Mast head sailing video
 

I've been working on a project where I'm filming a series of training videos for sailing a specific type of boat. I'm trying to figure out how to get good footage from the top of the mast down onto the boat so you can see what each crew member is doing through a maneuver. I've been looking at a GoPro camera, but they are limited by battery life. I'd really like something that has the brains on the deck so I can set the mast with the camera up it and go out for hours at a time. It really is a limitation to have to drop the mast to change batteries or memory cards. (from the time you turn the camera on till are rigged, in the water, and to an area where we were ready to obtain usable footage could be 30+ minutes and that doesn't give much filming time.

I've seen these cameras and they got me thinking... can you get extension cables to bring the camera head 30 feet or so from the base? I'd just tape the cable to the outside of the mast mount the camera, rig up and we're set for a weekend of filming (or at least till the project is finished) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...et_Camera.html

Those cameras are real expensive however, for like $200 I could get one of these... Power Tools - M12™ Cordless LITHIUM-ION System - M-Spector™ AV M12™ Cordless LITHIUM-ION Multimedia Camera Kit (9.5mm) and just buy extension cables for it. I need about 25-30 ft of cable. Obviously this isn't what the contractors camera was made for, but if I could get web quality video out of something that wasn't made to film action sports and cost a ton less I'm all for it.

Any other options or ideas?

Thanks!
Paul