14 • Jan. 29 - Feb. 11, 2016 • The Log
thelog.com Float plans provide peace of mind
Informing someone of your plans could prove helpful, especially during El Niño season.
By Parimal M. Rohit
STATEWIDE — A beautiful morning inspires you to head to your marina, board your boat, and sail out into the Pacific Ocean for a short fishing trip, visit to another marina or multi-day trip to Catalina Island. But, before you head out on a sail, should you file a float plan?
Why have a float plan? Ramon “Ray” Evans of the U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary in Orange County said a float plan is integral to boating safety. He added a float plan often comes in handy when a vessel goes missing and harbor patrol or Coast Guard needs to do a search-and-rescue. A BoatUS blog states float plans
help provide peace of mind and arms first responders with clues of where your vessel might be if something goes wrong. “A float plan lets your family and
friends know your whereabouts and, should a trip come to grief, the plan
Float plan forms are readily available online via Coast Guard Auxiliary or California’s Division of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating).
will give the searchers a valuable head start locating your boat,” the BoatUS blog stated. Arv Larson, a liveaboard at Sunroad Marina in San Diego, said communica-
tion with a responsible party on land is an important element of a float plan. “A float plan is a plan we give to a
third party who should be tracking that you check in with them,” Larson said.
“If you don’t check in with anybody, nobody knows where you actually are. What you do with a float plan is you give it to a responsible person who would be the point of contact, some-
SoCal Boating News Delivered to Your email FREE
✓ ✓
Digital Edition eNewsletter
To receive Te Log’s FREE digital edition, go to
thelog.com and click on “subscription services” at the very top of the homepage
To receive Te Log’s FREE eNewsletter, go to
thelog.com and click on “newsletter” at the very top of the homepage
thelog.com/freedigital
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
