How to Write and Share a Useful Float Plan
What to give a reliable person ashore so responders can understand the boat, people, route, and expected return.
Describe The Vessel Clearly
The U.S. Coast Guard recommends including a recent vessel photo. Add the name, registration or documentation number, type, length, color, propulsion, and visible features that distinguish it from similar boats.
List communications and locating equipment carried aboard, including the VHF radio, phone, EPIRB or PLB, and relevant identifiers. Do not claim equipment is aboard unless it has actually been packed and checked.
Name The People And Route
Include the operator, every passenger, and emergency contacts. Record the launch or marina, intended route, stops, destination, alternate plans, and vehicle or trailer left at the launch when that information would help identify the trip.
A vague “fishing offshore” entry leaves the person ashore to guess. Use named landmarks, waterways, or coordinates appropriate to the plan, while recognizing that the route may change for safety.
Set A Realistic Return And Escalation Time
State when you expect to return and when the contact should begin the agreed response if you have not checked in. Allow for routine loading and travel so a normal delay does not immediately look like distress.
Tell the contact whom to call and give them the completed plan. A document hidden on the boat cannot help the person expected to notice that the trip is overdue.
Close Or Update The Plan
Notify the contact when the trip ends. If the destination, boat, passenger list, or return time changes, update the plan rather than assuming they will infer it.
The Coast Guard provides a fillable float-plan form. Use that source as the record of truth and keep a reusable vessel profile so future plans need only the trip-specific changes.