Home > About the Float Plan > Preparring your plan

We all get the opportunity to "do it right" the first time. And history has repeatedly shown us that this is often the only chance we will get. For the unprepared, the hurried, or the impatient, the result is a painful and costly lesson that usually ends in needless tragedy. For the prepared, however, the few moments consumed in preparing and filing a float plan is undeniably priceless.

Types of Plans

1. General Purpose – Used for routine outings with the same vessel, for the same activity, at the same location. Because they require little to no changes from one trip to the next they are very fast to prepare.  Here are some examples:

   • Duck hunting

   • Fishing

   • Routine family outings

2. Trip Specific – Used for a one-time outing to a unique location. For example:

   • Special family facation.

   • Annual fishing trip.

Preparing for your first voyage with the USCG Float Plan

Below are examples of how you would prepare the float plan for two different kinds of voyages.

Boating voyage example:

• Open up the Boat-Floatplan-MASTER.pdf file
• Complete the "Safety & Survival equipment and supplies you will be taking on this voyage.
• Complete the "Persons Onboard" section, identifying those who will be going on the trip with you.
• In the "Float Plan Note" field enter: "Three hour cruise around the big island on Lake Massive".
• If you have Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) for each PFD on-board, enter each Beacon's 15-digit Unique Identification Number or UIN in the column on the right hand side of the float plan.  Beacon numbers don't have to be in any specific order.  However, if you know who will have a specific beacon, then enter it on the corresponding row for that person.
• Complete the "Contacts" section of the plan.
• Complete the "Itinerary" section of the plan
• Save your completed plan with a new file name relative to the your plan's purpose or ultimate destination.  For example "LakeMassive–Cruise".

Kayaking or canoeing voyage example:

• Open up the Kayak-Floatplan-MASTER.pdf file.
• Complete the "Safety & Survival equipment and supplies you personally will be taking on this voyage.
• In the "Operator" portion of the "Persons Onboard" section indicate whether you have experence your kayak and if you have experience with the area(s) you will be navigating in.
• In the "Float Plan Note" field enter: Group kayak trip up the shore line of Douglas Lake to the Douglas Dam Headwater Campground
• Complete the "Persons Onboard" section, identifying those who will be going on the trip with you.  You can indicate the color of kayak each person has in the "Notes" field, along with any relevent medical conditions that would be relevent if that person or group were stranded or lost.
• Identify all Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) attached to each PFD used. This is a 15-digit Unique Identification Number or UIN.
• Complete the "Contacts" section of the plan.
• Complete the "Itinerary" section of the plan
• Save your completed plan with a new file name relative to the your plan's purpose or ultimate destination.  For example "DouglasLake–KayakClubTrip"

TIP: Regardless of the type of voyage print off the first page of the float plan and use it as a checklist before you leave to make sure all of the gear on your plan is onboard the vessel or in the tow vehicle.