Float Plans

Hi there,

We'll be printing off several copies of the following form to give to family members here in town;

Pat's Boating in Canada:

Found on this site;

Pat's Boating in Canada:

Might come in handy (basic, accurate information for search and rescue) if for some reason we're overdue and couldn't communicate why we're having difficulties returning home.

I have mixed feelings about float plans

I think they are needed if you are going offshore on a passage, even a short passage like Cape Cod to Maine. However, here in Maine I think float plans are not needed for coastal cruising. I say that because when I go out for a coastal cruise, I may have a planned destination, but when I am actually on the water, conditions (weather, sea state, other boats in my planned anchorage), often result in a change in my planned destination. Prime examples are a couple of my favorite harbors to visit. About half the time when I head to those harbors, I find them full on arrival and move on to a different harbor. Often such a change in my anchorage changes the entire planned trip. Had I filed a float plan, my failure to arrive at the original destination might have triggered unwarranted anxiety on the part of those who had the float plan. At the very least it would have required me to contact the float plan holder to inform them of my altered plan. Consequently, I never use a float plan for coastal cruising here in Maine.

Murray float plans are great (especially up north) but it's rather dependant of the skipper being a planner. I am not. And in the morning I have an idea where I'll be anchored or tied up but I may change my plans during the day. Perhaps even more than once. But just knowing the general area is very helpful to searchers I think. Don't remember telling any official in the past where I was going but friends generally knew.

I was thinking more in terms of someone having the particulars about our boat. It would make the job of searchers much easier if your in-law had more information than just the name of your boat. (We have a Spot Messanger that sends in-laws updates of our roamings).

Greetings,


Oooohhhh....float PLANS...

I always recommend some sort of Float plan, just so somebody knows where and when you are supposed to be somewhere.

We do not use float plans, simply because we don't know where we'll be.

What I do do is to text my son and tell h I'm we're going out and the general vicinity of where we are going.

As more boats have AIS or other systems, this becomes somewhat less critical, except...

The point of someone initiating a search for a "lost" boat. A boat that hasn't made an anticipated destination or contacted and told them a change of plans. We do have an ever changing plan which we post for family members to see and we update daily while cruising. Now we also keep in contact in other ways. To me it just comes naturally to keep someone apprised of what is going on and if we're crossing from Mexico to the Cayman Islands and don't notify we've arrived, don't contact by phone or email or otherwise, then I'd want them to look for our AIS and call for help if something seemed wrong. Honestly, piracy is the biggest fear as it's the only circumstance I see that I could not contact someone.

MurrayM said:

I was thinking more in terms of someone having the particulars about our boat. It would make the job of searchers much easier if your in-law had more information than just the name of your boat. (We have a Spot Messanger that sends in-laws updates of our roamings).

Click to expand...

Well, for the 'searchers' aspect its best to have an EPIRB that uses GPS. That actually takes the 'search' out of 'search and rescue'. Our EPIRB's have an MMSI and when you register it you provide a boat description amongst other things, and can even supply a photo, so the 'searchers' job is made a lot easier. That's a good thing if you do need assistance.