped in the cockpit with me, but if one climbed up on the swim platform it would likely scoot as soon as you stepped out of the cabin. In the highly unlikely event that it didn't, a little jab with a boat hook would for sure send it on its way.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Dougcole,
Don’t try that w Alaska Coastal Brown Bears.

 

[Blissboat]

Currently about as far from any crowds as is possible!

This week we are bouncing around one of the most beautiful areas in the county - the Everglades National Park. Our first time here. Just stunning.

Had some fun with the drone over the past few days:

SCOUT does the Everglades....

Really beautiful, Ray and Lisa - thanks for sharing that. Pandemic or no pandemic, January through March is the time of year to be exploring the 'glades. Looks like you've turned the corner and headed north. Did you consider buzzing out to the Dry Tortugas? Always worth a visit, in my book.

 

[Dougcole]

Dougcole,
Don’t try that w Alaska Coastal Brown Bears.

Yeah, I've heard they are a whole different kind of critter and far outside of my geography.



Honestly, a racoon probably poses a bigger threat to an adult human than the vast majority of alligators do. Like most wild animals, they really just want you to leave them alone. Stingrays scare me for certain though because they are much harder to avoid.

 

[boathealer]

Really beautiful, Ray and Lisa - thanks for sharing that. Pandemic or no pandemic, January through March is the time of year to be exploring the 'glades. Looks like you've turned the corner and headed north. Did you consider buzzing out to the Dry Tortugas? Always worth a visit, in my book.

Thank you for the kind words, B!

Unfortunately no Tortugas for us this time. The winds out of the east were incessant during the whole time we were in KW. I think there was only one day while we were there when it was below 15-20 on the outside. Would have been easy going there, but painful coming back.

Gives us a reason to return, though, right?

All the best,
r.