Float Plans

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Reading the thread on Bob's Chesapeake excursion got me thinking about this. There are several mentions of a float plan and I am wondering:

1) Who amongst us actually files one?

2) Who amongst us just casually lets people know where we are going and when we think we will be back?

In my entire boating life, I have never filed one and do not ever recall my family filing one growing up.

A couple reasons. First, sometimes I have no idea where I am going until I get out in the bay. Second, I am known to change my mind. I may plan on fishing the bay for Stripers, and end up fishing the ledges off of Block Island.

Second, I usually have no idea when I am coming back. I may go out for 2 hours, or 2 days, I simply never know. To me, part of the josy of boating is the freedom it affords, and to me, a float plan limits this.

Maybe it is me, but I would find it annoying to update someone every time I decided to change my mind or plans.
 
Depends. For the reasons you mentioned, it's a pain in the butt so I don't very often Hanging on the river, I don't. If I'm solo and the bride's home, I simply tell her. If no-one's home when I take off and I'm going off shore, I just put a sticky note on a float plan that filled out with all my info so she can alert the media (or throw a party) if I'm not back. If I trailored places where I wasn't known, I'd probably do it but the boat's at the dock at the house.
 
When I go offshore tuna fishing I generally leave a plan with likely option with a relative, but almost never do that inshore. I suspect the relatives would probably not take it to the next level for sevaral days or a week or 2 if I failed to check in after a looong day trip. As with ITK above , my fishy plans are always in flux. I do have decent survival & locating (multiple) gear aboard. Sometimes you just have to follow the bow.

Float plan forms can be found with an internet search . Here's one: http://www.usps.org/o_stuff/fp_form.html
 
I do.
A float plan is one of the most important things for the CG when they get a report of an overdue boater.
I hope we haven't already forgot about those NFL players who died just a few months ago. They capsized about 5:30 PM in 61-66 degree water. They were not reported overdue until 1:30 AM. If they had filed a float plan there would not have been a search, only a rescue.
I move around when I go fishing, but I leave the exact numbers of where I will be fishing and what time I will be back. If you leave the numbers for three or four spots, the CG will search those spots first and they will find you at one of those locations-if you don't stray. And time is critical too, so even if the fishing is good, get back when you said you would be back. You will have enough anyway.
Another thing I hear people say is "if I go out alone I always file a float plan". Not filing a float plan when you have crew doesn't make any sense for two reasons,
1) if the boat capsizes, your crewmates probably can't help and
2) you are the captain and are responsible for the safety of your crew, so why would you needlessly put them at risk?
File the float plan and leave it with a responsible person!
 
1) Who amongst us actually files one?

I do.

2) Who amongst us just casually lets people know where we are going and when we think we will be back?

I do on occasion. This falls under "special case" treatment. I single-hand the boat almost all the time. The boat was dry-stack stored, the two ( nosey ) owners and I are close acquaintances. When I was making a "day trip" to a well-known location, I would state to them that I a) would be back before close, and b) where I was going. The owners mad a habit of knowing who was "out", and who intended to be back before close. Those who never "fudged" would be handled properly ( fudge: say on thing, do another )

--

For more complex trips, I filed a written plan w/ the marina. It included all intended destinations, and the intended path. It also included a list of possible variants to path or destination. While this might appear to be somewhat useless, what it actually does is gove rescuers some idea of where you might be, instead of just knowing "somewhere in a 150 nm radius of the marina". Anything that can be done to reduce the search area is useful. The better you produce a plan, the better the chances of rescue. There are a few, usually unstated rules, to filing a float plan:

If you file a float plan, stay within the plan!

If you intend to "get off plan", do not proceed till the holder of your float plan has been informed!

Always, personally, "close the float plan". In my case, this meant seeing the person with the FP and personally retrieving the envelope. Always.

By doing this, "failure to show" is a reason to call for help. If you sometimes "forget" , or often deviate from "the plan", you greatly diminish the value of the FP. And if you fail to notify the holder of the FP, and they call the USCG, you will at the very least embarrass them. At the other end of the scale, SAR is NOT a particularly safe activity. It would be terrible if, while out searching for you ( but you were home watching football ), an aircraft went down with casualties. It would be -your fault- that they were out.

SO. Use them, adhere to them. Be sure to adhere to the "implied rules" of float plans so as to not diminish their usefulness. It very easily could save your life.
 
Note regarding trips to "my secret fishing hole".

My float plans are ( and have been ) extremely detailed packets. One page contained a computer "boiler plate" list of standard equipment carried, I included a couple of photos of the boat, from different angles ( this stuff and be kept on the computer and printed as needed, or simply re-used ).

One page listing the name, address, phone number(s) of all parties aboard ( as well as the phone # of next of kin ). Also included was a list of potential medical issues, and medical contact references if appropriate.

I kept a "planning chart", of the region. Each trip I marked a fresh copy of this chart with the intended path.

I included one page including the long/lat of all intended destinations, as well as possible alternates. I also included the expected time at thse locations, as appropriate. ( Fishing hole at sunrise +/- one hour, etc )

The personal info was completed by each person aboard, folded and returned after the trip. All the above was placed in large envelope, and sealed. On the outside of the envelope was the basic info to be used to trigger, or cancel the FP. In this way, the envelope containing the "personal info" remained confidential unless it was necessary to trigger SAR. Otherwise, the FP was retrieved, with the details still in the sealed envelope. And in the event it was required, SAR had as much information as was possible to provide to aid them in aiding me, the crew, and the boat.

Since virtually all of this stuff can be set up and kept on a computer ( and since I have a color laser printer ) preparing a packet took only a couple of minutes. It's value, if needed might very well have made the difference between life and death.
 
When we're off-shore we use a SPOT messenger as a real-time float plan. I pay for the real-time tracking option and my brother-n-law keeps an eye on us. When we get ready to depart one place for another I press the "OK" button which sends him an e-mail that let's him know we're on the move. He'll then check in via the SPOT website and keep an eye on our movements. Once we reach a destination, I turn off the tracking and send another "OK" message that lets him know we made it safely. He knows to try and reach us should our tracks stop and that second "OK" message doesn't arrive. After that, he'd call the USCG with vessel information and last known position.
 
"And time is critical too, so even if the fishing is good, get back when you said you would be back. "

This to me is counterintuitive to the entire purpose of boating. The time on my boat is not meant to be constrained, but rather enjoyed.

Oh, and if the bite is good - no way in heck am I leaving.

"you are the captain and are responsible for the safety of your crew, so why would you needlessly put them at risk?"

I fail to see how not filing a float plan is needlessly putting my crew at risk?
 
Holy smokes, my wife makes me file a plan with her when I go to Home Depot. "How long will you be?" "When will you be back?" "What are you going to buy?" "Are you going anywhere else?" "Which car are you taking?" "Can you stop at the store and get some milk?"

It's 10 times that when I go out on the boat without her.
 
Here's the one that I told Bob that I use. All the generic info is filled out and then I just add a post-it note with specifics for that day. I use it primarily for off shore and for trips to out-of-the way, less travelled places. It's a pain in the butt if I'm staying local or in heavy traffic areas but really important to me otherwise.

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I see most are staying out of this. We sign out of our club when we leave so visitors can use our dock while we are gone. We are heading out on 7/9 for 17 days. I know where we "want" to go and I have a plan in mind but basically we are going "west". So that is our float plan. Not once in several years of cruising Lake Erie and beyond have we stayed on plan, not even close.

Niles
 
I have two identical charts. One in my boat and one in my house in the basement.
Each chart has areas denoted with a #... 1,2,3,4,5, etc... If I'm out alone or with my son, we'll call the house and tell my wife we are in zone 5 for example. If we move, we call again. If all 3 of us are out there, all bets are off I guess.

I do the numbers on the chart so that if we are delayed my wife knows where we were last not buy complicated names or Lon/Lat. If I call and get her voice mail on her cell I just leave that msg "we're at #8" etc...
 
In theory, float plans are good. But, the reality might be different. Here's the rub. The USCG and and other safety groups like the Power Squadron (which I'm a member) and the USCGAux....they all want us ALL to file a float plan. Now just imagine if all of us, or even MOST of us, actually did file a float plan all the time. You might have 5 million float plans filed on a given summer weekend in the U.S. You can bet that easily AT LEAST 5% of them will either fail to notify someone when they get back, or if their plans change, like staying an extra day, etc. 5% of 5 million is a quarter million. Can you imagine 250,000 unnecessary false alarm S&R missions every weekend?!?!. So, if everyone actually filed a float plan, good luck getting help if you really do need it. All S&R operations will already be tied up chasing down false alarms.

If the situation stays as it is, with very few people filing float plans, then the ones who do file them will continue to get help. But, if the safety groups "get their wish", and EVERYONE (or almost everyone) files a float plan, then forget about it. All hell has broken loose and it will be continuous wasted S&R operations.
 
I have a towing service which includes a Float Plan. If I'm heading out overnight, I'll fill it out and email it to my local VA tower. He knows the area extremely well and knows my boat in particular. I will then check in via cell phone to close or revise the plan.

If I don't check in or close it, he knows the exact area to look for me and is probably closer to my location then the CG Station vessels. I also mention my plans at the dock verbally and tell them to call VA if they are concerned.

However, when I cruise with my yacht club, I do not file a float plan. Safety in numbers.....
 
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