Utah State Parks Boating Safety Tip of the Week

Go to Float Plan Central for your own copy

Salt Lake –Whether you are boating for one day or multiple days, you should always file a float plan with details about where you are heading and when you expect to return. This information helps search and rescue crews in the event of an emergency.

Boating Education Specialist Chris Haller suggests the following float plan tips.

For shorter daytime outings, a verbal float plan may be sufficient. At a minimum:

- Contact a responsible person who is not going on the trip, like a close friend or relative, and provide them with your float plan.

- Leave a telephone number of the local rescue authorities that should be contacted if you are overdue.

- If you plan to extend your time on the water, be sure to let your contact person know before your float plan expires. This avoids unnecessary contact of rescue authorities.

For extended outings, a written float plan is warranted. This plan should include:

- Description of the vessel, including make, size, color, bow number, and marine band call sign.

- Trip itinerary of where you are going with a detailed description of route and intended camping spots.

- List providing number of passengers, names, addresses, and contact information for each passenger in case of an emergency.

- The license plate number and description of the tow vehicle and trailer.

For more boating safety information or to take a safe boating course, visit http://www.stateparks.utah.gov/. Utah Boaters…WEAR IT!

You can find a float plan template at http://www.floatplancentral.org/