Privacy & GDPR

1. Who we are

Open Boat Life (“we”, “us”) operates this website. This notice explains how we process personal data under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and related Norwegian privacy rules.

2. Data we collect

• Account data — name, email address, and password hash when you sign up.
• Boat & fleet data — vessel details, home port, status, and map coordinates you provide.
• Photos & community content — images, posts, comments, and messages you upload or send.
• Technical data — IP address, browser type, and basic server logs needed to run and secure the site.
• Cookies — essential cookies for login/session, plus a preference cookie storing your cookie-banner choice.

3. Why we process data (legal bases)

• Contract — to create your account, show your boats on the map, and provide messaging/community features.
• Legitimate interests — to keep the service secure, prevent abuse, and improve reliability.
• Consent — for non-essential cookies (if enabled later) and optional location updates after login.

4. Sharing

Boat profiles on the map are visible to visitors. Photos, albums, groups and posts are shown to signed-in members. We do not sell personal data. Limited technical providers (for example map tile providers) may process connection data when you load the map. Private messages are only shown to conversation participants and administrators when moderation is required.

5. Retention

Account and boat data are kept while your account is active. You can delete boats and photos from your dashboard/edit pages. Server logs are kept only as long as needed for security and operations. You may request account deletion via an administrator.

6. Your GDPR rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request:

• Access to your personal data
• Correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion (“right to be forgotten”) where applicable
• Restriction or objection to certain processing
• Data portability of data you provided
• Withdrawal of consent where processing is consent-based

You may also lodge a complaint with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) or your local supervisory authority.

7. Security

Passwords are stored hashed. Access to admin tools is restricted. No method of transmission or storage is fully secure; please use a strong unique password.

8. Cookies

We use:

• Essential — session cookie to keep you logged in.
• Preference — stores whether you accepted or dismissed the cookie notice.

You can change cookie settings in your browser. Blocking essential cookies may prevent login. Manage preference cookies via the banner or by clearing site data.

9. Children

Open Boat Life is intended for adults. Do not create an account if you are under 16 without appropriate parental consent where required.

10. Contact

For privacy requests, contact a site administrator through the platform. We aim to respond within a reasonable time under GDPR.

Related: Terms & Conditions · FAQ