Float Plan Service

[Foswick]

Please forgive me getting a little free market research.

I am (among other things) a software developer and entrepreneur. I am getting ready to launch a service that is only tangentially related to boating. It is a service primarily targeted to people with known medical conditions with emergency medical implications.

At its core, it allows users to provide medical information. Then an emergency responder calls a phone number. This triggers a few events. It sends the medical information to the responder's phone, but it also texts people on the patient's contact list. It tells them that the emergency number was activated and it gives the phone number of the person who activated it.

This post isn't about that, though. Just telling you where I am coming from.

It occurred to me that this system could be slightly modified to be potentially useful for the boating/cruising community.

As many know, USCG does have a float plan of sorts (https://floatplancentral.cgaux.org/), but it is just a form that you fill out and give to someone you trust. I don't think anyone does this. Conversely, when you file a flight plan, if you fail to show up when expected, it automatically triggers a series of actions. There is no equivalent for the boating community, which is a shame because minutes actually matter.

What I am considering is a service that works something like this:

• You sign up and provide basic information about you, your boat, and people who commonly occupy your boat. You might also accumulate common routes/destinations.
• You also provide emergency contact phone numbers and set up your preferences for how/when you want them contacted.
• When you go out, you supply information about your boat, occupants, route, destination, and expected time of arrival. As much as possible, this is automatically filled out for you based on information already stored in your profile.
• When you arrive, you close your float plan - telling the system you have arrived safely. (Of course, this assumes at least some access ... so there's that. It would be done normally with a simple text message, so you only need SMS and not internet.)
• If you fail to close your float plan on time, the system attempts to contact you. If you just forgot, you tell the system and your plan is closed.
• If it cannot contact you, it starts contacting people on your contact list.
• If you and your contacts cannot be reached within some period of time, the system (probably a human operator, by this time) contacts the USCG directly and passes them the information.

So, my question is whether people would ACTUALLY use this. My hunch is that most people will think it is a good idea but, in reality, would not actually bother to use it. (I don't even know if I would use it myself.)

I lost a friend, years ago, who would probably have been saved by exactly such a system. He went out for a quick paddle on the bay. By the time people realized he as overdue, it was already dark and too late to save him. Had they found him 30 minutes earlier, it would likely have been a very different outcome. So, I am motivated to put this out there. Just concerned that it won't actually be used.

If not, how could the concept be modified into something that people actually would use?

[Uricanejack]

Not sure what you are planning. Or how it would actually work.
Something I know exist here.
A phone App. Saved a young lad I'm related to more than once.
He has issues, or problems. Not uncommon these days unfortunately.
Fentanyl. Diabolical deady stuff.

He is an addict.
He had this app on his phone.
It called 911 and reported he was ODing.
The EMT's Showed up lights an siren much to his mums surprise.
She knew his problems but was not aware he was in his room and had OD until the EMTS found him.
He survived.
Not only once he did it again. He is a nice kid but sadly probably not long for this world.

In his case we know he has Issues. We know he is an addict. I guess he was smart enough to get this app and know his behavior is potentially deadly. He uses it.
I had a hard time figuring out how it works. How could a phone know a kid was OD.
Apparently when you do stuff you enter it into the phone and if you dont say im fine now by a predicted time the phone activates a call.

So the system worked for him a know drug addict who was known to relapse and who knew what his actions risked.
It didn't work for another young girl I knew, I had no idea she used anything stronger than weed. She took something, We still don't know for sure. She didn't have the app or probably even think she needed it.

The problem, you need to be aware your plan is putting you at risk.
I think there are systems through satellite for outdoor adventure type activities.
I've considered getting for when I ride my MC in remote mountains ect
But how would I activate it if i crash.
Newest versions of my Bike has a emergency button and will detect a crash.

The problem is relying on cell service, It doesn't take me long to loose service when i go sailing.

[wholybee]

Conceptually its a fine idea. I think the challenges would be trying to prevent false positives. And, how would it integrate with other technology. Maybe if it received a vessel position from multiple sources (a tracker like inreach, as well as integrating with a service like vessel finder) to use as a backup to checking in. Maybe an alternative message could be sent out ("Vessel has arrived at destination, but has not closed the sail plan. Is everything Ok?" or "Estimated arrival time has passed, but Vessel is still underway at position x, y, speed z").

My family subscribed to Vessel Finder when I was circumnavigating. It wouldn't track me reliably in the ocean, but has an option to send an email when a ship enters and leaves a port, and most all ports are well covered by terrestrial stations. So they would get an email the minute I arrived or departed.

Cruisers love to blog and put up web pages. Something they could integrate into that would be neat. So they issue a float plan, and that plan would populate to a web page or blog via a snipped of code you provide them.

And then you have to consider, with Starlink, positions are tracked every few minutes, and there is constant communication between the ship and shore. It seems to me what you would want to provide is some assurance that everything is ok when the Starlink goes out. Maybe this could be handled via an inreach or something. I'm not sure what API's they provide, but maybe some message "Starlink communication is down, but the vessel has not deviated from filed float plan." vs. "Starlink is down and vessel has stopped" or worse "All communication with the vessel is lost."

To be successful, you probably want it to be something sailors will share with each other. Word of mouth marketing. So, a feature to list buddy boats, and put tracking information and contact information of buddy boats with the information friends and family get. So, if communication with a vessel is lost, family can contact a buddy vessel, or otherwise get word that everything is ok. This way, buddy vessels would be encouraged to subscribe too.

Just some ideas. I don't think personally I would pay to subscribe to such a service. But if it were bundled with something else I wanted, I would probably use it.

[Foswick]

Thanks for the thoughts. All good stuff.

Just to be clear, this would have to be a free service. For sure, it won't get used if people have to pay for it. My thought is that I might monetize by licensing to USCG Aux or an insurance company ... or some other way. It has to be free and simple or it won't get used. Not sure if it would be used anyway.

Another consideration is that this would probably not be optimized for offshore cruisers. They make up such a small piece of maritime traffic and a statistically tiny portion of accidents. This would be of greatest benefit probably to people like kayakers who might be inclined to go out alone for a quick paddle and get into trouble. Also, people out for a day of fishing ... that sort of thing. Those are the cases where being aware someone is overdue is most likely to be of greatest benefit when quickly detected and acted on.

Parenthetically, we are also considering leveraging the same sort of system for things like blind dates or other similar situations where you might want someone to notice that you have not checked in and take quick action.

[Kijit]

Originally Posted by Foswick

As many know, USCG does have a float plan of sorts (https://floatplancentral.cgaux.org/), but it is just a form that you fill out and give to someone you trust. I don't think anyone does this.

I do, and just did last week for a trip I went on. I actually did it on the USCG app that makes it easy to send. However, I do think your idea is interesting. An easier way would be nice.

Gerhard

[Foswick]

Originally Posted by Kijit

I do, and just did last week for a trip I went on. I actually did it on the USCG app that makes it easy to send.

Good to know, thank you! The USCG app is actually one of the motivations. It hasn't been updated for a long time - I can't even install it on my newer phone.

[kayakerChuck]

As a sailor, I think I'd be unlikely to use this.

However, I'm also a sea kayaker. Myself, and many of my friends, regularly paddle solo or in small groups in fairly big water, in conditions, in remote places. I think an app like this would very likely be eagerly accepted by the paddlers.

[Foswick]

Originally Posted by kayakerChuck

As a sailor, I think I'd be unlikely to use this.

However, [...] I think an app like this would very likely be eagerly accepted by the paddlers.

Thanks for the feedback. That's kind of my take on it too.