The Magazine Poll

[mikereed100]

As I cast my vote, I see Crusing World is second. I would curious why people like this one. I used to subscribe to CW and Sail magazine up until a couple years ago. I got frustrated because it seemed they were more ads than anything else. Plus it seemed reviewers would not say anything "bad" about what they were reviewing. Seemed like anything reviewed was given positive comments. This was especially true for Sail magazine.

I subscribed to both these rags because they were dirt cheap but will not be renewing as I have never found anything usefull between the covers. It seems they are mainly a forum for new gear that I will never be able to afford to put on new boats that I will never be able to afford. Makes for a depressing read. I much prefer GOB and DIY.

Learningcurve is right about the glossies never having reivewed a boat they didn't like. No surprise as the manufacturers are all advertisers as well. Also, the sea trials all seem to take place in 5-8 knots of wind. The multihulls never pound and the monohulls never lean. I would like to see all boat reviews done by delivery skippers and charterers and printed in subscription driven publications like Practical Sailor.

Mike

[defjef]

I stopped subscribijg to sailing magazines and even reading them... never see them around anyway.

When I did years back, I liked Crusing World and Sailing (think that was the name) very large format and great photos.. and of course Practical Sailor. I'd read PS online if it was not so expensive.

I simply don't like the waste of all the paper... and I am not into buying gear these days. Shiva is pretty tricked out and when I do want something, the forums provide the best source of information. Thanks to you mates.

jef
sv shiva

[Pura Vida]

I have always used these tools as a way to familiarize myself with different topics assocaited with sailing. Back in the racing days there were a few that I hit to learn and then later others (regionals) to keep up with the local racing scene. As I gravitated to tinkering GOB became my pass time. But the truth is that even the ones I tak I don't read from cover to cover any more.

Again, maybe someone can find a magazine that didn't exist that fit's their needs, possibly a regional that covers a ground they plan to cruise.

One thing I have noticed is the sudden spike of Latts and Atts. And without a single comment! Hmmm...

[mikereed100]

I used to read L & A but over time I became put off by the magazine's vibe, the perennially overmadeup and posed skank on the cover, the comic book format and, most of all, the personality cult. A better name for the mag would be "All About Bob".

Mike

[viking69]

well i reckon lats and atts rocks. i love the chicks on the cover and the whole attitute of the magazine. not as boring as all the others that only put boats in that i will never be able to afford. difference is it does not bother me what other people read. if you do not like it dont buy it.

[Keegan]

I read the following mags and like them in the order listed:

Latitude 38- Captures Sailing and the people of sailing the best of all rags, hands down. The Editor and key staff, live to sail and that is why I think it is so good.

Yachting World- Beautiful Rag, great new gear section, big photos and cruising articles with Euro flavor. Awsome superyachts, and ocean racing craft. I am a cruiser at heart but this mag is done in a way where I like it all.

Multihulls World-I own a cat so I read it. Nice rag, in a French kind'a way

Practical Sailor- In a class of its own. Invaluable if you are gearing up a new boat or re-fitting. Who needs it if you are not. For the past year I have been gearing up a boat so it has been tops for me, lately. Next year I will have pretty much finished gearing up on the major stuff so I will not need this reference nearly as much.

Cruising World- Most polished rag but exclusive focus to cruising makes it a good read when trapped on land. Good writing and editing with stories that are to the point.

Sail- Sailing fluff for reading on toilet or on an airplane.

Caribbean Compass- My boat is in the Caribbean so I read this. It is very Caribbean centric. Probably would not read it if I was not cruising in the Caribbean .

Blue Water Sailing- very focused cruising rag that usually has the same recycled stories that we have all heard so many times before. Poor editorial oversight and content but on occasion they write something very interesting like last year when they did the story on all of the Pacific Puddle Jumpers that was pretty good.

Latitudes and Attitudes- Nice photos, horrible editorial content, font too small and articles too wordy, blah blah blah. Too many cheezy adds. It is like shopping at the flea market for boating supplies. I dont care for flea markets. The whole Bob Bitchin thing is tired. I dont want to be like him. I buy it but often wonder why. Must be boredom.

Ocean Navigator- on occasion they have a good article, dont know how they keep exhisiting. I only purchase this one on occasion

Sailing- I can stand at the magazine rack at the bookstore and scan the nice photos and glance at the Bob Perry reviews and that is all I need of this one. Not worth paying for.

In the end, the best part of sailing is doing it, not reading about it. Reading only bides the time when one cannot be out there doing it. No mag is ever going to be better than actually raising the sails.

Keegan

[Colorado Dreamer]

Keegan,
Thanks for the mini-reviews. As one who still hast o read about it rather than go out and do it, you have helped make my decisions about what to pick up a little easier. - Michael

[waterworldly]

Here's another: Living Aboard. Almost no ads, but exclusively for liveaboards. Amature writing, but good ideas for those on a budget. Kinda cheesey ideas sometimes, but from the heart. Have to agree about the writing in Lats and Atts. An especially annoying contibutor is Alex Dorsey from his website Project Blue Sphere. More like Project Blow Hard.

[GordMay]

An excellent sample article from ”Living Aboard” magazine:
“What About All This Stuff?” ~ by Lisa Odaffer
”... So, after a lifetime on land, I faced that famous liveaboard question:
“Where on earth am I going to put all this stuff?”
The answer is simple, really: Not on the boat. You can’t keep it all. Say it out loud: “I can’t keep it all, and I don’t need it all, anyway.”
Accept that, and you’ve won half the battle ...”
Goto:
http://www.livingaboard.com/magazine...icle_stuff.pdf

[Triton318]

I stopped looking at Sail and Cruising World years ago. I couldn't stand it any longer. Looking through those magazines you would think that the only people who sail and cruise are people with a lot of money. Where were the ads and articles geared toward regular people with annual incomes like 25,000 and 40,000? People who enjoy sailing but have families and mortgages? People who could never afford any of the boats advertised? It made me sick. I'll thumb through an issue of Wooden Boat or Good Old Boat from time to time.

[starfish62]

Yeah, CW & Sail are a bit too polished for most tastes. Lots of bleach bottles and cats in the ads.

[Keegan]

Originally Posted by Triton318

I stopped looking at Sail and Cruising World years ago. I couldn't stand it any longer. Looking through those magazines you would think that the only people who sail and cruise are people with a lot of money. Where were the ads and articles geared toward regular people with annual incomes like 25,000 and 40,000? People who enjoy sailing but have families and mortgages?

CW and Sail are FOR PROFIT PUBLICATIONS and go where the money is on purpose, it pays the bills. If I started a for profit magazine company I would make sure that it could make a profit. Expensive boats and accesories also have large advertising budgets. I would not take this personally, it is just capitalism, and that is a good thing, most of the time.


Keegan

[GordMay]

Circulation drives advertising, which results in profitability.
If enough people buy (& read) a particular type of magazine, advertisers will flock to that publication, ensuring it’s success (which breeds imitation).
The relative success of the glossy “fluff” magazines provides an unfortunate commentary on the taste & intellect of the “majority” of boating/cruising readers.

[Keegan]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Circulation drives advertising, which results in profitability.
If enough people buy (& read) a particular type of magazine, advertisers will flock to that publication, ensuring it’s success (which breeds imitation).
The relative success of the glossy “fluff” magazines provides an unfortunate commentary on the taste & intellect of the “majority” of boating/cruising readers.

Circualtion does drive advertising but if the advertisers believe that the audience are not buyers it does not matter how many readers you have. The bottom line is that adds have to ultimatly result in increased revenue for advertisers. I have never seen a for profit publication catering to the homeless.

I said this in a post above but I will say it again:

Magazines are for when you are stuck on land dreaming about going sailing They are cheap entertainment. Actually, going sailing is where the fun is. If you think a magazine is going to satisfy your sailing desires then you are probably mistaken, regardless of if the magazine caters to wealthy or non wealthy.

Keegan

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Keegan

Circualtion does drive advertising but if the advertisers believe that the audience are not buyers it does not matter how many readers you have ... Keegan

So “STEAL THIS BOOK” may not have been Abbie Hoffman’s best choice of (marketing) titles?
BTW, the book is online, here: http://www.tenant.net/Community/steal/steal.html