May 19 - Text Someone Where you are Going

Texting or telling someone your float plan for the day ensures that if your boat excursion extends longer than planned or if you run into trouble, someone will know where you were headed and have an idea of where to send rescuers to look for you.

Thousands of hours and dollars are spent searching for missing boaters each year. While many of these searches are for a good reason, a number of them are due to the fact that no one knew when the boaters were supposed to be back or where they were going in the first place.

Taking five minutes to fill out a float plan would have prevented many of these needless searches or allowed rescuers to narrow down the area in which they are searching. The purpose of a float plan is to explain where you plan to boat, how long you will be gone, and when you plan to return. In addition, you should provide a number to call if you fail to return by the appointed time. You should give your float plan to a trusted friend or family member staying on the store. And, at the end of your boating trip, don't forget to call your friend or family member to let him/her know that you made it home safely. Click this link to the US Coast Guard Auxiliary's Float Plan Form. Please note that this is not filed with the Coast Guard and will still need to be printed and given to a friend or family member.