It takes only a few minutes and yet boating enthusiasts still don't take the time to potentially insure their personal safety while on the water.

A few years back I was fishing the SKA, the southern King Fish Association tournaments, with a few friends. We were sitting at one of the captain's meetings listening to the US Coast Guard try to convince the boat team captains to file a float plan and how important it was to have one. Shall I say they were encouraging everyone to prepare one, as the routine was to fill one out and then put it in your vehicle or give to a loved one before heading out on the water.

A float plan is simply an outline of your trip, where you are heading with whom and when you are leaving and returning. And in case something goes wrong, the authorities are more likely to find you because they'll have a starting and ending location. The difference between life and death on the water is more often than not based on time. The sooner a search can start the better chances for survival you have.

My lifelong friend is currently a Chief in the Coast Guard reserves and has been for more than 21 years including active duty as well as several deployments in times of need. Together we created a service that is free of charge. We knew this would help both the boating community and the Coast Guard in times of distress on the water.

It is automated and can be opened and closed very quickly. If you are a boater then you need to take five minutes of your time and check out www.usfloatplan.com. It could save your life!

In just the past few months, two NFL players and their friend lost their lives in an offshore fishing accident in Florida. A float plan could have potentially affected the outcome of that search and rescue. They ultimately died because of hypothermia after being stranded in the cold Gulf of Mexico winter waters for too long. A Float Plan just might have saved their lives.

We received an email from a happy and safe boater in California recently;

Dear US Float Plan,

I would like to thank you and the US Float Plan organization for the great service provided to boaters. I have always tried to let a relative or friend know about our boating trips in advance, and importantly, when we planned on returning home. However, it seems that many times when we would "take off" on short notice, no one was notified. US Float Plan solved that problem since I could have an existing plan ready for use for those routes we frequently cruised, and "open" a plan in minutes using the internet.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were ready to set out on the Sacramento Delta, and I filed a float plan on your site. Before leaving home, I received an "overdue notification" from your website. Well, I had put in the wrong date on the plan that I filed, and so the computer sent out the notice to me, and also to my son who was the designated contact. I closed the plan and told my son to ignore the notice. I filed another plan and we left for the boat.

When we were about 5 minutes out from the marina, I was surprised; then pleased to receive a cell phone call from you. You were concerned about the overdue notice, and wanted to know that we were safe. What a great feeling that the US Float Plan notifications worked, and that you were concerned enough to call and make sure were OK. Thank you for providing this service.

Regards,

Mike D.

CA”


Be safe – Use the USFloatPlan (www.USFloatPlan.com) before your next planned trip on the water.

Safe travels -

James Dicks