I am Roy Eaton Groupie!

The Wenches Diary:

group·ie  

/ˈgro͞opē/

Noun A person, esp. a young woman, who regularly follows a pop music group or other celebrity in the hope of meeting or getting to know them. derogatory. An enthusiastic or uncritical follower.

I am a Roy Eaton Groupie! Ok I said it. Im not ashamed. Im not even a little bit embarrassed of my unabashed respect and devotion I have for Roy and the Little Current Yacht Club Cruisers Net. 

For those of you that have never had the pleasure of listening to the North Channel Cruisers net I will place a link to their website. My purpose of this blog is not to tell you about the workings of a cruisers net. The intent of this blog is to tell you how small moments like the cruisers net impacted this sailors life. I am not a young woman and Roy is no musician but I am an enthusiastic follower. 

As you know from past ramblings I was no sailor. I even now use that word loosely. And you also know from past rambling that in the beginning  I wasn't even that found of sailing. I was found of my husband who was found of sailing. 

In the early sailing days I was terrified. I was terrified when we left the dock. I was terrified when we docked. I was terrified when we anchored. I was terrified if we heeled to much. I was inexperienced. there were many factors that went into alleviating my fears. #1. My husband showed patience with my fears, this patience lowered my insecurities. #2. I became more knowledgable, the unknown became the known and #3. I stopped feeling like an outsider, the cruisers net helped me go from an outsider to an insider.

Everyone has those moments. Watching your kids swimming and laughing, playing cards, hiking, a great wind, friendships, sunsets, sunrises, star lit nights. Everyone can talk about storms that scared the crap out of you. A fantastic club race, a night your anchor would’t hold. Seeing deer, watching birds, snakes, bears. All these moments and more are what make you love to sail or they did for me anyway. 

When we started sailing we fell upon the cruisers net. I don’t remember how or when. It was probably my husband.  Daniel, Marc & I would listen while we ate breakfast. A big map of the North channel laid out marking each anchorage that was called in. Looking for spots we hadn’t yet discovered. Listening for friends we had made and figuring out where they were anchored. Making plans for our next trip and where we were going based on others call ins. Learning, discovering, feeling not so alone. I still remember Daniel first excited call in so long ago. For these memories I thank you Roy. 

So if your traveling the beautiful North channel, the Caribbean of the North  June to August at 0900 make sure you tune into channel 71. Learn about this perfect place on earth. Feel like your part of a fantastic community & to you Roy fair wind & safe harbors 

http://www.lcyc.ca/index.php/cruisers-net