What is the purpose of a float plan?

• A. To log fuel consumption and maintenance intervals.
• B. To provide critical trip information to someone on land so they know when to alert authorities if you do not return.
• C. To plan the boat's next voyage route.
• D. To file a report with the harbor master.

Answer: (B)

A float plan is a safety communication tool that shares your trip details with a land-based contact so they know when to trigger a rescue if you don’t return. It should include who’s aboard, where you’re going, your planned route, expected times, and how to reach you. By leaving this information with someone you trust, responders know where you were headed and when you should be back, speeding up an alert to authorities if you’re overdue. The other tasks—logging fuel and maintenance, planning the next voyage, or filing a harbor-master report—are separate activities and don’t serve the same safety purpose of informing someone on shore about your trip and overdue status.