The Gurnard goes GoPro

[The Gurnard]

There can be no complaints from me about the Scottish weather this past month..i have been on the water more days than off .

Yesterday ..in my effort to follow in the footsteps of Quentin Tarantino ..the movie director behind such films as Pulp Fiction and The Hateful Eight.. I took my GoPro on its maiden voyage to Loch Fyne and spent 7 hours recording clips and going approx 40 miles distance ..in my F-Rib 275 size

Its a great wee boat.. I parked in a layby near St Catherines and carried the light weight outfit to the waters edge. 15 minutes later ... I was on the water .. at the start of a new adventure



The 6HP outboard easily takes my 200lb self plus gear at 15-16 mph. The sea was flat calm.



It was an overcast day..so a bit of a challenge to get reasonable photos and film .. but it produced a few moody shots.



I felt the sun was never that far from showing ...



The beauty of Loch Fyne is there are few other boats about...so I have the place to myself. I saw only three the whole day. This one was struggling as it was towing around five fish cages behind it.



I stopped to stretch my legs in a lovely wooded glen opposite Otter Ferry. I saw no otters ..but the bluebells were beautiful. So was my home made eigg and cheese sandwich.



Back on the water.. I saw a large school of porpoise .. seals .. and loads of different sea birds.



The loch also has an abundance of magnificent castles ..which look entirely different from a sea view.



So how did my first day as a GoPro movie maker go ?

I guess the proof is in the movie..so here it is for all to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu2fkRl4e9g

I realise I have a bit to go before I can make a successful Reservoir Dogs movie.. but Im hopefully learning .

[kerny]

Brilliant Gurnard !! All I can say is it beats watching the telly [emoji1] keep em coming [emoji106]

[Fenlander]

Really interesting. Underwater too.... hopefully planned.

Was the vibration the transom stick or the GoPro itself... perhaps the image stabilisation being too slow to cope with smallcraft jitters??

[Bern Hanreck]

Film Directing & Production........Superb

Scenery ........Magnificent

Casting.........." Sh*te "...........You really do need to get rid of that ugly old bu**er in the boat and get to Sean Connery or David Tennant to " stand in "


Great Effort Gurnard !

[spartacus]

Excellent Gurnard. A GoPro is definitely on my list at some point when funds allow.

What bait were you using when fishing? We were out of Stonehaven last week using rag worm at a £1 a pop and didn't even get a nibble. Heading for the wrecks next time we're out.

[The Gurnard]

Thanks for the comments guys..its appreciated

@kerny.. for me making the movies is more enjoyable than watching TV too. I always prefer being a participator than spectator..in most things I do.

@fenlander .. it was the length of the selfie stick. I could see it vibrate at certain revs. The Yamaha is a single cylinder.. so when amplified by the long arm.. it didn’t work. Perhaps if I had turned stabilisation off..it wouldn’t have been so jittery ?. Hand help..its perfect..even on a selfie stick



I didn’t notice the effect though..I was monitoring and controlling it on my smart phone in the driver’s seat.. it connects via wifi. It didn’t show any sign of jitters..but it probably only receives updates every few seconds ? Its certainly a great piece of kit..and Im still delighted with it. The underwater footage was exceptional.. it was in two foot of water..on the end of the selfie stick. I wanted to test it under water.



@Bern..yup.. I agree..Im looking past my sell by date now..but hey..just be thankful I don’t narrate on the movies too..I tend to slur after a Guinness or three .. I was told by a doctor .. the gravy keeps skin looking young too

@Spartacus ..I was just using rubber lures. I wasn’t serious fishing as Loch Fyne is pretty deadly at the best of times. The trawler dredgers for clams ..scoured the bottom into a barren plain many years ago. I wonder if a GoPro would find fish better than a fishfinder gizmo ? Watch for the cod as they appear in the phone...then foul hook them .

[jeffstevens763@g]

Another great adventure gurnard stunning pics & video

[wellhouse]

beautiful backdrop and my kind of music! Keep it coming.

[Stevie Bill]

Gurnard.... I wanna meetcha & shake hands... Fantastic footage which I hope to emulate. You and the scenery look great!☺

[The Gurnard]

Thanks again for the kind words guys .. they have inspired me to try to show the true beauty of Loch Fyne with my GoPro clips..plus my Sony camera stuff combined.

This time I don’t tell a story ..its the scenery that makes this video

So if you can stand a little jitter bug and wonky horizons on video clips ..with Eric Clapton .. Racing the Breeze..a J.J.Cale song ..then enjoy the views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbI7jIGB-pg

Although I did approx 40 miles ..I used around 5 litres of fuel. I only toured the top half of the Loch. The bottom half is equally as stunning with some lovely sandy beaches ..so perhaps I will return and do it soon.

Thanks again for the encouragement ..I’m enjoying the movie making business..so there will be more. Hopefully I can only improve with time. I will make a shorter and stouter mount for the transom as its a reasonable view point.

[andyadam]

Nice video Gurnard,
The gopro is an excellent camera, i used to use one for video sequences when i shot weddings (still photographer who happened to own a gopro) and i also do a different type of shooting as well, it copes well with the recoil of a firearm but a 12 bore knocks it to hell for a second, short of using a steadicam you cant do much about it if the resonance affects it (i know you like to diy solutions so check out the vids on youtube for making steadicams, one would help with wave motion massively but im still unsure about the vibration factor ? )

[The Gurnard]

Thanks again guys ..and I think I need a gimbal andyadam.. its just a bit too far to stretch my budget for now.

I made another mount for the camera to sit on the transom. This time I kept it short and made from stout wood bolted direct through the transom. I must confess..it still didn’t work. Engine vibrations have finally made me give up on transom mounts..although I will keep it for rowing..or fishing viewpoints.



I also made a 90 degree mount so my selfie stick can rest across both tubes ..and the camera kept steady at water level. It works very well as you will see in the attached movie.



I could think of no where better to try it all out again..than Loch Fyne. This time I had a beach launch at Minard. It is possible for a 4x4 to trailer a boat onto this shore. I used the transom dolly as my setup is lightweight.



You will see from the short movie..I encountered all kinds of weather on the day.. and landed at Otter ferry West to allow a thick sea mist to clear..at times I could only see 20 yards ..visibility was so bad. Otter ferry West has long been abandoned and the last ferry was around 1945.



It took passengers across to Otter Ferry East..which is now a hotel and makes a lovely coffee and scone for afternoon tea. Its a one and a half mile crossing..and as visibility was bad..I had to use a compass bearing. Do make sure you have some way to navigate if you use boats at sea ..the mist comes in quick ..and can easily disorientate.



The sun came out once the mist started to clear..and it became very warm..temperatures in the lower twenties..which is great for May.



On my way home..I stopped in the picturesque village of Inveraray ..its on Loch Fyne..and I had a fish supper for evening dinner



The Vital spark is moored at the old harbour. It featured in many of Para Handy’s short TV stories. It was a comedy series and told the adventures of its crew ..carrying cargos between ports in the Clyde.



Perhaps I will donate the Guppy to the museum after I tire of telling it’s sea tales.

So here is the latest from the Gurnard’s Gopro ... music is J.J. Cale “sensitive kind” ... I covered a measly 35 miles this time ..but had another seven great hours at sea

Enjoy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_U7HLtxrTg

[kerny]

Great movie Gurnard you really have to to grips with the go pro for sure. National Geographic will be offering you your own channel soon [emoji106]

[A1an]

Nice video Donny.


Minard was my summer holiday destination when I was a nipper, my gran stayed there.
There used to be great sea trout fishing off the old pier.

[The Gurnard]

Thanks Kerny ..Im getting there..perhaps I will get some movies in Oban end of next week too

I have ancestors on my mother’s side ..who had crofts near Furnace.. and also on Arran at Corriecravie. Their love of the Loch and also the Firth of Clyde still lives on in my genes A1an.

Next time I hope to get down to Tarbert then across to Asgog bay..as it is beautiful down there. But in a chop..when I could hardly see in front of me..it wasn’t worth the effort. Next time for sure. I hope the video shows how versatile a 2.75m Rib and 6HP outboard can be.

Asgog Bay on a Lovely day



Again..with Arran in the background.



Yup..she is a fine sea loch ..is our Loch Fyne ..shame about the herring it was once famous for.

[Chris Caton]

top notch videos Mr G, inspiring as always