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While I am getting advice from all of you, has anyone heard of remote throttle control? Similar to the madman I steer remote autopilot steering control, but for throttle?
This would be convenient for many purposes, including foul weather boating being able to be below deck, or shallow water navigation to be standing in the bow hatch spotting channels as well as being helmsman.

Flightfollowing wrote:Brilliant suggestion BOAT! In fact I don't have to buy anything I could just mount my existing waterproof wifi camera below the waterline, which would avoid all the glare. Going backwards is also something I did not consider (duh) and a good option. Why do you drop the daggerboard a few inches? Just as a warning or tipoff that one is getting too shallow?

I drop the daggerboard about 6 inches into the water because I am not as good a motorman as I am a sailor. The small "skeg" of a fin below the boat will help it track a little straighter when going backwards with the motor at idle. If your going to hit somthing the first thing that will hit is gonna be the motor so you need to be really slow with this method.

This is a practice that was perfected by Captain Mike Inmon himself many years ago especially for the MAC X and M boats. I watched him teach my wife how to maneuver the M boat into tight dock spaces right between other boats in a cross wind in nothing flat. Mike is so good at it he does not need any daggerboard. After so many years on the MAC power sailors (that he also helped design) Captain Mike had come up with a lot of tricks for handling the boats.

I used the same maneuver to come right up to the stern of an X boat at mooring and get so close I could walk right through my transom into his. The boat has a lot of control in reverse.

As for the throttle it's not possible on the ETEC because the fly by wire computer is only on the larger motors from what mastreb tells me. You also have the problem of the gear selector - the motor does not go slow enough to do any serious maneuvering at idle - for that kind of thing you need a trolling motor.

Flightfollowing wrote:Brilliant suggestion BOAT! In fact I don't have to buy anything I could just mount my existing waterproof wifi camera below the waterline, which would avoid all the glare. Going backwards is also something I did not consider (duh) and a good option. Why do you drop the daggerboard a few inches? Just as a warning or tipoff that one is getting too shallow?

Yeah, just don't do it with a GoPro because they are square and bulky and plastic and cheap and create so much drag the water will break the camera right off the mount if you going anything over 3 knots.

You need a skinny metal bullet camera with an aerodynamic case that can cut through the water. There are many brands. The GoPro form is 10 years old - junk! The software is okay, but the form is lousy for water use.

Flightfollowing wrote:Brilliant suggestion BOAT! In fact I don't have to buy anything I could just mount my existing waterproof wifi camera below the waterline, which would avoid all the glare.

Hate to be the party pooper, but wifi & bluetooth won't work through the water while immersed

Wired waterproof camera - strategically placed, even if only installed as needed...

I'm even looking into bow mounted trolling motor with lowrance forward viewing sonar... on a removable front mount. Used at a very slow speed.

- What about mounting your cam at the bow hook - u can clip onto it & MacGyver something to aim as desired...

P.S. I put a pool noodle around the neck of my clamp; incase it's dropped, my Gopro won't "go" to the bottom

Gazmn wrote:

Flightfollowing wrote:Brilliant suggestion BOAT! In fact I don't have to buy anything I could just mount my existing waterproof wifi camera below the waterline, which would avoid all the glare.

Hate to be the party pooper, but wifi & bluetooth won't work through the water while immersed

Wired waterproof camera - strategically placed, even if only installed as needed...

I'm even looking into bow mounted trolling motor with lowrance forward viewing sonar... on a removable front mount. Used at a very slow speed.

- What about mounting your cam at the bow hook - u can clip onto it & MacGyver something to aim as desired...

P.S. I put a pool noodle around the neck of my clamp; incase it's dropped, my Gopro won't "go" to the bottom

On my Contour it works just fine. I got this picture and the whole time I was watching it on my Iphone.

It works great underwater with the bluetooth:


https://youtu.be/okDBdH-FAqA

Okay Boat YMMV

I was basing my 'pooping' on this...

Read the comments for further info

I also found this as a workaround.

Gazmn wrote:Okay Boat YMMV

I was basing my 'pooping' on this...

Read the comments for further info

I also found this as a workaround.

I have no problem viewing and controlling my Contour with my Iphone when it is under water. It works great for me.

I believe you if you say there are problems with the GoPro, I know that every time I have use GoPro for underwater stuff I have had trouble - mostly the GoPro made so much drag it got ripped off it's mount - that was my trouble and also the GoPro water case would fog up. I can't comment about how well GoPro works with Bluetooth because way back in the days when I used GoPro they were not Bluetooth enabled at that time.

I got the Contour and it came with the blue tooth - I loaded the app on my phone and stuck the camera under water and I could see what the camera saw on my iphone. It worked perfect the first time and It has been working fine every time I do it. I use a boat hook so the camera is not a great distance from me, I would say there is about 6 to 8 feet between the phone and the camera I guess, maybe more. I can see real good on the iphone. It seems to work just fine. I have the Contour+2 and I guess it's getting to be about 2 years old.

Flightfollowing wrote:... the circular polarizer did depend on the sun angle somewhat ...

Pro tip: Sun angle should always be from above horizon.

If horizon is above visible sun, immediately return to helm and correct for roll.