The Magazine Poll

[GordMay]

Soundings: Soundings Online– Real Boats, Real Boaters

Has a good article:

Boatbuilding for the rest of us – Part II ~ by Frank Kehr
Soundings Online– Real Boats, Real Boaters | Articles | Boatbuilding for the rest of us – Part II

Soundings - Trade Only Today: Trade Only Today – The Boating Business Newspaper Online

[RonRicco]

Although I read CW, Sail monthly and sometimes BWS and subcribe to Multihulls, I look most foward to Latts and Ats.

I like the fact it is not as prim and proper as the other rags and the editing adds to the charm... Much of the time I have a hard time fighting my way through a CW article (although I like their new format better)...

Also have had quite a bit of interaction with several on their staff (L&A) and they were genuinly nice and helpful....

I guess that is why there are so many different types of boats, places to cruise and magazines... something different for each of our tastes.

Brian

[RaptorDance]

We've let our subscriptions to Cruising World, Sailing, Blue Water Sailing, Latts & Atts, Ocean Navigator, Sail and probably some others I can't remember... All Expire.

We only continue to subscribe to and find interesting:
Latitude 38 & Practical Sailor

Most of the magazines we stopped receiving, I had subscribed to for over 25 years (for those that were around that long).

As we headed out cruising, we came to believe that most of those magazines are written for folks that are NOT out cruising or who don't even have a boat!

The technical articles started to read as so superficial to be worthless and a lot of the boat reviews read to us like just glorified advertisements.

We swear that some of the magazines seemed to recycle the same stories every few years.

I should point out that we also personally know many of the magazine publishers, have written for them and have shared our feedback with them.

Bottom line, if you're actually out "doing it" (i.e. cruising), you're not in their target market.

Regards,
Bill

[ireaney]

Shame, you missed a lot of the best periodicals ie all the Multihull mags of which I believe there are 4 maybe 5 and most of the UK pubs, ie Yachting Monthly, Yachting World, Yachts and Yachting, Classic boat etc etc.

[David M]

Thanks for doing this poll Pura Vida...its been great for subscription ideas.

I just picked up Blue Water Sailing on the newsstand last night. As far as going from a commercial guy to teaching myself to become a sail for fun guy, I thought it was an excellent magazine.

I don't see Multihull Magazine mentioned in the poll. Was it overlooked or just not worth it?

It appears that Cruising World is THE magazine to subscribe to.

Looks like I need to do some subscriptions before the cover price of some of these magazines costs me a set of sails.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by David M

Thanks for doing this poll Pura Vida...its been great for subscription ideas.

I just picked up Blue Water Sailing on the newsstand last night. As far as going from a commercial guy to teaching myself to become a sail for fun guy, I thought it was an excellent magazine.

I don't see Multihull Magazine mentioned in the poll. Was it overlooked or just not worth it?

It appears that Cruising World is THE magazine to subscribe to.

Looks like I need to do some subscriptions before the cover price of some of these magazines costs me a set of sails.

David,
Sorry I missed Multihull Magazine. The original selection was based on another thread where members posted their suggestions.

The idea was to provide a list that a new member could use to discover what is out there. Also there was the hope that some of the local rags with limited circulation would come to light for the benefit of all.


It has been interesting to watch the numbers grow. Initially Cruising World and Latts and Atts were not as popular as some of the others like Good Old Boat, but suddenly they seemed to grow overnight. Everyones personal choice is valid.

all the best
pv

[allegedly]

Getting ready for a south bound trip. All mags are now looked at on line.

[S/V Antares]

Good thread and poll, I like "Boats and Harbors". A tabloid in yellow you may have sceen. Lots of comercial and salvage stuff. Great dreaming. My wife calls it:

Marine pornography!

[JiffyLube]

I like reading sailing and cruising magazines sometimes, but they're way to expensive. They're filled with paid advertising, and not a whole lot of substance, and then charge a lot at the newsstands. I hate the idea of paying to look at paid advertising...reminds me of cable TV.

[Benjamaphone]

I really like DIY Boat Owner. We are good friends with Jan and Steve who are based in the Kawarthas here in Ontario and they publish a great little magazine that addresses many of the issues that we discuss on these boards. To maintain full disclosure, we do have a small ad in DIY.

We used to put ads up in the big ones (Cruising World, Sail, etc.) but as others have said, these mags are increasingly becoming too commercial. While I agree with some that circulation drives advertising (the reason we went there in the first place...), sometimes the small mags like DIY that puts out quality over quantity get the more serious client base. As far as we're concerned, getting the attention of people who are actively engaged in serious sailing/boating discussions is far more valuable than trying to talk to people looking for "boat porn".

Besides, I think that as we have less and less extra money to go around we should be supporting our neighbours. The bigger the magazine the more distant the revenue gets to the people actually buying it. By supporting smaller operations like DIY we can use our vast collective spending power to provide jobs to people that we sail with, not fast-paced executives that make reams of advertising. I'm happy to know that my subscription dollars are helping people just like me get out on the water and have a little fun while feeding their families.

[GordMay]

Professional BoatBuilder (PBB) magazine
Professional BoatBuilder Magazine
offers (free) digital on-line versions of their excellent magazine for those in boat building & repair industry.
Goto: Professional BoatBuilder Digital Issues

Nigel Calder has an editorial (“Where Are the Americans?”) in the June/July issue (#113) of Professional BoatBuilder magazine, in which he discusses (laments) the relative absence of American boat builders in the European market.
Goto page 112: Professional BoatBuilder - June/July 2008

He also reports on Victron Energy’s test of 19 standard Marine Generators (“Generator Shootout”)
Goto pages 56 - 70: Professional BoatBuilder - June/July 2008

[Weyalan]

I have never purchased a magazine brand new, preferring to ferret out older editions in second hand shops and tip-shops. Ok; so these are always out of date, sometimes years or even decades, but it is a far cheaper option, and they still make good reading. I think Cruising Helmsman is my favourite.

[Georgiegirl]

In the UK there is Also Yachting monthly and Yatching World.

[Glenn C]

Hi I subscribe to Australian Multihull world, as I am intending purchasing a multi after having built my own Roberts 36. For new commer to multis I find it very interesting both from acruising story point of view but alos the technology. A couple of the reviewres I trsut after talking with them, one or two I dont, as at least one glowing review was done without seeing the boat! Other mags I buy from time to time if there is a topic I am intereted in. A[art from subsription, I probably by 1 other mag a month. Glenn C