On the Radio

Boot Key Harbor is quite the Cruiser's campground. While some travelers only spend the night; some stay for an entire season. While some stop here on the way to somewhere else; some make it the destination. The harbor is well protected and The City Marina offers many amenities such as mooring balls, parking, a new bath house w/ 12 showers, designated men's & women's rooms, & a new laundry facility. There are multiple places you can reach by dinghy...bars, restaurants, and West Marine. The grocery and Home Depot are less than a mile away as are many other restaurants,

a deli, and a liquor store. A concerted effort is made to ensure that boater's feel welcome. A "Harbor Pack"- a bag of goodies and information of the surrounding area including menus and coupons for local attractions as well as the Cruiser's Guide [see above] - is available to all new arrivals. One of the most unique amenities that help form this community is the Cruiser's Net, a VHF radio broadcast that occurs everyday at 9 am on channel 68. On the net, arriving boats are encouraged to introduce themselves, and departing boats are given the opportunity to say good-bye. Announcements are then made for any current goings-ons and special events and then the broadcast is open to comments, questions, and requests for help. At any point, any boater can announce themselves and provide a response. Next on the air is the flea market section where you are welcome to announce anything you may want to buy, sell, trade, or give away. Last year, I traded my hand-me-down 6 qt. pressure cooker for a brand new 8 qt. pressure cooker...great trade up for me and the other guy just wanted something smaller. The net ends on a fun note with a call for trivia questions and then wraps up with final business.

To ensure that the net runs smoothly, each day there is pre-designated Net Controller who starts the ball rolling and keeps it moving along. Yesterday, I was the Net Controller, subbing for Captain Deb while she headed for the mainland for the day. I was a little nervous at first talking on the air but outside of a little tongue twist with the words "boat" & "boot," I think I did a fair job. I'll be trying it again next Thursday [subbing for Deb again] so I'll be practicing until then...boat, boot, boat,boot, boot, boat...