Free planning and Basic trips
Free membership includes Route Builder, saved routes, boating details, multiple Drafts, and Basic float-plan sending. Use a Basic Float Plan for a simple same-day trip without a saved route.
FloatPlanWizard guide
FloatPlanWizard Help Center
Learn how to plan a trip, send a float plan, monitor your cruise, share your Trip status page, and check boating weather.
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FloatPlanWizard helps recreational boaters prepare trip details, share a float plan, keep trip contacts informed, and review marine weather before and during a cruise.
Start with the basics: create or sign in to your account, complete your boat and contact information, then choose the trip style that fits your outing.
Premium route trips
A Premium Send Credit or general Premium activates one complete Premium trip with Premium PDF/email delivery, Active Cruise, monitoring, and private Trip/Follow access. Planning and saved routes remain free.
Safety note
FloatPlanWizard is not a rescue, dispatch, or emergency response service. In an emergency, use official emergency channels first, including VHF Channel 16, DSC distress, 911, EPIRB/PLB, flares, or local emergency services.
Practical setup
First Trip Checklist
- Sign in or create your account.
- Add the boat, captain, operator, trip contact, and passenger details needed for your plan.
- Choose a Basic Float Plan for a simple same-day trip, or build a saved route and prepare a route-based Draft.
- Review the departure, destination, expected timing, contacts, and safety details before sending.
- Tell your contacts how you will communicate if your plan changes.
- Check current marine conditions before departure and keep using official weather sources.
Example: same-day sandbar trip
For a short day trip, create a Basic Float Plan with your destination, timing, boat details, and notification contacts. Send it before you leave, then close it when the trip is finished.
Planning workspace
Dashboard
The Dashboard is your main planning workspace. It is where you manage trip setup, review current trip status, create a Basic Float Plan, and work with saved routes and route tools included with free membership.
Setup details
Keep your boat, operator, contacts, and passenger information current. These details help make your float plan useful to the people receiving it.
Routes and saved trips
Free membership includes tools to create and reuse boating routes, review legs, and prepare route-based Draft float plans.
Basic Float Plan
Every member can create and send a Basic one-day float plan for a simple trip without creating a saved route.
Before you send
Confirm your destination, timing, contacts, boat details, and safety information. Update anything that has changed before sending the plan.
Example: Premium route-based trip
Create a route, review each leg, check the route details, then send the route-based float plan. Once the trip is active, use Active Cruise to follow the planned legs and submit check-ins.
Underway tools
Active Cruise
Active Cruise is for Premium route-based trips after a float plan is active. It gives the captain a working view of the current leg, the cruise timeline, check-in actions, timing, fuel estimates, and weather context.
Active leg panel
Use the active leg area to see the current route segment, remaining distance, estimated arrival, adjusted speed, weather factor, and fuel estimates when available.
Cruise timeline
The timeline shows the route legs and lets you review selected leg details such as distance, timing, progress, status, and fuel estimates.
Weather checks
Use Check Conditions to review weather context while underway. Always compare FPW information with official marine forecasts and your own observations.
Next leg
When you are ready to move from one leg to the next, use the Active Cruise action that starts the next leg instead of treating the route as live vessel tracking.
Tip
Fuel values in Active Cruise are estimates for planning context. They depend on the route and fuel details you entered while planning.
Trip updates
Check-ins
Check-ins let the captain update trip status during an active cruise. They help keep the trip record and monitoring view current.
On TrackUse when the trip is proceeding as expected.
DelayedUse when you are still on the plan but running behind schedule.
Changed PlanUse when your route, stop, timing, or plan has changed and contacts should understand that context.
Secure for the NightUse when you are stopped for the night and plan to resume later.
Example: delayed 30 minutes
If weather, traffic, locks, fuel, or docking delays you, submit a Delayed check-in and include the reason. Your plan will be easier for contacts to understand.
Example: secure for the night
If you stop overnight, submit Secure for the Night so the trip is not treated like normal underway progress until you resume.
Emergency reminder
Do not use a check-in as your first emergency call for help. Use official emergency channels first, then update FPW when it is safe to do so.
Sharing progress
Follow
The Trip status page is a shareable trip page for family, friends, and trip contacts. It lets them see trip status, progress, timing, updates, and check-in information without signing in.
Who it is for
Share it with people who should be able to follow your trip status and understand recent updates.
What viewers can see
Viewers may see trip progress, timing, status, check-ins, shared posts, and location context when that information is available.
What viewers cannot do
Viewers cannot operate your boat, change your plan, submit captain check-ins, or replace official safety communication.
Privacy expectation
Treat the Follow link like a shareable trip page. Send it only to people you want viewing the trip.
Example: sharing before departure
Send the Follow link to a family member before departure so they can see your trip status without logging in.
Safety note
The Trip status page is informational. It is not an emergency dispatch service and may not reflect your current position.
Monitoring
Monitor
Monitoring helps organize trip status around expected check-ins, recent updates, and the last GPS location shared with a check-in when available.
Expected check-ins
Use check-ins to keep your trip record current. If you are late or plans change, update the trip as soon as practical.
Late and missed updates
If an expected check-in is late or missed, FPW can show that status so the captain and contacts have clearer trip context.
Escalation language
Escalation means the missed-check-in state has moved into a more serious notification stage. It does not mean an official rescue has been started.
Location context
FPW may show the last GPS point shared with a check-in. It is not live vessel tracking.
Strong safety note
In an emergency, use official emergency channels first. FPW can provide trip context, but it is not a substitute for calling for help. Monitoring depends on accurate user inputs, connectivity, correct contact information, email delivery, and app availability.
Marine conditions
Weather
The Weather page is part of the signed-in FPW workspace. Sign in to use the marine weather tools, search by ZIP or coordinates, and review detailed boating conditions.
Weather briefing
Use the briefing to review marine conditions, forecast details, alerts, wind, waves, tide context, and practical planning notes when available.
Check Conditions
On route and Active Cruise screens, Check Conditions helps review weather context for planning and underway awareness.
Weather factor
When shown, the weather factor is planning context for trip timing. Treat it as an estimate, not a command to go or stay.
Use judgment
Compare FPW weather with official marine forecasts, local knowledge, radio updates, and current conditions before making go/no-go decisions.
Example: before leaving
Before departure, sign in, check conditions for your route or boating area, then compare the result with local marine forecasts and what you observe at the dock.
Weather safety
Weather data is informational. Do not rely only on FPW for boating safety decisions.
Troubleshooting
FAQ
I do not see Active Cruise.
Active Cruise is for an exact route-based plan activated through Premium Save & Send or covered by general Premium. Make sure you are signed in and that float plan is active.
I do not see a Trip status page.
Follow Page sharing is included for the exact route-based plan activated through Premium Save & Send or covered by general Premium. Open your Dashboard and use the Follow sharing action for that active trip.
My contact did not get an email.
Check that the contact address is correct, ask them to check spam or junk folders, and send the Follow link another way if needed.
My weather did not load.
Make sure you are signed in, have a working connection, and entered a valid ZIP or coordinate. If the page is slow, try again and keep using official weather sources.
My plan changed.
Update your trip status as soon as practical. If you are underway, use Changed Plan or another appropriate check-in so contacts understand what changed.
I forgot to check in.
Submit a check-in as soon as it is safe and practical. If contacts may be worried, also contact them directly using your normal communication method.
I need emergency help.
Use official emergency channels first: VHF Channel 16, DSC distress, 911, EPIRB/PLB, flares, or local emergency services. FPW is not a rescue, dispatch, or emergency response service.