Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 5: Staying Safe Afloat
Tell Someone Where You’re Going
A float plan is a simple written communication that tells those ashore where you’re going
and when you expect to return. If you don’t come back on time, they know where to start
looking.
The float plan should include the following items:
◆ The skipper’s name and home phone—this lets potential rescuers call your house to
make sure you didn’t slip home without telling anyone.
◆ A description of your boat, including registration numbers, length, and color.
Boat Bytes
If you leave a float plan
with a pal, be absolutely
sure to check in when you
return. If you forget, causing
your protector to launch
a series of desperate but
unneeded calls to authorities, it’s
unlikely your designee will ever
again pay any attention to your
float plans. One way to remember
is to tape a reminder to your
boat’s ignition key.
Boat Bytes
The best storm stowage for
small boats is inside a
garage. If you don’t have
access to a garage and
have a lightweight boat
(such as a canoe or jon boat),
turn it right side up and fill it with
water; the added weight will
keep the boat from being blown
away. (Add a few tie-downs,
staked deeply into the ground,
just in case.)
◆ The itinerary of your trip—where you are going
(including latitude/longitude for offshore locations),
where you are putting in, and the approximate
time you expect to return.
◆ Emergency numbers to call in case you don’t
return on time. The Coast Guard, sheriff’s office,
and Marine Patrol should be included.
You simply give this information to a friend, relative, or
cooperative marina operator, and then check in with the
person once you’re back ashore.
An easy way to handle float plans is to make a template
on your computer with the basic information that
remains the same each time—your boat description,
phone numbers, and so on. Leave space to write in the
variables such as exactly where you’re going and when
you expect to return. Just print out a sheet and fill it in
for each trip.
Storm Warnings
Storms cause millions of dollars in damages to recreational
boats each year. Most of it could be avoided if the
skippers took precautions well in advance of the storms.
One of the more inventive approaches I’ve ever seen for
avoiding storm damage was that of a sailor in Brownsville,
Texas, where I’d gone to report on the aftermath of
a hurricane. When the skipper became certain the town