Anchorage, Alaska — Throughout National Safe Boating Week and beyond the Coast Guard wants to recommend all boaters to file a float plan with friends, family or the local harbormaster to aid rescuers should your voyage be delayed or compromised.
While there are many steps to take to decrease the likeliness of trouble on the water, including having proper safety equipment, regular maintenance on your vessel, taking a boating safety course, and carrying adequate supplies when you go out to prepare for unexpected delays, a float plan is a critical step that many overlook.
Many of the search and rescue cases the Coast Guard handles could be alleviated or abbreviated by the use of a float plan that details where you plan to travel and when. By providing a float plan to friends or family, Coast Guard personnel can narrow search parameters and potentially find boaters sooner and render assistance or convey to your loved ones that you are delayed but safe.
Float plans outline your voyage by documenting times and locations of departure and expected arrival, number and ages of people on board, vessel description, safety equipment on board and much more.
A copy should be left on the dashboard of your vehicle, visible from the outside, as well as with a responsible party in which you keep in regular contact. They should be instructed that in the event your vessel does not arrive as planned, they should contact the nearest Coast Guard station.
Alaska has one of the highest non-commercial boating fatality rates per capita in the nation. In Alaska drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death.
The Coast Guard encourages boaters to enjoy your time on the water, but remember to boat responsibly, and that a float plan can help take the search out of search and rescue.
The newest version of a float plan can be found at http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/saf_float.htm.
