The Morning Radio Nets

Every Morning Vagari listens to or joins several cruiser “radio nets”. Cruisers have established times and radio frequencies where we talk so we can keep track of who is where, get up to the minute weather forecasts and pass on current information important to cruisers

They always start out asking for any “emergency, medical or priority” traffic. And then relays for that traffic. A relay would be, say you were 500 miles south of the net controller and a station 500 miles south of you had a problem you could hear them but the net controller might not so you would relay the information.

Once a boat lost their mast during the night and answered that call but that is the only real emergency I heard. As luck would have it another boat was just 15 miles from them and was able to assist in the clean up and escort them to the nearest harbor.

Medical is obvious. Two evenings ago a guy stepped on a stingray in Tenacatita. A request was made. In five minutes a relay was set up with an experienced cruiser down the coast who is an RN. He was familiar with the proper treatment for this problem and gave very specific instructions. The next morning net reported that all was well.

Priority messages are usually “health and welfare” request. If a boat has not reported in and is overdue the call goes out for a “health and welfare” on the vessel. Somebody almost always reports a sighting of the boat right then or at the most by the next morning they are located. If the vessel is not found right away the request is passed on from net to net.

The nets are “controlled” which means one person is in charge and specific protocols are followed to check in or to contact other vessels. Boats underway always have priority. The weather forecast always starts at a specific time. We listen to two forecasters almost every day. Both give a very detailed forecast for our cruising area and have been doing forecasts for years. This information is not available anywhere else.

The nets for a local area are done on the short-range radios. Today the Barra de Navidad net had 79 vessels check in. These nets also feature a “local assistance” time; from where is a good laundry, to outboard motor mechanic, to good restaurants, to I need a filter for my whatever. Somebody always has a question.