Dublin Bay Buoy is a free marine weather service. We try to keep data collection minimal and self-hosted.
What we collect
If you use the Telegram bot:
Wind alert preferences - your Telegram user ID and threshold, only while your alert is active. Send /alert off to delete.
/feedback messages - text only, with a daily session hash. Not tied to your identity.
Anonymous command counts - which command, when, and a daily session hash.
If you visit the website or Mini App:
Privacy-respecting analytics - page views, country (from your IP at first request, never stored), browser, screen size, button clicks. Self-hosted on our server in Europe. No third parties, no IP addresses kept, no advertising profile.
Session replays - short, masked recordings of how the page was used, to find broken layouts. All text and inputs are masked; the feedback sheet is fully blocked from recording. Sampled at 15 %, capped at 5 minutes.
A random visitor ID stored in your browser's localStorage so we can tell repeat visits from new ones. No cookies.
If you use GPS race tracking on the Mark Calculator (racing.dublinbaybuoy.com):
GPS tracking is experimental, optional and off by default. It only runs after you press Enable GPS, and your phone will ask for location permission on top of that. It exists to help build sail race performance statistics for Dublin Bay racing.
Your track is recorded on your device: in your browser's localStorage and in any GPX file you choose to save.
When you stop a recording, we store a completely anonymised copy of the track: positions, speeds and times only, with no account, name, IP address, device identifier or anything else that could link it to you. Anonymised tracks are used for feature improvement and race performance statistics and for nothing else, and are never shared with anyone.
Why we collect it
Legitimate interest under GDPR Art 6(1)(f) - keeping the service usable and finding bugs. We don't run ads, sell data, or share with third parties.
How long we keep it
Session replays: 60 days.
Anonymous analytics events: 365 days.
/feedback messages: indefinite (anonymous text).
Wind alerts: while active.
GPS race tracks: on your device until you clear them. Anonymised tracks, if stored for feature improvement, indefinitely; they contain nothing that identifies you.
Opt out
Click below to disable analytics and replay on this device. The setting is stored in your browser and applies immediately. We also respect your browser's Do Not Track setting automatically.
Your rights (GDPR)
You can ask to see what we have, correct it, or delete it. Most data is pseudonymous so the most useful action is usually deletion. Email [email protected] with your request.
Children
Not aimed at under-13s. We don't knowingly collect data from children.
Terms of Service
Dublin Bay Buoy provides marine weather information for general reference only.
Not a safety service. Do not rely on this bot for navigation or safety-critical decisions. Always consult official forecasts and Coast Guard channels.
Data accuracy. Buoy data is sourced from Irish Lights. We display it as received and cannot guarantee accuracy or availability.
Data licensing. Irish Lights MetOcean data is published on data.gov.ie under the CC BY 4.0 licence; Open-Meteo forecasts are CC BY 4.0. Full source and licence list on the developers page.
Availability. Best-effort, no uptime guarantee.
No warranty. Provided "as is".
Data Deletion
If you have an active wind alert, send /alert off to the bot to delete your Telegram user ID immediately. For anything else, email [email protected].