Radio Nets

We had heard about them, but had not really found one yet. In Banderas Bay, there is an active one. Every morning at 830 AM on 22 alpha, a “net controller” calls the group to order. They they call out to the various marinas and anchorages around the bay and each boat announces its name. Then there is a weather recap, any pertinent group-wide announcements, and then it opens up to various categories. A boat calls its name out, is recognized by the controller, and then asks their question / makes their offer. After all is said and done, there is a kids radio net at 72 with it’s own controller!

The offers and questions vary wildly, but it’s all about offering assistance or getting common questions answered. Where can I find a good diver? Does anyone know where to get this type of o-ring? Anyone seen the key I dropped yesterday? I am good at x, call me if you need help.

It’s just such a cool community activity. We have felt way more connected to the area as a result and able to learn a lot about what’s going on. We joined a local sailing race and would have never known about it otherwise.

While traveling, it has been interesting to learn just how hard it is to really get connected to a new place. We have a ton of information at our finger tips, yet it somehow isn’t the same as a curated, human-to-human conversation. Particularly as you travel to new countries, not only do you have new languages, but also many of the online services we rely upon have spottier / non-existent coverage.