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Agent skill

Boat

by davidondrej in davidondrej/skills

Manage Boat (boat.dev, formerly Box by Ascii) cloud sandboxes via API, CLI, and SSH.

MITAuto-check: notes

Install Boat

skills CLI
$ npx skills add davidondrej/skills --skill boat -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install davidondrej/skills boat --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/davidondrej/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/ops-and-setup/boat .claude/skills/boat && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
boat
GitHub stars
4.1k
Token cost
~2k tokens
SKILL.md length
920 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
51
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Manage Boat (boat.dev, formerly Box by Ascii) cloud sandboxes via API, CLI, and SSH.

  • Works in 4 steps: Read project instructions and… → Load BOAT_API_KEY from the environment… → Check authentication and state with GET… → …
  • Stop/resume/fork
  • SKILL.md covers Box to Boat migration, Identify the account and target, Local CLI and API access, plus 5 more sections
  • Reaches docs.boat.dev and boat.dev; needs BOAT_API_KEY

What it does

Boat is an agent skill from davidondrej/skills. Manage Boat (boat.dev, formerly Box by Ascii) cloud sandboxes via API, CLI, and SSH. Use for provisioning, environments, secrets, templates, snapshots, stop/resume/fork, or running BB and coding agents on Boat.

Its SKILL.md is about 2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/operations.md`).

The repository describes itself as: access to david ondrej's personal agent skills. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Stop/resume/fork
  • Running BB and coding agents on Boat

Example prompts

  • “/boat”

Requirements

  • Docker
  • A credential in BOAT_API_KEY

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Read project instructions and operational notes. Verify the account, organization, sandbox, and repository; reuse existing mappings…
  2. Load BOAT_API_KEY from the environment or the project's documented, gitignored credentials file. Do not assume a universal path, search…
  3. Check authentication and state with GET /me, /limits, and /sandboxes, or CLI boat status, boat list, and relevant --help. Filter output to…
  4. Check installed tools. API calls need no Boat CLI or SDK. If installation is needed, read official instructions; never execute a remote…

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 7874889. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are bash).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • docs.boat.dev
    • boat.dev

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:

    • BOAT_API_KEY

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Boat loads about 2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~5.5k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 54 tokens; SKILL.md has 920 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~54
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~5.5k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:65
    boat env set-file dev repository/.env --from ./private/project.env
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:71
    ude the repository folder for a clone's `.env`.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from davidondrej/skills at commit 7874889, republished under its MIT licence (© davidondrej). 920 words, ~2,006 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/boat/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
boat
description
Manage Boat (boat.dev, formerly Box by Ascii) cloud sandboxes via API, CLI, and SSH. Use for provisioning, environments, secrets, templates, snapshots, stop/resume/fork, or running BB and coding agents on Boat.

Boat

Manage machines through the API or CLI; use SSH or the command API inside a VM. Before direct API calls, credential changes, or recovery, read operations and observations, including its authentication example.

Box to Boat migration

Use boat, https://boat.dev/api/v1, /sandboxes, and BOAT_API_KEY for current examples. Docs live at https://docs.boat.dev. Existing projects may still use Box names; inspect their configuration before migrating. Renaming this skill does not authorize changing installed tools, deployed applications, or credentials. See migration notes.

Identify the account and target

  1. Read project instructions and operational notes. Verify the account, organization, sandbox, and repository; reuse existing mappings instead of provisioning duplicates.
  2. Load BOAT_API_KEY from the environment or the project's documented, gitignored credentials file. Do not assume a universal path, search unrelated credential stores, or print credentials. Use the secrets skill for a new key.
  3. Check authentication and state with GET /me, /limits, and /sandboxes, or CLI boat status, boat list, and relevant --help. Filter output to needed fields.
  4. Check installed tools. API calls need no Boat CLI or SDK. If installation is needed, read official instructions; never execute a remote installer blindly.

Use DeepAPI to check current Boat docs for uncertain behavior or fields. Check prices, limits, model catalogs, and installation commands live. Documentation does not prove an authenticated operation succeeded.

Local CLI

Use command -v boat to locate the current CLI. Older installations may only have box; the skill rename does not upgrade the binary or migrate credentials. Prefer the CLI for manual management/debugging; application code can use the API.

Set BOAT_ID to the verified target before running:

bash
command -v boat
boat --no-update --version
boat --no-update --json status
boat --no-update --json list --all
boat --no-update --json info "$BOAT_ID"
boat --no-update ssh "$BOAT_ID"

Use boat <command> --help for options. --json gives structured output; --no-update skips update checks. Run boat self-update only when updating is intended.

Installation does not sign in. If signed out, send an existing approved project token through stdin to boat login --key-stdin, never through arguments. Browser boat login uses the account's existing sign-in method; get approval before opening it.

API access

  • Base: https://boat.dev/api/v1; bearer header: Authorization: Bearer $BOAT_API_KEY. JSON bodies use Content-Type: application/json.
  • Account-wide operations require an account key; machine-scoped keys cover only their sandbox.
  • Creating scoped keys requires browser sign-in or an admin-scoped token; rotating and revoking remain session-gated. Read API keys before credential changes.
  • Do not assume provider onboarding has an API. Boat-managed provider login uses the Agents page; injecting existing agent credentials is a separate environment setting.

Preserve the user's scope

  • Write a focused assignment preserving intent, constraints, and corrections. Never invent requirements, deliverables, permissions, or approval.
  • Model, machine, repository, and thread placement guide the launcher. Give each worker only its task and necessary context.
  • Before sending, remove copied conversation, launcher instructions, and unrelated assignments. Never prepend the full user prompt; quote exact wording only when explicitly requested.
Show full SKILL.md (464 more words)Show less

Environments and templates

Environments hold repositories, secrets, and credential permissions. Named snapshots/templates hold installed tools and disk state. Combine them for repeatable startup.

Check the target and existing contents before changes:

bash
boat env list
boat env new dev
boat env add-repo dev owner/repository --branch main
boat env set-file dev repository/.env --from ./private/project.env
boat env set dev --github true --secrets true --sandbox-credentials false --agents-credentials true
boat new --environment dev
  • Boat clones configured branches; it does not create working branches. Let BB or the coding workflow manage branches/worktrees.
  • Clones land at /home/user/<repository-name>. Secret file paths are relative to /home/user; include the repository folder for a clone's .env.
  • --environment dev selects an existing named environment. Per-sandbox --env KEY=value overrides its value; never put real secrets in CLI arguments.
  • Without selection, new sandboxes/template deploys use the default environment. Ordinary resume and fork preserve the existing/source environment version.
  • Saving creates a version; existing sandboxes do not receive it automatically, even on ordinary resume. Inspect boat info before deliberately upgrading.
  • boat env upgrade dev can affect many sandboxes. For one sandbox, use the API's explicit agentIds selection (sandbox IDs). Upgrades delete withheld secrets; re-pinning an older version does not restore deleted files.
  • Shared environment edits affect future sandboxes even when only one existing sandbox is upgraded. Use sandbox-specific configuration for single-sandbox exceptions.
  • Restart applications that read injected variables only at startup. Verify the running application, not just a new SSH shell.

Preinstall BB, runtimes, and dependencies in a clean template. Keep credentials in environments or inject them for the intended user after boot. Set BOAT_ID to the verified prepared sandbox:

bash
boat snapshot "$BOAT_ID" agent-stack
boat new --from agent-stack --environment dev

Verify snapshot readiness before deployment. Re-saving a name changes future deploys, not existing machines. Still validate fresh repository state and dependency installation.

Isolation and credentials

  • Personal sandboxes should receive only required credentials/repos. For other users, select an environment with safeForThirdParties: true or create the sandbox with noEnv: true.
  • Protected mode withholds the owner's managed GitHub, secrets, sandbox, and agent credentials regardless of section toggles. Explicit per-sandbox env values still pass through and carry into forks/template deploys unless replaced.
  • Protected mode does not sanitize arbitrary disk contents. Manually added cloud, package-manager, and Docker logins may remain. Never build a shared template from a credential-filled personal machine.
  • Conversion to protected mode is one-way and scrubs managed credential files, including Codex/Claude logins added by the sandbox's own user. Check ownership and recovery needs before converting an existing sandbox.
  • Keep keys, auth files, enrollment codes, desktop URLs, and raw API/session logs out of prompts, commits, and user-visible output. Desktop URLs may contain access tokens.

Verify the outcome

Inspect the changed sandbox and verify inside it. Check file presence/permissions without printing secrets. For agent setup, run a harmless task and verify the intended account, repository, output, and continued conversation.

Report the sandbox/environment ID, changes, checks that passed, and real limitations. An accepted API request, SSH-ready machine, or snapshot does not prove a working agent session.

Official references

© davidondrej, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in skills/ops-and-setup/boat of davidondrej/skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/operations.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 7874889

Compare with similar skills

Boat next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Boat compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Boat this skilldavidondrej/skills4.1k—~2kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Boxasgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks69k—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassCC0-1.0
Entropy Boxsickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~5.4kAutomated safety check: WarnCC-BY-4.0
Plantuml Asciigithub/awesome-copilot40k1 repos~1.5kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Suggestion Boxpaperclipai/paperclip99k—~1.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Creating Box Plot InsightsPostHog/posthog40k—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Questions about Boat

What does Boat do?

Manage Boat (boat.dev, formerly Box by Ascii) cloud sandboxes via API, CLI, and SSH. Boat is an agent skill from davidondrej/skills.dev, formerly Box by Ascii) cloud sandboxes via API, CLI, and SSH.

When should I use Boat?

Boat fits situations like: stop/resume/fork; running BB and coding agents on Boat.

How do I install Boat in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add davidondrej/skills --skill boat -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ops-and-setup/boat in davidondrej/skills) into .claude/skills/boat in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Boat in Codex?

Run `npx skills add davidondrej/skills --skill boat -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ops-and-setup/boat in davidondrej/skills) into .agents/skills/boat in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Boat in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add davidondrej/skills --skill boat -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/boat, .gemini/skills/boat, .github/skills/boat and .opencode/skills/boat in your project.

What does Boat need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Boat needs credentials named BOAT_API_KEY. Our summary lists: Docker; A credential in BOAT_API_KEY.

Does Boat access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. In commands or code: docs.boat.dev and boat.dev; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Boat safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (mentions a .env file), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Boat use?

Boat is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Boat use?

About 2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 3.5k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Boat?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Boat: Box (asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks, 69k stars), Entropy Box (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars), Plantuml Ascii (github/awesome-copilot, 40k stars) and Suggestion Box (paperclipai/paperclip, 99k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Boat?

davidondrej (a GitHub user) maintains it in davidondrej/skills, which has 4,112 GitHub stars. The repository holds 51 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 8, 2026.

Source: davidondrej/skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.