Big Boat Bot
An AI-powered live stream that tracks every ship on the Great Lakes, narrates vessel movements, reads real-time weather, and responds to viewer questions - all streaming 24/7 on YouTube.
What Does Big Boat Bot Do?
Real-Time AIS Ship Tracking
Connects to live AIS data streams to track every commercial vessel on the Great Lakes. Freighters, tankers, bulk carriers, Coast Guard cutters - if it has AIS, Big Boat Bot sees it.
AI-Narrated Vessel Spotlights
When a ship enters a zone, the bot generates a natural narration script using AI and reads it aloud with text-to-speech. You'll hear the vessel's name, type, where it's heading, speed, and flag.
Live Weather & Marine Forecasts
Pulls real-time data from NOAA buoys and NWS marine forecasts. Water temperature, wave heights, wind speed and direction, and detailed forecasts for every lake zone.
Instant Alert Announcements
When the National Weather Service issues a small craft advisory, gale warning, or storm warning, Big Boat Bot announces it immediately on stream with details.
Interactive YouTube Chat
Viewers can ask questions in the live chat. 'Where is the Herbert C Jackson?' 'What's the weather on Lake Superior?' 'How many ships are out right now?' The bot reads the question and responds on stream.
Port Spotlights & Storm Cams
Cycles through Great Lakes ports with traffic summaries, and switches to storm camera feeds during severe weather events.
Live Animated Map Overlay
A full-screen animated map shows vessel positions updating every 5 seconds. Ships move in real time across the lakes with speed, heading, and destination info.
Streaming 24/7
Runs around the clock on a dedicated server. The AI director automatically decides what to show next - vessel highlights, weather updates, overview maps, or chat responses.
Chat Commands
Type these in the YouTube live chat and Big Boat Bot will respond on stream:
"Where is the Paul R Tregurtha?"
Finds and zooms to a specific vessel
"Tell me about the Herbert C Jackson"
Full vessel profile and current status
"What's happening on Lake Erie?"
Lake traffic summary and conditions
"How's the weather?"
Current conditions for all lakes
"How many ships are out there?"
Live vessel count across all lakes
"Hello Big Boat Bot!"
Say hi - the bot greets you back
Data Sources
Powered by Lake Erie Pulse
Big Boat Bot uses the same real-time data feeds that power Lake Erie Pulse - NOAA buoy data, NWS marine forecasts, and live weather conditions.
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