Real-time ferry tracking, community tech, and a digital lifeline for the North Shore of Nova Scotia
Documentation, presentation, podcast, and media for FerryLight — a community-built system that tracks the Englishtown ↔ Jersey Cove cable ferry, local weather, events, marine traffic, and more for residents and visitors on Cape Breton Island.
🌐 Live app: ferrylight.online · 📖 Read online: markusvankempen.github.io/FerryLight-Blog · 💻 Source code: FerryLight
FerryLight helps people decide whether to wait for the 3–5 minute ferry crossing or take the 25-minute St. Ann's Loop when the ferry is down or delayed. It combines AIS vessel tracking, a Progressive Web App (PWA), push notifications, a WLED LED matrix display for at-a-glance status, Node-RED automation, and local weather & events — all built for a small rural community in Victoria County, Nova Scotia.
Perfect if you're searching for: Englishtown ferry status, Jersey Cove ferry wait time, Nova Scotia ferry tracker, Cape Breton community app, AIS ferry tracking, DIY IoT weather station, or local smart-city projects.
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| ferrylight-blog.md | Full system briefing — architecture, AIS data flow, PWA, LED display, Alexa skill, shop, notifications |
| ferrylight-presentation.html | Reveal.js slide deck — great for demos, talks, and community meetings (arrow keys to navigate) |
| assets/FerryLightDeepDivePodcastWithMarkusv1.mp3 | Podcast — deep dive with the creator |
| assets/FerryLight_Digital_Lifeline_for_the_North_Shore.pdf | PDF — FerryLight: A Digital Lifeline for the North Shore |
| images/ | Screenshots, architecture diagrams, LED display photos, ferry photos |
Location & community
Englishtown · Jersey Cove · St. Ann's Loop · Victoria County · Cape Breton · Nova Scotia · North Shore NS · Bras d'Or Lake
Ferry & maritime
Ferry tracking · AIS · TORQUIL MACLEAN · Cable ferry · Wait times · Vessel tracking · Marine traffic · OCEARCH sharks
Technology
React · PWA · Progressive Web App · Node-RED · Express.js · PostgreSQL · Docker · WLED · LED matrix · Push notifications · Web Push · Alexa skill · IoT · Weather station · Google Calendar · Leaflet maps
Use cases
Community information · Rural technology · Open source · Smart community · Real-time data · Local events · Weather alerts · Environment Canada
| 🚢 Ferry status | ferrylight.online/ferry |
| 🌤 Weather | ferrylight.online/weather |
| 📅 Events | ferrylight.online/events |
| 💡 LED setup | led-setup.ferrylight.online |
| 🎬 Slides | ferrylight-presentation.html |
| 🎧 Podcast | Listen / download |
Built by Markus van Kempen for the Englishtown–Jersey Cove community. FerryLight is open source and runs in production at ferrylight.online.
Related repositories
- markusvankempen/FerryLight — main application (React PWA + Express API)
- markusvankempen/FerryLight-Blog — this blog & presentation (you are here)
Feel free to share this blog, link to the presentation, or reference FerryLight in articles about community tech, Nova Scotia ferries, or local IoT projects. Star ⭐ the repo if you find it useful!
Last updated: June 2026 · App version 5.2.10