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Use BoatKit Assistant with pictures

BoatKit Assistant lets a vessel administrator ask questions and include pictures when more visual context is useful. You can use it from Viewer on the web, desktop, phone, or tablet, and return to saved conversations later.

Before you start​

You need:

  • Administrator access to the vessel
  • BoatKit Assistant enabled
  • A ChatGPT account connected to the vessel
  • Internet access when requesting a new Assistant response

Enable BoatKit Assistant and connect ChatGPT​

  1. Open Settings > BoatKit Assistant.
  2. Turn on Enable BoatKit Assistant.
  3. Under ChatGPT Account, select Connect ChatGPT.
  4. Select Open ChatGPT device page.
  5. Sign in to ChatGPT and enter the one-time code shown by BoatKit.
  6. Return to Viewer and wait for the account to show as Connected.

The ChatGPT connection is vessel-wide configuration. All vessel administrators use the connected ChatGPT account, but each administrator sees only the conversations associated with their own authenticated BoatKit account.

Send a message or pictures​

  1. Open Messages and select BoatKit Assistant.
  2. Type a message, or leave the message empty if you want to send pictures alone.
  3. To add pictures, select the paperclip.
  4. Choose up to four JPEG, PNG, or WebP pictures for the turn.
  5. Review the picture previews. Select the remove control on any picture you do not want to send.
  6. Select Send message.

Each selected source file may be up to 20 MB and 40 megapixels. Before sending it, Viewer prepares a normalized copy with a maximum long side of 2,048 pixels and a maximum size of 3 MB.

You can combine text and pictures in the same turn or send pictures without text. After a successful response, the sent pictures remain visible with that turn.

Return to a saved conversation​

  1. Open Messages and select BoatKit Assistant.
  2. Select Conversation history.
  3. Choose an earlier conversation.

BoatKit reloads the saved messages, responses, and picture thumbnails from the vessel.

Confirm it is working​

After sending a turn with a picture:

  1. Wait for BoatKit Assistant to respond.
  2. Leave the conversation.
  3. Open Conversation history and select the same conversation again.
  4. Confirm that the response and the picture thumbnails are still present.

Privacy and storage​

Text and normalized pictures attached to a turn are sent to the connected ChatGPT account so it can produce that response.

caution

Do not attach passwords, credentials, secrets, or other material you do not want sent to ChatGPT. Consult ChatGPT's current privacy, retention, and data-control terms for information about how that service handles submitted data.

BoatKit stores saved conversations and their normalized pictures on the vessel. This saved data:

  • Is scoped to the authenticated administrator's BoatKit account
  • Is included in portable configuration backup and restore
  • Is removed with its conversation when that conversation is deleted

The current conversation-history picker does not provide a conversation deletion control.

Using saved conversations without internet​

Existing conversations and pictures remain available locally on the vessel without internet access. A new Assistant response cannot complete until ChatGPT is reachable again.

BoatKit Assistant availability does not affect the vessel's local monitoring, navigation, alarms, automation, settings, or other vessel-local features.

Troubleshooting​

The paperclip is missing​

The Viewer and vessel may be running different BoatKit versions during an update. Finish updating both to compatible versions, then reopen Messages > BoatKit Assistant.

A picture is rejected​

Check that every selected file:

  • Is a JPEG, PNG, or WebP picture
  • Is no larger than 20 MB
  • Contains no more than 40 megapixels

You can attach no more than four pictures to one turn. Viewer must also be able to reduce each prepared picture to 3 MB or less.

A message does not receive a response​

  1. Check that BoatKit Assistant is enabled and available.
  2. Open Settings > BoatKit Assistant and confirm that the ChatGPT account shows as Connected.
  3. Confirm that the vessel can reach the internet and ChatGPT.
  4. Retry after connectivity or Assistant availability returns.

Saved conversations remain on the vessel while the external service is unavailable.