Float Plan

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The 3 launch sites I use all have different float plans available for use. Alaskan water ways can also get extremely competitive so dallying at the launch is frowned upon. My solution was to get the blank forms from the locations I use and generate my own Float Plan. It was much easier to include relevant information that each of the local forms were missing and I also added a digital photo of the boat and truck. All this in an effort to give the Harbour master the necessary tools in the event they have to send someone after us! Now I can slide through post haste and the folks at the Harbour office have all responded favorably too. Mike on Huda Thunkit
 
Great idea, I best way for some one to come looking is for some one to miss you in the first place. We always let some one know were we are going and when we are due back. I am really good about checking back in when we return. the marinas here do not require a flaot plan. do you have to turn one in or is it your choice.
 
At this point we dont carry the eprib. I guess I am hoping the DSC system will get completed in our area soon and we can accomplish the same thing through interfacing radio & gps.
Maybe now that the Govenrnment Services Extrodinare Group (Democrats) are driving, that will be completed sooner??? Mike on Huda Thunkit
 
This has been a while ago. I am looking at float plans again, and curious how many of us use them in some way. How they differ, from the very formal, (pictures, reg numbers and all,) to the informal, (I told my sis we'd be back next week), version. Especially interested in any that include any sort of dialog or participation from your marina, yacht club or other "entity" (local LE, safety patrol, parking or community office.

Harvey
SleepyC
 
I keep blank float plans in my "boating briefcase", but to date have never filled one out. We seem to always be in touch with someone by cell phone and they are aware of our destination and we phone upon our arrival. (Kind of like what we do with our daughter, we ask as a matter of courtesy to either call or text us when she arrives at work, prepares to leave work etc. etc.) In the winter time when I am cruising from Everett to Seattle on a clear sunny day with snow covered mountains all around me, my wife LOVES :wink to hear my voice on the cell phone describing the beautiful scenery around me while she is in her windowless room at work.
 
We use the SPOT as our float plan. I have one of the email addresses on the SPOT feed my blog, so our location goes to blog subscribers as well.

We don't have automatic tracking -- I think most of my family & friends would not want to receive the dozens of location emails that it sends out. Instead we make it a practice to send out a SPOT OK wherever we stop.

Warren
 
I guess ve are surprised to see such an old post revived and how many folks see no value in using float plan. I think alasgun must think like most Alaskans and want's all information to get into the right hands if he ever needed rescue effort. Eprib make no mention of people on board, medical considerations, and 100 other things easy to put on plan form. Probably ve are talking about the difference in boating areas too, being prudent in the vastness of alaska waters is good idea and makes scents!
Martin
 
On Saturday and Sunday while in the Sj's I heard the coast guard repeating a call to be on the lookout for a 20 ft boat with two people on board that was reported to be fishing a certain buoy and was overdue. I assume that this was the result of a overdue float plan made with the wife or friend. So this is a float plan in action and one that I fear failed, they repeated the call for two days. I would rather entrust my float plan with a friend or relative than a government employee. Sorry to say it as many here are government employees but too much can get lost during a shift change or over multiple days. Hell every time my postman goes on holiday I end up with mail from a house two miles away and the guy down the street get mine. (Side note: ups can find my house but fed ex can't) I would rather trust someone who would miss me.

As an afterthought why can't we as a group use this site to post float plans. if we take off for a few days and don't post the night we are due back then someone here call the good guys, any ideas on how to set it up in a more formally way??
 
Our float plan…if you can call it that…is with the neighbors who watch our house and dog, and wife’s grandma who always gets a call when we’re on the road home. We’re quite confidant that ether of these sources would alert authorities if we were overdue. Channel 16 is monitors by everyone including the CG who have repeaters throughout the sound, so were confidant that between our house radio and waterproof handheld we’d be able to get help in an emergence; house GPS or waterproof handheld for location verification. IF all else fails we’ll call 911 on one of our two cell phones, clip-on cell antenna with booster usually gets a signal.
 
Tom - that's not a bad idea. We could just start a thread here for posting float plans. However, I see a few possible issues:
1) The float plan poster doesn't check back in here and we generate a lot of false alarms - this could be avoided around here by providing a cel phone number so people could call you but I don't think you want your mobile number on a public site.

2) A float plan also provides information to bad guys that you are gone. It's not too hard to find home addresses if one knows the real name of the poster which is often available someplace on this site. Hence we might want the float plan to be in the that's life section or maybe in an even more private section.

3) You assume someone here will miss you.... :lol:
 
I like Toms idea too, sept as Roger says the false alarms that originated from happy, contented, inebriated brats that were totaly safe and forgot to report back would make it cumbersome. Maybe even stressful for some.

We are headed out on Lake Superior for 3-5 days next week.

I guess I'm O.K. with our electronics :clock and cell phone :phone , 12 ga. :!: , and the "admiral" :shock: takin care of our behinds.

Please don't worry if we furgit to check in :rainbow .

Dan
 
All good points but my number is already on the site, Gettting into my house is easy , getting out in one piece??? good luck with that. 40 % of home robberys happen while you are home. So I have to make it back to notice something is gone. And tyboo and da nag, well da nag anyhow, can make that thread member access only or even access to certain folks and not all members.
 
Nothing against float plans for others but I have and will continue to pass on them for me or us. Yes there is an increased risk without and one we willingly accept. The freedom to change plans on the go to where ever is just to valuable an option to give up for the decrease in risk gained. Even when I spent extended periods in the wilderness alone I gave Jo-Lee only a general area of where I would be and when I would return.

When Jo-Lee starting going with me on our wilderness adventures that extra responsibility made me opt for a sat phone and I think the SPOT is another excellent option for reducing risk while still maintaining the desired freedom some require.

Jay
 
We subscribe to the sat. phone, PLB, and handheld GPS plan. We have elderly parents in our care. This gives us the freedom to enjoy being away, yet always in touch in case they have needs. It also provides us with a redundant capability for contact if we have an emergency in a backcountry or remote water location.
 
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