I Sent My Drone Sailboat on a Long Distance Mission

[@levio1463]

I think you should compete in something called the micro transat. Its a competition held every year where autonomous sailboats try and cross the Atlantic unassisted. I think to date only 2 boats have successfully finished, but some have come close. It would be a really cool build/testing series.

[@zyeborm]

Transat not transit btw. Microtransat

[@tracybowling1156]

The best idea EVER!

[@GladiusYTR]

I wish I could like this more than once

[@giovane_Diaz]

now you have my beer bro

[@bjrn-oskarrnning2740]

That's awesome! I would ABSOLUTELY watch a series about that! Multiple series, actually!

[@Suchega_Uber]

That music snuck up on me. At first it's like, oh that's a nice sound, then it's oh that's got a little rhythm, then wait, is that, noooo, sounded pretty close though, then IT TOTALLY IS! That's hilarious. What a great choice to put in the video.

[@n3mos]

Had this same experience in a thai restaurant, like instrumental versions of hit songs but the only instrument was a flute 😂

[@andrewreynolds912]

Ikr?

[@tobZZZilla]

In many of his videos, there's a banger hidden somewhere. I've been a regular for many years but they still get me by surprise every time, absolutely love the choices made..

[@hazard7732]

Makes me think of all the goofy music references that the Tim Traveler makes in his videos

[@NeuralEngin33r]

pure fire 🔥🎶

[@OzDeaDMeaT]

We come for the RC, we stay for the tunes.

[@TheoriginalQward]

Self guided drone sub next?

[@spacechild7452]

Yes That would be awesome

[@10aDowningStreet]

What would you do for GPS/radio? Tether a floating antenna buoy kind of thing?

[@landonearlabaugh463]

I’m pretty sure DJI has done or tried that

[@ectorwillis9228]

Maybe have it pre programmed and then hope it makes it? Imma be honest idk if that would work​@@10aDowningStreet

[@zyeborm]

​@@ectorwillis9228if you spend tens of thousands of dollars on an export controlled INS system you'll probably only be 90 degrees off course in an hour or so.

[@ThreeAngrySquirrels]

PLEASE tell me this is the return of your friends doing song covers for your videos. Always make me smile.

[@romeo5239]

I cant figure out which is the best part of the video, the project or the song

[@milehighsparky8796]

amazing music indeed! so creative!

[@SuperUltimateLP]

look up his cyclone series for more ^^

[@EliEverson-jv4io]

The sail music with a flute is hilarious

[@aeronerd22]

it's a good morning when there's new RCTF

[@linolafettatnet]

That cover song alone was worth it :D Thank you!

[@GimSlim]

Love the flute music cover lol

[@struanpeat5116]

took me a second to recognise the song. all i san say to him is well played haha

[@iNerdier]

It’s a recorder not a flute

[@zHan8372]

Recorder*

[@GimSlim]

A recorder is a type of flute, same way that a bongo is a type of drum. I was generalising because, well, flute is quicker to type. If you still feel like a recorder cannot be classified as a flute, please tell me why so I can learn.

[@davidherbert5027]

I've seen a KZbin article on a trans ocean autonomous sailboat. It had similar features to your boat, but it had a torpedo shaped hull. No need for decks or cabin roof if you have no crew or cargo. The torpedo hull is better able to pierce the waves and has a smoother passage. The next law for sailboats is bigger is always better, limited only by tacking space and strength of the fittings. I'm enjoying this. Please continue your research.

[@NickCombs]

My intuition is that the boat isn't moving fast enough to get seaweed caught on the keel. It's like moving with the crowd instead of trying to push your way through. Something to test so you know for sure.

[@ArmchairDeity]

I would think that expoxying a small camera or 4 into the hull looking out so he can see himself what the hull/keel are doing while the boat is cruising (not to mention a great way to see Nessie when she swims underneath the boat!) Save the data to a massive SD card while it's cruising and watch the video after the fact would keep you from having to have a high-bandwidth connection between the controller and the boat.

[@lukasmy6863]

This Sail Remix fits so well :D

[@randomname4726]

This channel deserves a million plus subs. Great work as always.

[@BeardRubEnjoyer]

Dude, this Sail cover is incredible. Edit: PSA a therapist is not a psychiatrist or psychologist.

[@nickbellinger1047]

therapy is performed by many professions from remedial massage to brain surgery in fact anything that helps the human condition

[@devinsullivan6160]

"I'm down to my last cookie" 😆Now THAT would have been a good segway for the sponsor 😛

[@peterhillas81]

This made my Tuesday so much better! SAIL! 🎉

[@benmcreynolds8581]

Hahaha the cover of Sail is perfect for this video 👍🏻🎶

[@Noobnuker1]

the bad recorder playing of "sail" was hilarious. i loved it.

[@thetabest]

You need a sump pump in the bottom of the boat...use a float switch to avoid continuous operation... very awesome!

[@jumpsneak]

Not this sponsor...

[@beautifulsmall]

Love the Awolanation version, following on in a great line of parodys, snail, nail, fail, bale, tape, (tapes not that great) its a great tune to tell a story to and what a story your telling. Congratulations on the wind only fully autonomous voyage, superb work as always. As you mention and sufer from contamination, its a wonderful problem to crack, anti fouling mechanisms, like a sewing machine.

[@11regnartseht]

The music was good. Changed it up a little. And it looks like you got that boat working well. Pretty cool

[@jimstrieby4998]

You definitely have this KZbin-thing down. The video presentation and narration is really well done. WA is where a CO kid like me could hang out!

[@rrittenhouse]

One of my most favorite times of the week!!

[@jamesaddison81]

Super cool! Get some solar panels on the sail then it could sail forever 😎 also with the keel if you removed the front facing ‘spike’ off the bottom any seaweed would just slip off the bottom rather than getting snagged if you happened to catch any.

[@sane_scientist]

The off-key recorder cover of sail spoke to my soul

[@cometcatcher5]

Just so you know, that wasn't a gas spill, its called a wind line. Gusts of wind and strength of wind is inconsistent across a body of water and sailors will use "dark" and "light" patches on the water to understand better where the wind is and what to sail towards. When the wind picks up it causes those micro waves or ripples on the water that make it appear darker, sailors will tack into those patches, aim to do any maneuvers within them, and sail from patch to patch avoiding the light spots. Great video but wanted to clear that up, a wind speed indicator would be really cool to see those patches and how they impact the apparent wind and tacking angle on the boat!

[@Da1ienx]

2 minutes in and im already giving this video a like based just on that epic and highly fitting rendition of "sail"

[@bradvdb4136]

Try using RC boat hull tape, I use that on my RC boat to secure the hatch and keep water out.

[@MarkDay-it1ho]

I’ve always got slightly enthusiastic to watch your videos Daniel, content arrangement and transparency is as good as it gets But I’ve become way more excited to hear what personal song or cover you’ll do a rendition of, skills of legend. We’ve got a true OG right here everyone 😎✊🏼

[@dustinbrueggemann1875]

Maybe for a future seal revision, you could router a groove for o-ring material and then screw down on both sides around it

[@pfaura7016]

Catamaran hull will reduce drag and improve stability so you can use a much bigger sail and a smaller counter weight. Increasing the width of the daggerboard might help it to not drift of course. And maybe the wind vane is turning to much because of the waves so its making the sail rotor turn when its not necessary .

[@landynfellner1610]

YESSSSSS! THE MUSIC IS BACK! 😂 That's what got me hooked in the first place. Makes me crack a good smile and a chuckle every time.

[@mrtrendizzle]

You can buy Marine sealant tape. Rooster 3M Slot Gasket Tape would be a good double-sided tape which is waterproof and can be used to prevent 100% of the water ingress unless it's coming from other locations.

[@willt1984]

The song is next level! So, so, good!

[@MultiFindus]

not only are you pretty good in RC stuff but your flute is spot on man!

[@BakerPeter]

I was so insanely distracted by the banger cover I had to watch this one twice.

[@Kargoneth]

Solar panels. Dehumidifier leading to a sump. Bilge pump with a foot valve that draws from the sump and a water-shedding air intake. Seal the control box and place silica gel inside to absorb humidity.

[@Ballacha]

now use the propeller to generate electricity to power onboard electronics and make the boat entirely wind powered

[@akuladon1488]

HELL YEAH rctestflight brings songs back

[@VIJAYzk]

if i can i use this on my sailboat it would be great. You might wanna look into windvane autopilot systems, they are purely mechanical and fascinating stuff. I was hooked on its design and mechanism.

[@nickbellinger1047]

she needs a wing keel like the aussies had when they won the america's cup back in the late 70's early 80's or thereabouts. good vid thanks rc

[@Azeefiz]

maan you are amazing! so talented all the way!

[@ferdyg3520]

I am always really excited whenever you release a video. The mix of vlogging ang building is just awesome. Reminds me of all the projects I would love to make but never do

[@eliodeck]

Epic Music❤😂

[@rexrock]

🤣

[@TammyNorie]

I'm a solo sailor of a single-sailed (junk rigged) sailing boat whose sailplan resembles your models a bit! Tacking through the wind can be an issue for me, especially when there's a lot of short waves hitting the hull. I can imagine your model has quite an issue. A foresail really helps with this on the commonplace bermuda rig. You might get some improvement from a two-element wingsail with a slot. Also, I recommend replacing the foam with butyl mastic tape if you want a better water seal. Looking forward to the next!

[@sideburnie]

OMFG the intro music. Dear god. SO FUCKING GOOD.

[@benmurphy9328]

I just woke up in Aus and watched your video over breakfast. Your content evolves and makes for great watching. It’s also super interesting, I hope you get scooped up one day by some like minded individuals pioneering some sort of amazing technology. Cheers

[@AndyRock1]

use a small strip of flex seal instead of electrical tape. And make sure to wipe the area first with IPA. Also I was thinking having a camera on the sail boat would be awesome; maybe a self steady gimble like the DJI Osmo! How neat would that be? a steady video on a rocking boat!

[@austinclark3495]

Maybe you could put some desiccants in the elec box to have a little bit of extra safety?

[@deplorablesecuritydevices]

Great content as always, but that music just took this to the next level!

[@simonescalici5302]

wow dude, rad mission, make it go to a lakeside bar and bring back a cocktail? re tape, try silicone (non adhesive) tape/wrap (easy to remove) or rv roof seal tape (super waterproof but maybe hard to remove)

[@bebarty]

love the flute sail cover.

[@agonizin]

Why this sponsor though …

[@Curtis-Randall]

$$$$ is why

[@yakacm]

@@Curtis-Randall Yup. I remember watching rerun of the Twilight Zone, with Rod Serling, doing a sponsorship for cigarettes, and laughing at it because that just wouldn't happen today, well...

[@ahaveland]

Why not? Judging by some of the comments, it seems well placed and you can just skip ahead if you want to.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

@@ahaveland 1. they been caught selling user data 2 they have very bad actual professional vetting like with all commercialized 'health care', their primary goal is satisfying their shareholders. Health care should not be a commercial enterprise, it's to expensive for it,.

[@ahaveland]

@@MarvinWestmaas Fair enough, if there is any real evidence for this, and not just gossip.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

Drop the scam sponsor and you'll get more subs I bet.

[@Floris_VI]

he better adress this after his contract is over

[@MarvinWestmaas]

@@Floris_VI Yeah I get they have timed contracts but who's to say who actually had a long term contract and who just got a new one for that sweet sweet spam sponsor money? 'commercial healthcare' is a joke, 'online counseling' is a joke Worse Help primary goal is towards their shareholders not their patients... and they are patients, not clients. Clients can make objective informed decisions, patients often times can not. They also have terrible peer reviews from actual practicing healthcare providers.

[@willemhart467]

the lighter coloured area was not the oil spill. Its just an area with less wind relative to the rest. As a sailor I can say that we use the dark spots in the waves to identify swells of wind, and we try to stay in them. Also, a few drops of gas spread really fast, it can cover a lot of area, so it probably wasn't as much as it looked like, because the layor is so thin.

[@willemhart467]

I see now that you say the same thing about the dark spots later in the video, first watch then comment ig.

[@paulsharpe3794]

Hi there you mentioned about weed on the Keil. If you put a few degrees of back sweep and the main ballast starting from the front edge of the Keil then there's a good chance of the weed just sliding down and off

[@MiNiD33]

Flat water has less wind. You could use more sail area with a canting keel.

[@lanealucy]

I made a contribution to the ardupilot relay function where you now can invert the output XD

[@ciskje71]

*** *** *** I have used for a long time, the famous Dragon Force 65 (also know as joysway), that for a lake (but I have used also on mediterrean sea!) is perfect (give you a lot of speed).

[@alexwilliamson1441]

Cool vid, this channel needs to be a TV series!

[@MrFastXX]

You are going to have to make an album of all this music.

[@olliea6052]

The music....😍 YESSSSSSS!!!!

[@robb.9368]

As usual an amazing video, thank you for your dedication and energy! Would you mind going into some more detail about your selection of esc‘s and flight controllers? That would greatly help me ( maybe us) out.

[@Lizlodude]

Can we just take a second to acknowledge the music in these videos? It's always perfect.

[@leolion960]

We need a link to the album of Colin music on EVERY episode featuring some. I would listen to this music for the whole day, srsly! Hey, i've been his supporter for a new notebook years ago. I WANT HIS MUSIC! :D

[@Nedw]

You can redesign the keel to have its front point of the weight flush with the border of attack. It may require to rebalance your weight distribution and your center of effort. There are some free plans for performant RC boats out there. Search for IOM plans. Another keyword is Racing sparrow. Strip planking thin strips of wood will cut down on the resin and fiberglass you have to lay down. A boxy hull shape from plywood also works well - the angles dig into the water and cut through the waves. Finally, try to add two thermal probes - one at the surface and one at the end of the keel. Sea temperature is the kind of simple data collection that scientists love!

[@ViperDriver]

How about building a virtual anchor? Kind of like DIY/Cheap minn kota with gps that will keep boats on location. It would be super useful for many people. Should be easy enough with RC modules

[@CaptainAtSea]

Thats awesome, great job! How about a faster hul? Catamaran, foils or a kite? Or even a combination?

[@Jesus-Loves-You_T]

I would say it’s not heading upwind at a high enough angle but I only sail big boats And I would add a bigger more loose sail to catch better wind and heeling (leaning) is fine in fact it’s a good thing which means it is working great You could also add wings to the keel/center board to make it shallower

[@markderoller7645]

That was awesome how well it performed

[@glennllewellyn7369]

Wow! Well done!

[@MrCZRC]

Amazing video, really hope to see more and perhaps see you enter some competitions 😁👍🏼

[@pcmaster888]

you should do a second channel where you show the process of writing and recording/producing these songs :D

[@clonkex]

Whoever's playing the recorder, learn to "tongue" it. It'll make getting fast notes WAY easier. You just block the airflow with your tongue instead of controlling it with your lungs.

[@FedericoLucchi]

A wider hull would probably help since the ratio between width and length is always larger for smaller boats.

[@Humboldt710]

The sail remix was just icing on the cake! This was a fun mission!

[@aniragraham3077]

I'm glad you are following through on this one, it's really cool.

[@simonnaughton2272]

As soon as I heard the flute in the background I knew we were in for a real treat.

[@blainerawdon6545]

Thank you for sharing this interesting and excellent project. I have a couple comments on the rigid wing and control system. I have been thinking about this problem for a while. In 1984, a friend and I built a 1-meter RC boat in your configuration. It worked quite well. First comment: I think you may be using too much “up elevator”. It appears that your wing pivots about the wing’s quarter chord. Full-flying elevator deflection should translate to about twice as much deflection in angle of attack. For example, five degrees of elevator deflection should yield about 10 degrees of wing angle of attack. This 2:1 magnification results from the downwash field in which the tail operates. Your symmetrical wing airfoil can handle roughly 10 degrees before stall, maybe less. In the video it appears that you are using much more than five degrees of elevator. This is quite apparent at 0:23 in the video. The result is that the wing is pitched up to and beyond stall angle. The wing may then make nearly as much lift as at maximum un-stalled angle of attack but will make far more drag. This drag is subtracted from the wing’s thrust, reducing speed and optimum upwind angle. I suggest that you do an engineering experiment. Find a steady breeze. Place the boat in a cradle pointed into the wind. Do an elevator deflection sweep and measure the wing incidence on the hull. What I expect you will find is a linear relationship up to wing stall. Then increasing elevator will provide little additional wing incidence. The break from linear to rollover will be close to maximum lift and a good operating angle of attack. My bet is that this will be to near five degrees of elevator. Adjust the control settings to limit elevator deflection to the determined value. This should give considerably better upwind performance. Second comment: Your boom-mounted mass balance decouples boat heeling angle and wing angle of attack. This is good. However, the low location of the boom is below the wing center of gravity. This means that the angle of attack _is_ coupled to roll (heel angle) oscillations. If you move the boom upwards so that the wing is dynamically balanced, roll oscillations will also be decoupled. If you place the boom even higher, you can passively damp roll oscillations. Third comment: It appears that you have a apparent wind direction vane at the bow. Consider if this sensor is redundant. The wing incidence with respect to the hull, in combination with the elevator deflection, can be used to derive apparent wind direction. The experiment from Comment 1 can be used to calibrate this relationship. Now, how to measure the wing’s incidence? I hope these comments are useful to you. This is an excellent effort. Thank you very much for all of your interesting and novel videos.

[@MartianGopnik]

AW YISS, another successful collaboration between the autonomous vehicle wizard and the virtuoso musician. Highlight of my week, lol.

[@amyself6678]

I have normal size sailboat. For long distance mini sailboat to avoid seaweed need to have full keel so boat is like shark fin underwater. And up top have catamaran hull and normal sail. Then see if can get to Alaska!!!!!!

[@nruegs]

The triumphant return of Truck Daddy Beats!

[@CrIMeFiBeR]

the alownation sail flute send me rolling

[@glacierwulf26]

A jib aka headsail should help with tacking.

[@niempi2]

You should put some solar panels on top of it. With those and with fixing the leaks this boat could sail indefinitely.

[@archangeblandin676]

You need a better sailboat ! I have a DF65, it's kinda small to embark all your electronics and a bigger battery, but the DF95 could have that stuffed in. The upwind performance should be really better, also the stability in the waves, just need to find some place for sensors for the autopilot (might be able to hang them on the back). Then there are a lot of much more expansive options, there's the 1 meter class which can hold a lot of stuff and are really fast but they can be so expensive, maybe find a used one.

[@Zach_Hazard]

The music is killing me, oh my god hahaha

[@Erichder5te]

I love the music, You should release an album...

[@Nono-hk3is]

Oh shit my new jam

[@Highstranger951]

Is it possible to print an o-ring groove? O-ring material is available to make whatever length or shape you need and would definitely seal, reusable too.

[@CraigTaylor]

Would putting a small wind turbine on the wind vane be useful in trickle charging the battery to allow longer missions?

[@brettsuydam]

Could you place that system on a catamaran hull with 2 weights (1 bow and 1 stern) that go across the deck on screws (much like how humans will move across a deck and hang over the edge in high cross wind environments)?

[@TheOzarkWizard]

I come for the video, I stay for the music

[@isacsuurholma7826]

hahaha i love how this feels like "a day in the park"

[@gsftom]

Great mission / video.

[@dash0173]

Lmfao the music.... i fucking love this channel ditch the sponsor tho

[@Floris_VI]

i seriously cannot believe he did after the first time

[@rickrussell]

So... probably a dumb question -- why not make the keel more of a delta wing so it doesn't present anything that seaweed could hang on? The way the weight is on it now, it presents a sort of L-shaped hook, but if you slanted the keel and moved the weight back (maybe moving the whole keel forward to keep the same CoM), it would naturally repel stringy materials.

[@newtome-jessegates6310]

It was awesome seeing you at opensauce! Been watching this channel for years!