Filing a Float Plan

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JoeBTB

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When you're headed out on the boat, do you file a float plan?

I'll be gone 3 full days over the upcoming holiday weekend. What's the best way to file the plan? I think BoatUS will accept them, maybe my marina office too. Do you check in after each leg of the trip, or just at the end?
 
If I'm heading out for anything other than an out-and-back day trip I'll let someone know. For overnight trips I usually will email my detailed plan, including marinas and anchorages, and then periodically check in to let them know the plan is either proceeding accordingly or if there are any changes to that schedule. Heading back and forth to Key West I have heard far to many of the Coast Guard broadcasts of missing/overdue vessels...if I'm one of them I want someone to have a good idea where to start looking...
 
I leave the weekend plan (where we plan to anchor out during nights) with our Marina owner and the Marina owner leaves it with the State Trooper that slips next to us. He comes and checks on us occasionally, and we always enjoy the visit.
 
I let 'em guess. The idea is to get away from humanity, not give them a forwarding address.

The only time I'll file a plan is when the boating takes me to Lake Superior.
 
Most of my boating is singlehanding, as a result I am in the habit of always filing a FP with the marina. In my case it is especially important because my usual stomping grounds involves about 2500 sq mi. When the boating does down the tubes, I'd like to be home in time to watch "CSI"...
 
I voted never. The idea is to get away and relax. Plans change to often on the fly to worry about float plans.
 
I normally do not either ... I am usually not out of radio/cell phone range so not an issue. The few trips we have made of extended duration were another story, we let folks know where we planned to be and checked in each night.
 
"Yes, my friend is overdue....no, I don't know where he was going or when he was supposed to be back.....no, he didn't say, but I really think I should have heard from him by now.....no, I think I knowwhere he left from, but I don't know when or where he was going.....no, he should be somewhere between Cape Cod and Florida....."
 
The poll wouldn't allow me to chose more then one. Since most of my boating is without any others, I file a float plan if I am going to be gone overnight. I use the Vessel Assist/Boat US system and give a copy to my marina's harbormaster. The only exception to this is if I'm going to stay tied up at the yacht club docks.

I will check in via cell phone to confirm my arrival or any changes to my plan. In the morning I check in by cell to confirm that day's plan or make changes accordingly.

If I have any problem, I want them to know where in these 1000 miles of delta waterways I can be found. It just makes good sense to me. Even if I want to anchor out to get away from everyone, I file a float plan.

InTheKnow and Pete, where is your common sense that we all lament about so much?
 
"What's the best way to file the plan? I think BoatUS will accept them, maybe my marina office too."

It depends... If you have an attentive friend or partner, then leave a copy with them.
Some marinas will accept them. This is useful if a) you leave and return to the same location. b) they actually pay attention to them.
Be sure to -always- cancel the FP after a successful trip.

"Do you check in after each leg of the trip, or just at the end?"

Again, that depends. Usually, you would revoke the FP at the end of the entire trip. But if you are traveling, and have a leg or two that are "above average challenging", then it is appropriate to check in w/ the FP holder before and after that leg.

Use common sense. How long do you desire to float ( possibly injured ) in a PFD, waiting for someone to show up? Remember, problems can arise at any point in the trip and the longer the time period listed on the FP, the longer it will be before anyone misses your presence.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Radioactive

This is useful if a) you leave and return to the same location. b) they actually pay attention to them.

Click to expand...


Part b) is where my concern is. Hard to predict whether someone will pay attention to them, when they decide to check and/or do something about it... I think I'll just file with a family member and call when I return.
 
I'm guessing you do not have a towing service contract? If you do, at least notify them of your plans, preferable in writing!
 
Our lake is the largest in Oklahoma. When we head out from the marina, we are usually loaded for 3 days and nights on the water, on the hook, no contact with marinas. We purposely boat to the farthest reaches of the lake for privacy and enjoy the 40-50 mile runs to get there. We try to time these right before sunset for the scenery and the sense of getting away. There is no cell coverage and very little VHF traffic, nor other boats in the coves and bays we anchor in. Don't think anyone would think a flare as anything but someone setting off fireworks. Cell phones didn’t work anywhere when we started boating on this lake, and we learned to live by the radio and leave notice where we were. If we went down, without leaving notice, no one would know where to start looking for us. It is great when the State Trooper comes and checksvisits with us. He hales us if we still have the radio on and then spot lights us and even comes in with the lights lit up, quite the site in the middle of the night even when you know he is coming to you just to visit . He never uses the siren unless he is in a good mood and wants to wake us up for coffee; works rather well….He is a very good friend as are the other Troopers. We are members of the Auxiliary and are called frequently to assist in search, rescue and recovery incidents. I cannot say that in 18 years of being on this lake that I have seen even one boat that actually spends the night on the hook (they stay in the marinas) other than us. They don’t know what they are missing.
 
JoeBTB, you mentioned BoatUS ( which I didn't cover ).

Most of the tow companies will handle a FP, and never having used them, I would suspect they handle them with varying degrees of attention. In my particular case, we had a towboat docked at our marina, and the captain was/is a friend. While I never actually handed him a printed FP ( like I did for the marina ) I did tell him my plans. I'm sure that he would have initiated action had I been ( long ) overdue.

If you file a "formal" FP with a tow service, i would expect that they have a system of tracking them and that proper action would occur at the appropriate time. This would most likely be most useful if traveling from one location to another ( vs dest = start )

Maybe the GTBC has a comment on that subject.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

The poll wouldn't allow me to chose more then one. Since most of my boating is without any others, I file a float plan if I am going to be gone overnight. I use the Vessel Assist/Boat US system and give a copy to my marina's harbormaster. The only exception to this is if I'm going to stay tied up at the yacht club docks.

I will check in via cell phone to confirm my arrival or any changes to my plan. In the morning I check in by cell to confirm that day's plan or make changes accordingly.

If I have any problem, I want them to know where in these 1000 miles of delta waterways I can be found. It just makes good sense to me. Even if I want to anchor out to get away from everyone, I file a float plan.

InTheKnow and Pete, where is your common sense that we all lament about so much?

Click to expand...


My common sense is in preparedness. My idea of boating is to get away, fish, dive, and relax, not to worry about informing people of where I am going to be.

If I wanted them to know - I would have invited them.

Now, with that said, I am fully equipped with

4 VHF's (2 regular and 2 handheld)
1 Sat phone
2 EPIRBS
1 Life Raft
Cell phone (I really do not consider that a safety feature though)
Member of BOTH Yellow and Red boat
Soon to add 6 PLBs

Now, with all of the above, I feel I have it covered.
 
Yes, you are well prepared and knowledgeable! If only we could keep Murphy from messing up the very best of plans and preparation!!!!
 
Since all my boating is in the North Atlantic, I always make sure someone knows where I'm headed and also when I return to the dock. I don't however, prepare a written plan...
 
I have a towing service (unlimited) contract. Have always had it, have never used it. I'd like very much to keep it that way ;-) Might inquire with them and/or the marina about policy, but in the mean time I'll just make sure family knows when I expect to be back. I certainly don't want to be obligated to check in along the way -- like many of you, I'm out there to get away.

Truthfully, my regular boating is not what I consider high risk. I cruise up and down and across the bay, into rivers, etc, but seldom out of sight of land. The likelihood of something so catastrophic that I can't even call for help is very small. But I don't want anyone reporting me missing while I'm out enjoying my time on the boat!
 
I file one for overnight trips with family. I'm also a HAM operator so this year I added APRS. With that, the position of the boat can be seen on the internet and is updated every few minutes. This year, my float plans will include the hyperlink where the they can look us up on our trips. Between that and the DSC radio, if we were to get into trouble they could pin point the last known position pretty quick.

Here's the link, if anyone cares: http://www.db0anf.de/hamweb/aprsdb/showdata/W1SQL-8/shmovements?nummovements=50.
 
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