A float plan is an essential part of planning a boating trip that lets people know what your plans are in case of emergency. Since the Indian River Lagoon is a popular boating area and every vessel in our fleet is kept in tip-top shape, the likelihood of you needing one when you boat with 321 is low. However, we’ll explain their exact purpose, what parts should comprise your plan, and who you should provide with this information below.
What is the Purpose of a Float Plan?
Long story short, a float plan‘s purpose is to ensure your safety while boating. You don’t necessarily need to write out a detailed plan; if you only plan to head out on the water for a few hours, you can just let a trusted friend know where you’re going and how long you plan to be out on the boat. If you’re boating with 321, we’ll go over your plan for the day with you so we know when to expect you back, and we’ll handle any issues that may arise. Although issues are extremely unlikely when you boat with us, we like to be over-prepared and err on the side of caution and safety. If you’re planning to be out longer than a few hours, it’s always best to create a written float plan and file it with a trusted friend or your marina.
What Information Should I Include?
You can download a float plan template from the United States Coast Guard here to help you get started. In general, a float plan will include information like a description of your vessel, a list of the people on board, and a description of any safety equipment you are carrying. Your float plan will also detail where you expect to be and when so the person you file it with knows if your day isn’t going according to plan and can request assistance for you.
Who Should a Float Plan Be Left With?
Many people think they need to file a float plan with the Coast Guard. Not only is this not the case, but the Coast Guard doesn’t accept float plans at all at this time. Leave a float plan with the marina you leave from or with any responsible friend. The person needs to know that if you don’t arrive at your location in a timely manner (taking into account any bad weather or other circumstances that could cause a slight delay), they need to try to call you. If you’re not able to communicate to them that you’re okay, they need to contact some kind of emergency service for you. That might be as simple as calling a sea-towing service to a location where they suspect your vessel might be stuck (based on your float plan or last communicated location) or as complex as sending the Coast Guard to check on you and make sure everything is going well. Oftentimes, people diverge from their float plan because of simple mishaps like getting stuck on an out-of-the-way sand bar or running out of gas and not having enough phone signal to let their friend know what’s going on. Just remember to update your friend when you diverge from your float plan; for example, if the fishing in an area is especially prime, you might want to extend your time in that spot to see what else you can catch. Of course, if you’re boating with 321, you won’t have to worry about any of these minor mishaps. We’ll send you out with a full tank of gas and help you plan your day so we know when to expect you back. If you do happen to get your vessel stuck on a sand bar without phone signal, no problem! The Indian River Lagoon is full of friendly boaters that would be happy to help you out of a bind, and we have the ability to track all our boats with GPS in case of any minor inconvenience that requires our intervention.
Have any other questions about float plans or about boating with 321? Feel free to contact us; we love helping out our customers in any way we can.