Try this scenario on for size: After a day of boating, you are making your way back to port. You told your loved one you would be back in time for dinner. About five miles from the boat launch, your engine dies. You realize your cell phone battery is dead, too. With no way to contact other boats or the U.S. Coast Guard, because you didn’t realize a VHF radio is an essential piece of safety equipment, suddenly you are in distress.
Because your boat is still afloat and you are unharmed, this is a best-case scenario. Any day or night on the water can become potentially life threatening, though, depending upon many factors, including sea and weather conditions. The good new is the odds of a safe rescue in any distress scenario increase if you filed a float plan.
Filing a float plan simply means telling someone your expected location and time of return. If you don’t return at the appointed time, at least one concerned person can relay the information in the float plan to the Coast Guard. Armed with correct information, your would-be rescuers will be able to launch a search quickly by checking boat launches, calling or visiting marinas, and sending a boat crew to search for you. They will also relay a PAN-PAN message over VHF radio channel 16 so other boaters who may have seen you can provide vital information to assist in locating you.
How to File a Float PlanLeave a written float plan. Fill out this float plan template with the basic information about your boat, then keep it handy to give to a friend or family member telling them not only where you will be boating and when you will be back, but who else will be with you and any intended stops.
Give a detailed description of your boat. Include year, make, model, hull and state numbers, and any other distinctive descriptions.
Indicate whether you trailer your boat or keep it at a marina. If you trailer your boat, be sure to tell them where you intend to launch from, and give the color, make, model, and license plate of your vehicle. Otherwise, give the name, phone number and address of your marina.
If you go boating alone and do not have friends or family members nearby, you can still file a float plan. If you trailer your boat and launch from a boat ramp, leave the information in your vehicle. If the worst comes to pass, your vehicle will become suspicious and will most likely be reported to authorities. Your float plan will provide clues to your possible location. If you keep your boat in a marina, file a float plan with a fellow boater or with the dockmaster.
While the Coast Guard does not accept formal float plans, when a person or vessel is reported as overdue, they ask for all of this information, and possibly more. Not relaying enough information could result in fruitless searching in the wrong location, or in some cases, not searching at all.
Filing a float plan is like having car insurance. Car insurance doesn’t prevent a catastrophe, but it does come to the rescue. Similarly, when you file a float plan, if you find yourself in distress on the water, it can increase the odds of rescue. But, it is just one tool to have in your boating safety arsenal. Simple safety planning can positively impact any distress scenario and change the outcome for good. One more thing: if someone reported you and your vessel overdue to the Coast Guard and you returned safely without their aid, give them a courtesy call so they can close the case and bring the crew home. They will appreciate it, I promise!