Safety Disclaimer

This Safety Disclaimer forms part of and is incorporated by reference into and forms part of the Watchkeeper Terms of Use, available at https://watchkeeper.me/terms. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Safety Disclaimer have the meanings given to them in the Terms of Use. This Safety Disclaimer supplements, but does not otherwise affect, any limitations of liability and dispute resolution provisions in our Terms of Use. In the event of a conflict between this Safety Disclaimer and these Terms of Use, the Terms of Use shall take precedence.

WatchKeeper records log information provided by you, helps you share that record with contacts determined by you, and produces plain-English summaries of your passage. It does not navigate, forecast weather, receive AIS targets, broadcast your position to coast guards, or interface with vessel control systems.

Watchkeeper should not be used as a navigation aid. All outputs of Watchkeeper are provided solely as an aid to, and not a substitute for, the user’s own seamanship and judgment. At all times, the skipper aboard the vessel remains solely responsible for, and retains sole authority over, the operation and navigation of the vessel and its response to prevailing conditions.

Positions, courses, distances, and headings displayed in WatchKeeper come from log entries you create or from devices you connect. They are visualised for convenience, not certified for navigation. WatchKeeper’s charts and map tiles are illustrative only and may be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate.

Always navigate using current paper charts, official electronic charting systems (ECDIS / ECS), and the publications required for the waters you are transiting. Cross-check WatchKeeper’s map against your primary navigation systems before relying on any displayed position or track.

WatchKeeper does not generate weather forecasts. Weather data that may appear on the Platform is sourced from third-party providers and may be delayed, regional, or incorrect. Always consult an official meteorological service before departure and throughout the passage.

Shore briefs are produced by a large language model that summarises your recent log entries into prose. The model can be wrong. It can omit important context, misinterpret entries, or generate detail that did not happen. Every brief is calibrated to be calm and reassuring — that calibration can under-represent severity in a real emergency.

Shore briefs are a convenience for routine status updates. They are not a substitute for direct contact with shore crew, the coast guard, or other competent authority when conditions warrant it, and should not be used as such.

WatchKeeper does not have any functionality in place for contact emergency services. If you are in distress, use VHF (Channel 16 / DSC), EPIRB, PLB, satellite distress messenger, or the appropriate regional emergency number directly. Do not rely on WatchKeeper to alert anyone on your behalf in an emergency.

Inputs into the Platform are stored locally on your device and only sent to our servers when your device has internet connectivity. Until an input is received and stored by our servers, it exists only on the device you created it on. Always assume offline entries are at risk of loss in the event of device damage or destruction.

By using WatchKeeper for any voyage, you confirm that:

• You are competent to operate your vessel and responsible for its safe navigation.
• You carry, maintain, and know how to use the safety equipment required by law and good seamanship for the waters you transit.
• You will file independent float plans with people on shore who are not relying solely on WatchKeeper for situational awareness.
• You will monitor weather, sea state, and navigation hazards via official sources.
• You acknowledge and accept that WatchKeeper makes no warranty or guarantee as to its availability, accuracy, or timeliness, and that its outputs are advisory only and must not be relied upon as a sole source for any safety- or navigation-critical decision.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WATCHKEEPER AND ITS OPERATORS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH ARISING FROM USE OF THE PLATFORM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INCORRECT OR MISSING LOG ENTRIES, UNRELIABLE SHORE BRIEFS, NETWORK OR SERVER OUTAGES, THIRD-PARTY WEATHER OR CHART DATA, OR ANY CONSEQUENCE OF RELIANCE ON THE SERVICE IN LIEU OF PROPER SEAMANSHIP.

The terms of this Safety Disclaimer are incorporated into and form part of our Terms of Use, available at https://watchkeeper.me/terms.