Boats And Drones: Everything You Need To Know

So, you want to get those epic drone photos and videos of your sailing holiday huh? Well, before you fly, there are some rules of the clouds to know and some highly important things to remember before taking off in different countries. Flying a drone, in general, takes practice and skill, but flying a drone off a boat at sea is a whole different level.

To help you keep your drone alive at sea, we have compiled some handy tips and “need to knows” for flying your drone off boats on your MedSailors holiday!

Golden rule: Know your drone

If you are new to drone flying, it’s best to get to know every aspect of your drone BEFORE you fly on holiday. Especially off of a boat. Does it come with collision sensors? Have you set the “return to home” hover height? How long does the battery last? These and more are important before taking off.

Before your holiday kicks off, it’s good to know also how your drone handles so practice practice practice. Look over the manual and different settings. Get a feel for how it flies and its maneuvering. You’ll be a master in no time!

#1 Look up local laws for flying drones

One of the most important things to do is to look up local laws on flying drones, and even bringing drones into the country. Many countries have similar laws on drone flying, for example, no flying within 4 miles of an airport and staying below 120 meters. But most countries will have their own requirements. Some even require you to register your drone before arrival so you don’t get it taken away.

And, of course, the worst would be to arrive in a country that doesn’t allow drones and have it confiscated. So best to check this out!

#2 Make sure to adjust your settings

Hand in hand with number 1 is to adjust your drone settings. If there are regulations required, like maximum flight height, set these limits on your drone so you have no worries about breaking any laws.

#3 Respect your surroundings

If there are public areas that probably wouldn’t be the best to fly in, or an area that people are enjoying a nice quiet time, best not to fly here. Along with that, some countries that allow drones have areas that are no fly zones, like national parks, so it’ll be good to respect these areas.

The more you respect the surroundings, the better, as countries are tightening drone laws and eventually may be banned if too many people disrespect local surroundings.

#4 Prepare for the flight BEFORE flying

Whenever you break out the drone for those awesome aerials, it’s best to prepare for the flight before flying. What are your surroundings like? Are there high trees nearby? Power lines? Other boats? Are ropes (lines) out of the way? Taking 5 minutes to prepare to fly will potentially save your drone from crashes.

Another important aspect of flying your drone at sea is wind! Make sure for taking off and landing to check wind speed and direction to be ready for sudden gusts, because if you are taking off and landing and a gust comes, and can send your drone drifting into the mast or lines. Along with that, boats swing around while on the anchor, so keep that in mind!

#5 Plan your shots

Don’t waste a minute of flight time! Before takeoff, look around you and plan out what shots you’ll want to try to capture so you don’t spend too much battery life thinking about what you want to get after taking off. If you have some leftover juice after getting those key photos and videos, then explore all you want!

#6 Shoot some EPIC content!

Now that you’re in the air, snap and shoot those epic shots! There’s nothing quite like seeing life from above and that sensation of flying like the birds, especially seeing your yacht and the breathtaking destinations you’ll be anchored in from above. It’s okay to pause and pick your jaw up off of the ground at the beauty you’ll see.

#7 Don’t be that annoying fly buzzing about

Hand in hand with respecting your surroundings is respecting others. Drone flying is fun, and most people will want to see the photos and videos you catch. But some people also love to simply relax and enjoy peace and quiet, so it’s best to pick the proper moments to fly (or not to fly) so other’s don’t get annoyed.

Also, don’t forget to simply enjoy the moments from your normal perspective as well and don’t spend the whole holiday watching from above!

#8 Heed the warnings

That scary beeping sound is meant to do just that, scare you. That’s because the drone knows when the battery is getting to low to make it back alive so don’t ignore this! The

moment the alarms sound, start preparing for landing — we’ve seen far too many drones become toys of Poseidon because they ran out of juice on the way back. Things like high winds can drain the battery faster so it’s even more important on windy days!

#Bonus: Share awesome videos and photos!

Now that you’ve gone out and captured those mind-blowing photos and videos of your MedSailors adventure, it’s time to share it with the world! The photos and videos straight from the app are low-res quality, so make sure to offload the SD card when you get home and show off that epic holiday!

Just one more thing… make sure to tag @MedSailors and hashtag #MedSailors when you post! We’d love to see what incredible sights you capture, and it may just win you a free sailing holiday in our summer competitions!

Ready to take off on that adventure of a lifetime and take to the skies while at sea? Book your MedSailors sailing holiday today!