Wake Up Florida, You Are Responsible For Your Boat’s Wake

Have you ever wondered why we have no wake and minimum wake regulatory markers? And on top of that, have you ever pondered if your excessive speed and wake really do cause damage to our environment or the personal property of others? Without a doubt, whether unintentionally or by the blatant disregard of the laws, vessels violating regulatory markers are causing the erosion of our coastlines, damage to personal property, damage to our estuaries and loss or injury to both human and marine life. Let’s get you brilliant on the basics.

First, let’s define where regulatory markers are located, what they look like and then explore what laws they are attempting to enforce. Regulatory markers are posted both on land and in the water throughout our region in areas that require a heightened awareness from all boaters. They are mounted on boards with a white background and orange lettering. If lighted, regulatory markers will display an all-round white light. So, what are these markers trying to enforce? Let’s take a look in no particular order of precedence at a few regulatory markers. One of the most common (and both misunderstood and violated) markers is the “Idle Speed or No Wake” Zone marker. These markers are posted in areas where vessels are to be operated at a speed no greater than what is necessary to maintain headway and steerage (known as bare steerageway). At this speed (which varies from vessel to vessel but averages about 4-6 knots), the vessel shouldn’t produce a wake (defined as waves or energy that are produced by your vessel). Next is the “Slow Speed, Minimum Wake” Zone marker. This is an area in which your vessel needs to be fully off plane and totally settled in the water (note to the knuckleheads that drive full speed up to the marker and then cut back to idle, your wake will now travel past the slow speed area which is in violation to Florida Statute 327.33 as well as the USCG Rules of the Road). In this zone if there is a wake created by a vessel, it should be minimal. If your boat is traveling with its bow even slightly elevated in this area, you are violating the law that requires you to proceed at “Slow Speed.” Next are speed restricted areas such as “Maximum 25 MPH Speed Zone” as one example. These zones are speed-controlled areas that may be protecting the environment such as sea grass areas or maybe an area known to be frequented by manatees, no vessel may operate at speeds exceeding that of which is posted. And finally, there are “Vessel Exclusion Area” markers. In these areas, regulatory markers may be distinguished by a vertical, diamond shape with a cross at the center indicating areas such as dams, rapids or swim areas. Now that you know a little about regulatory marks, lets investigate if violating these markers has caused damage to our ecosystem, marine and human life or the personal property of others.

It's no secret that Charlotte Harbor has experienced extensive development over the past decade. And with this widespread development came a massive increase in population as well as a huge influx of boaters. As discussed in one of my earlier columns, Florida has surpassed one million registered boats of which less than 33% are estimated to have any boating education. Finding statistics that specifically highlights damage caused by boat wakes, excessive speed and negligence is very difficult, as much of it must be estimated or extracted manually by reading the report page by page. Another great source is knowing an attorney that specializes in maritime law, I’m confident you would pass out if you read through the lawsuits filed here in Southwest Florida derived from boat wakes which caused damage to moored vessels, people, the shoreline or to personal property. Astonishingly, many of these lawsuits topped 1 million dollars. The majority of the data I uncovered list the violation of speed zones as being the root cause. Make no mistake, the relationship between recreational boat activity and nearshore damage to personal property and shoreline erosion is on the rise and being committed primarily by negligent boaters with little to no boating education. As a side note, please recognize, under Florida Statute 327 and the USCG Rules of the Road you are responsible for any damage caused by your vessel’s wake. And, with the significant advances in technology, such as dock cameras, smart phones and boat cams proving your case is as simple as handing over a video to an attorney and having it viewed by a judge and jury.

In conclusion, I recognize the ambiguity of some of the data I have researched, as much of it was obtained from public records and had to be extracted or interpreted. However, the objective of this week’s column was to teach you a little about regulatory markers and show our readers, using the most current data available (extracted from public records and the 2020 U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Boating Statistics) just how much damage boat operators and their boats are causing. Florida leads the way in total deaths and monetary damage caused by vessels. We had a whopping 804 accidents resulting in 70 deaths, 347 non-fatal injuries, 72 property damage deaths, 514 injured boaters and a startling $13,220,416.82 worth of damages to property, including that which was caused by excessive speed and the wake caused by that speed. But, as the saying goes, disappointed, but not surprised. Wake up Florida, you are responsible for your boat’s wake and the damage that it may cause.                                                     

I’LL HAVE THE FISH SANDWICH, HOLD THE SIDE OF PLASTIC PLEASE

After our hellacious wind storm, I took a boat ride to see what our harbor and surrounding areas looked like. Besides the damage caused by some pretty gusty winds I saw what almost brought me to tears, plastic, plastic and more plastic. Plastic chairs, water bottles, liquor bottles, antifreeze containers, play toys, syringes, and plastic bags all floating in our canals and harbor and trapped in our mangroves and on our shorelines.

It’s not new news that plastic pollution is a global problem. Since the 1960s, plastic production has increased by approximately 8.7% annually, evolving into a nearly $600 billion industry. We currently produce about 370 million tons of plastic a year. While plastic does have a place in the world, it has become very problematic to our oceans, bays, harbors, rivers, creeks, ponds and any other body of water you can imagine. It is estimated that up to 14 million tons of plastic (or the equivalent to 5 grocery bags full of plastic per foot of coastline) enter our waters annually. This problem is more than just an aesthetic concern. As this plastic breaks down it becomes microplastic. Microplastics are barely visible (or visible by microscope only) pieces of broken-down plastic. Trillions of these particles are floating around in our water and trillions more are settled at the bottom or our oceans and other waterways. Microplastics have been identified in the surface water of every ocean, the deep sea, coastal waterways, estuaries, ponds as well as in the sands and sediment of our ocean floors, beaches, rivers and canals throughout the world. They have even accumulated in high concentrations in an area named the Pacific Garbage Patch. The PGP is an area of our trash floating in the water that is currently about twice the size of Texas. Microplastics enter our waterways primarily from land-based littering but also come from stormwater drains, our roadways (from sources like tire wear), wastewater treatment plant discharges and even from our atmosphere during rain events. Now for the scary part, microplastics are not just affecting the water and its inhabitants, they are beginning to contaminate the food we harvest from the water and our drinking water we count on to survive.

With all of the advances in technology we are now capable of tracing were many of these microplastics and even smaller particles called nanoplastics are ending up. Alarmingly, they are showing up in samples taken from the muscle tissue and guts of fish, birds and other marine inhabitants. To date, 386 species of marine fish of which 210 of those species we eat or use commercially, have had nanoplastics detected in their gut or muscle tissue, the part we eat. The effects of these micro and nanoplastics on the human body are yet to be fully realized. Some early research has linked health issues to our lung cells, liver, and even our brain cells. Folks, I recognize this is not a “fun” Nautical Knowledge article to read, but out of sight, out of mind, turning a blind eye or saying I don’t contribute to any of this, will not fix the problem. We created it; we need to fix it. How can you do your part to help reverse this alarming trend?

To start, get brilliant on the basics. Micro and nanoplastics entering our waterways all share common pathways. We can each start at home by reducing our footprint and getting educated on what we can do to help fix this issue on our own. Additionally, we can put pressure on the organizations that pollute and the leaders that authorize the discharge of these toxins that reach our waterways. Working together to tackle these root causes, in spite of what our state does, will have a compounding effect on our environment over time. An easy first step we can all take is to use the three R’s, reduce, reuse and recycle. Did you know Florida failed to achieve its 2020 recycling goal of 75% mandated in 2008 by the Florida Legislature? Why is it not mandatory to recycle in our state? Using materials that can be washed and reused is one of the simplest and least expensive things we can all do. Taking these simple steps will help to reduce trash items that will inevitably end up in our waterways or landfills and will ultimately leach into our groundwater and poison our planet. Keep in mind, only about 9% of all plastic discarded since 1950 has been recycled, while another 12% has been incinerated and the remaining 79% accumulates in our landfills and waterways. If you are good with a pen, write our elected leaders and ask them what they are doing to improve our environment. And while you’re putting pen to paper (or pecking out an email) ask about improving wastewater management to help reduce plastic and nutrient pollution that is entering our waterways. Throw in a few sentences about improving stormwater management by implementing stormwater and storm drain filtration and river mouth trash collection mechanisms. These initiatives will help prevent wastes such as macroplastics (litter items), microplastics (tire dust), and chemicals on our roadways from flowing into our rivers, and eventually, the Gulf of Mexico. Do your part, eliminate single use plastics in your home, shop with reusable bags, say NO to plastic bags at the store, properly recycle items that can have a second purpose, participate when you can to help clean up what is already in our water. For instance, if you fish, how about bringing a non-plastic sack out with you (leave your plastic drinking water bottles at home please) and spend a few minutes fishing for plastic or other trash items? At least if the fish aren’t biting you will be guaranteed to limit out on trash, and in turn you’ll help save our ecosystem. Support organizations that address plastic pollution or improving our water quality, spread the word, self-talk is a very powerful tool. In summary, can’t can’t do anything. If we all do a little, we can and will accomplish a lot. Captain Jack R. Sanzalone is a 30-year submarine veteran and licensed USCG Master Captain with 40 years of experience. He is the owner of Boat Tutors and teaches basic and advanced boating education both in the classroom and on the water. You can contact Captain Jack at: jack@boattutors.com or by visiting his website at www.boattutors.com

GLANCING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WHILE FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE (Part 1)

As many of our readers know I own a boating education school. Since opening my business two years ago I have revised my Boating Education Course Curriculum six times. My desire to always improve comes from my 30 years of Submarine training. As I sat at my computer and began to outline revision six, I started to have second thoughts about adding a topic (as well as writing this column) on our ecosystem. I weighed the risks associated with adding a topic that could be viewed as contentious to those students (and our readers) that did not see things the way I do. But I reminded myself that deviating from who I am, and how I’ve lived my life thus far, would be a huge mistake. Staying true to my core values of integrity, courage and commitment are the foundations that made me who I am today. As I pecked away at the keyboard, I reminded myself that it was mandatory to have the integrity to tell the truth and not embellish the material. It was compulsory to have the courage to teach what may be viewed as unpopular. And finally, I was committed to tell my students (and readers) what the future of our waterways may look like without each of us making some changes.

I would like to preface this article as follows: I am not a scientist, I do not work for the government, I'm not an aquatic engineer, I do not speak for others and I’m NOT writing this article to start a heated discussion or point fingers if it happens to conflict with the way you see things. I’m also not suggesting that if you live in a particular area that has altered our estuary that you are to blame. I am however, writing this column as a member of our community who has spent the last 41+ years of his life on the water all over the world, and who, over the past 10 years, has observed some very negative changes to our estuaries and gulf. These changes have negatively affected fish, mammals, birds, water quality, the quality of life to homeowners, boaters and to our seasonal visitors that in the end, have adversely affected the livelihoods of those that depend on clean water for a living. I am very concerned about our environment, and as a business owner I recognize many water centric businesses depend on a pristine estuary to provide an enjoyable experience for their customers. I am presenting the data in this column which I believe to be historically accurate. I have obtained it by conducting my own research and by having conversations with local residents whose families have lived in this area for well over 100 years. I have included my own hypothesis as to how or why we are seeing such a severe degradation of our water quality. I believe that “knowledge is power” in hopes that the information I provide below encourages others to “think out of the box” and to act in any way possible that in the end, helps contribute to a permanent solution to what has become a broken process. I believe our current water conditions are a culmination of several poor choices both past and present by many different groups and organizations that live(d) and work(ed) in our surrounding communities. To start, I believe there are literally dozens of factors coming into play that are affecting our estuaries. For instance, I do not believe the discharges from Lake Okeechobee are the single cause for our lingering Red Tide situation. I believe our lingering Red Tide was/is being driven by decisions made as far back as the 1800's. Let me explain. There are many well documented articles and historical chronological documents outlining business decisions that have negatively affected our ecosystem dating as far back to 1800. The most meaningful started Circa 1915 when the American advertising entrepreneur Barron Collier agreed to bankroll the construction of the Tamiami Trail. To truly comprehend how the decision to build this road and two others affected our estuaries you will need to take a few minutes and study NOAA Chart 11426. Once you have studied just how many tributaries once flowed through these areas you can trace routes' 41, 776 and 771 with your finger. If you look carefully, you will see how the above roads have all but blocked or disrupted the natural flows from/through the Myakka and Peace Rivers. All of these rivers have/had a plethora of tributaries that should be flowing through marshes (filters) that help clean the waters that eventually made/make their way to Placida Harbor and Gasparilla Sound. Without a doubt, we have unintentionally created near perfect artificial dams that have all but stopped the natural flow of water from these rivers and their tributaries. Add new home developments, artificial canals and bodies of water controlled by locks and we have all but delivered the knockout blow to mother nature’s grand plan to keep our ecosystem healthy. I believe there is a direct correlation between our lingering Red Tide and reduced water flow (flushing capabilities) that continues to have a direct impact on our water quality.

Now, let’s fast forward to Circa 1958-1960 and the construction of the Boca Grande Causeway. The construction of this bridge cut off a significant flow of water to Placida Harbor and Gasparilla Sound and eventually to Lemon Bay (which the engineers forecasted prior to its construction). Before the causeway, the area had an unrestricted flow of water from Eldred's Marina to Uncle Henry's Marina and had one of the most productive scallop beds and diverse selection of marine mollusk shells in southwest Florida. You can view many of the locally harvested shells at the Johann Fust Community Library. If anything, it makes you sad to see what was once so plentiful in these estuaries and the Gulf. The next blow to our environment came from the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960’s. It was then that the Army Corps began dredging what is now the Intracoastal Waterway. During dredging operations, the spoils (discharges) from the dredges formed waste islands such as Bird Island, the Sisters, and a vast number of other waste areas in and around Little Gasparilla, Don Pedro and Knight Islands. Each of these diversions have contributed to a severe restriction/reduction of the natural water flow that once existed through these areas. Adding yet another blow to this area was the decision to fill in the cut by Don Pedro Island which contributed further to the low water flow issues in the area. Keep in mind, if water cannot flow, it cannot exchange hypoxic water (hypoxia is defined as low oxygenated water and is primarily a problem for estuaries and coastal waters where water flow has been disrupted by man-made structures) with fresh oxygenated water and thus adds another factor to our significantly degraded water quality. One possible solution to improve this hypoxic water is to unplug the "clogged up toilet" by opening up flows between some of our barrier islands. Doing this may be the catalysts needed to help improve our areas many dead zones. But water flow is not the only factor to our declining water health. Part two of this column will explore just one of many areas that are in need of process improvement and will offer solutions that each of us can do to help restore and improve our estuaries.

GLANCING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WHILE FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE (Part 2)

Last week we discussed a few “rear view mirror” challenges that are creating some very significant issues in our area. In about 1956 General Development Corporation was formed by the Mackle brothers, Elliot, Frank, Jr, and Robert. They offered “paradise for sale” for $10 down and $15 a month for a total purchase price of $725. General Development dredged hundreds of miles of canals (153 miles give or take in Charlotte County) and took much of the dredge spoils and built homes on them. I don’t believe this company ever imagined 1.3 million people living in this area. Have you ever looked at an overview of the canal systems in our county? Did you notice that many of the canals have no outlet and thus have little to no flow of water? Most of the canals dug are dependent on natural tide flows to flush out the water. This water exchange is dependent on our harbor and other tributaries to provide a fresh, clean, oxygenated water supply during the ebb and flood process. If the canal water does not completely flow through our canals with the tide and does not efficiently exchange water, then the tide merely moves toxic/hypoxic water in and out of the small sections of our canals. Keep in mind, our canals were never designed with flow in mind and because of the magnitude of pollution contributed by fertilizer, pesticides, septic systems, wastewater processing spills, runoff from our roads and an exploding population we have developed a very serious situation that we must all work together to help solve. Are you one of the many people still convinced Lake Okeechobee is the cause of all of our water issues? If you are, let’s just focus on that one small region to show you it’s not the only broken process adding to our water quality issues. If you try and count the vast number of small lakes in Florida you will lose count very quickly. Using Lake Okeechobee as just one example, let’s explore what estuaries and lakes make their way into Lake “O” while recognizing that each of the areas north of Lake “O” eventually flows into Lake “O”. That means, that each person who owns a waterfront home or a home that can leach into a waterway or owns a business such as a golf course can negatively contribute in some way to the water that eventually flows into an estuary, that eventually flows into Lake “O”. Still not convinced? Let’s use Lake Kissimmee as a northern contributor that eventually makes its way into Lake “O”. 

Lake Kissimmee makes its way to Lake Okeechobee via the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee. Just how much and what direction(s) water flows is much bigger than most of us can fathom. In this example the leaching of the toxic items as mentioned above start far north of Orlando by Shingle Creek, each of these tributaries eventually makes their way into Lake Kissimmee and eventually into Lake “O”. With this in mind, each community member north of Lake “O” must understand the impact they can have on Lake “O’s” water quality and do their part to make sound environmental choices. Merely changing the direction of the water flow south vice east, west or any other compass heading will do nothing but divert polluted water, polluted is polluted. Additionally, each person in this region should understand that the current level of contamination in these norther lakes and rivers is far greater than the Everglade marshes can ever filter out and the excess pollution will eventually make its way into Florida Bay causing additional permanent and possibly irreversible damage to our ecosystems. 

You want to help fix the process? Then start by making personal, responsible environmental choices to improve our water quality, each and every day. Pointing the finger at the government is only a fraction of the solution. How much fertilizer do you use on your lawn? And what happens to the excess fertilizer? It drains into our lakes and tributaries. What about poorly maintained septic systems that can't function properly due to high water tables and via capillary action cause our drain fields to discharge into our waterways? How many herbicide and pesticide products do you use? What about businesses that are mining phosphates and leaching poisons into our rivers? Is there not another location to mine phosphate that does not discharge poison into our rivers and eventually into Charlotte Harbor? Can’t that same company start making organic fertilizers? Can you make the commitment to start using organic materials only at your home or business? Does your lawn need to be picture perfect and weed free? Do you even need a lawn? What about designing your own hardscape? If you are a government employee in a leadership position that is responsible for our roadways, can you help make a change to retrofit our road drains and have them run through filters before entering our waterways? Just brainstorming here, each of us should spend some time trying to figure out how we can make a difference.

 In summary, it's so simple to point the finger to whomever you feel is responsible. But this is a "perfect storm" that has been silently developing for quite some time and has plagued our area for at least 60 years in one form or another. Make no mistake, if all 1.3 million of us made sound, responsible choices to help reduce pollutants from entering our waterways we can and will make a difference. Get involved, make your voice and vote heard. Remember, polluted is polluted. The issues discussed in this column each have several contributing factors that need to be addressed before we can fix the water quality issues that plague our environment. We can't reverse the flow of water from south to north or any other compass heading. The water will continue to flow (or not flow), just how clean it can or will be is up to each of us and to those charged with leading our State Government. Let’s fix the process not throw money at the problem. And remember, looking back in the rear-view mirror will yield nothing but indigestion, focus on the future and make a commitment to do your part to help reverse this deadly trend in southwest Florida. 

 Boating By The Seat Of Your Pants

Operating a vessel is a huge responsibility. Every voyage requires the vessel operator (captain) to have the requisite knowledge to safely operate the vessel, which includes bringing the vessel and its guests back to port safe and sound. Putting a plan in place in the event the vessel encounters problems while at sea are at the top of the list for every captain. Unfortunately, there are far too many examples offered by the USCG of captains that skip this step and the headlines read, “The U.S. Coast Guard today announced that it has suspended its search for motor vessel Knucklehead which was reported overdue by family”. The aftermath of this statement usually includes some media coverage on how to avoid being involved in an unsuccessful rescue at sea. Of course, the first step to not becoming a statistic is to put measures in place that make your maritime mishap at sea into a rescue, vice a search and rescue. Let’s take a look at measures that you can put in place to help improve your chances of being rescued at sea and explore what requirements need to be met to warrant the USCG to commit resources to come get you. 

What are my responsibilities as the captain? Prior to each voyage it’s the captain’s responsibility to ensure all passengers onboard leave “bread crumbs” ashore with a responsible person to help locate them. What are bread crumbs? In nautical terms, bread crumbs are clues that may help save your life and are entered into a document called a float plan? A float plan is a living document (or in some cases a comprehensive conversation with a close friend or relative) created by the boater (or passenger) that encompasses detailed information about the boating trip. It’s living, because if your plans change you need to update those ashore who are keeping track of your whereabouts. A float plan includes vital information about yourself, the vessel, and its passengers and should be left with a competent friend, family member, trusted agency, or if applicable, with the boating club or marina you’re associated with. By design, if the designated person or agency does not hear from you by the chosen time, they will notify the appropriate authorities. Having a detailed float plan can make the difference between a successful rescue operation or a complicated and very expensive search and rescue mission. Past lessons learned have shown that the USCG and other rescue agencies rely heavily on the details in your float plan to help locate you in the event of an emergency. The more details you provide, the higher the probability you will return home safely, so make sure to include plenty of details. So, what components make up a quality float plan?

A quality float plan should include all passenger information, your route and other pertinent details about your travel plans. More specifically, your float plan should include your registration number, the vessels length, a photo, the passenger count, engine type and horsepower. If you towed your boat to a boat ramp include details on your vehicle, such as the license plate number, color of your car and the make of trailer. It may also be helpful to include boat insurance information (if covered) in the event you need assistance from them. So now that we have the components that make up a float plan let’s take a closer look at each part.

Passenger Information. Whether you are traveling alone or bringing passengers, your float plan should contain background information on each person. List each person’s name, address, contact phone number, emergency contact information, and any known allergies or medical conditions.

Route and Travel Plans.

Include a brief itinerary of your voyage so your designated representative knows when they can expect you back. If your voyage is extended ensure you check in periodically. At a minimum, your float plan should include your departure date, expected duration, the estimated return date, and details of your planned travel route.

How to Fill Out a Float Plan.

There’s a plethora of resources to help you develop a custom float plan. You can create your own, download a copy from an agency such as the USCG at uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/floating-plan.php or obtain one from a local boating or yacht club. Once you complete your float plan, do not submit it to the USCG or any other emergency responder. Instead, distribute it either digitally or by hard copy to your friends, family or marina staff if applicable. Ensure you give them instructions on who to contact (with phone numbers) and when to do so if they have not heard from you by a designated time.

Other Pre-Trip Considerations to help make your voyage safer.

Before departing, check the weather, verify you have all onboard safety equipment such as your VHF radio and personal flotation devices. Inspect your first aid kit and ensure it’s stocked with all the basics. Next, you should take a few more pre-trip steps that may help reduce the likelihood of ruining your boating trip. Here are a few items you may want to look at. Examine your boat for damage or leaks, verify your fuel and fluid levels, ensure your batteries are charged, pack a small tool kit, test controls such as the throttle, verify fire extinguishers are charged and visually inspect any other safety equipment including flares and their expiration dates. If trailering your boat, check tire pressure, inspect tires for excessive wear, ensure you know the status of wheel bearing operation, check all trailer lights for functionality, locate the registration, visually inspect the trailer electrical plug and finally, ensure you have the correct tow ball and receiver installed and locking devices as applicable. So, in spite of your best efforts, you got the easy part done, talking about the float plan but failed to let anyone know where you and your guests will be while out fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Of course, Murphy (the leader of the Murphy’s Law Gang) comes to visit and bad things happen. Now is the time we are thankful for the heroes who stand watch 24 hours a day 365 days a year, the USCG and all of the first responders that help support this incredible team. So, what's the first thing the Coast Guard does when alerted that someone or something is lost at sea?

Will the USCG always come and get me and how much does it cost? When a call for assistance is received by the USCG, a determination is made by the on-watch Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator as to whether the emergency is a case of “distress.” Distress is defined as grave or imminent danger, requiring immediate response or threatens a craft or person. The Coast Guard will always render assistance to persons and property that are in genuine distress, so long as the resources for the rescue are available and the assistance can itself be rendered safely. The USCG Auxiliary is also authorized to perform most of the duties of the regular Coast Guard, so the scope of assistance provided by the Coast Guard may also be provided by the USCG Auxiliary. Additionally, other local first responder organizations may help a vessel in distress and support the USCG mission. The USCG does not currently charge for services rendered for a legitimate distress call, the taxpayers pay that bill. The mean cost for a one-day simple at sea operation without the use of C-130 planes and helicopters starts at about $42,000 an increase with additional time and resources. The USCG often receives calls from mariners for non-distress assistance, but they generally will not provide assistance in non-distress cases if alternative assistance is available. These cases are usually referred to a commercial assistance towing company through a “Marine Assistance Request Broadcast,” issued by the USCG on VHF Channel 16. In my Nautical Knowledge “101” Boating Education Class we discuss all of the pros of a membership with a commercial towing company to avoid a huge unplanned bill that will certainly ruin your boating day in the event of a non-emergency distress scenario.

Oh no, you need help right now. The USCG’s initial step is to talk with the reporting source (maybe a concerned significant other or relative) and essentially gather as much information as possible about the particular case (oh, that’s right, you’re a manly man or not a girly-girl and operate your vessel on the premise nobody needs to help you, ever, so nobody knows where you are at). The USCG wants to know details like where and when the boaters likely got in trouble, when they left port, where they intended to go and where else they may have gone and what their plan “B” was (plan what?). They also want to know what type of boat they were in and what survival gear they have. Sounds a lot like the stuff included in a float plan, no? The USCG will then determine all the possible scenarios about the incident to help piece together a rescue or search and rescue plan. To help accomplish this task the USCG uses a system called the Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System (SAROPS). SAROPS is being used here in Florida to help coordinate and determine the optimal plan to search for mariners lost at sea that have left no “bread crumbs” to help locate them. SAROPS is a computer-generated system that uses inputs such as current, wind, wave and swell directions to name a few to generate multiple solutions to start looking for the lost mariner. Personally, I prefer the float plan rescue method not the needle in the haystack search and rescue method generated by SAROPS.

So, the question remains, float plan or no float plan? As the saying goes, the answer is a no brainer, before leaving on any boat voyage leave a float plan with a reliable person or organization. Unfortunately, despite all of our technology and best efforts, not everyone who is lost at sea is found. Please don’t end up a USCG statistic. Captain Jack R. Sanzalone is a 30-year submarine veteran and licensed USCG Master Captain and Assessor with 41 years of experience. He is the owner of Boat Tutors and The Captain School Orange Beach, Al and teaches both basic and advanced boating education. You can contact Captain Jack at: jack@boattutors.com or by visiting his website at www.boattutors.com