Articles. What types of articles do you like to see in magazines?

[Kettlewell]

I've notice something interesting at boat shows. Only a few percent of the boats are less than 40 feet long and they are ghastly expensive. Many are charter models. The few smaller boats have no visitors. People are there to gawk. I'm guessing that is also where the profit is. I've noticed something sailing as well. The marinas are as full as ever, but there are fewer boats on the water. They just sit. I'm guessing it a bit of work to take the 40- to 50-foot boat out for a day sail, so they only mount up if they are going farther. That's the dream anyway.

Has the marketing-driven dream changed from day sailing, enjoying time on the water, and just messing about in boats, to world cruising, therefore requiring a bigger boat? Very clever. There is no glory in something small. I downsized from my cruising boat to my current trimaran because the big boat was boring to sail. Some of my best days are in a kayak.

Decades ago the sailing industry identified a huge problem and there was tons of discussion around how to solve it--young people weren't starting out in smaller boats and working their way up. One of the most obvious reasons was boat manufacturers stopped building and selling boats that ordinary young people could afford and buy. Almost every company, back in the day, produced a full lineup of boats from daysailers to weekenders to cruisers and racers. A company like Pearson would come to the show with boats from the low 20-footer up to the 40s, and many boats were actually affordable by ordinary middle-class people. I can vividly remember the excitement going to the shows back in the 70s and 80s and thinking, "I'll be able to buy a boat like that one day," even though I was an ordinary working person. Today most new boats cost more than many homes. For many reasons, every company began more and more to abandon the mass market and move torward more and more luxury, bigger and bigger, more and more expensive. There is simply no on-ramp for the beginner unless they are willing to explore the used market, but there is no money in that market for the manufacturers who also purchase what advertising there is. So, the entire industry is mostly geared now towards the high-end, with ever dwindling numbers of purchasers who can afford that high end. The number of big sailboats sold in the USA has been declining pretty steadily for decades. In New England the marinas are full of old boats, with the occasional very expensive and big newer boat. The thing is the people who can afford those big, new, expensive boats are for the most part pretty old, so I think once again the industry finds itself in a slow death spiral--their customers are old and aging out, while nobody is coming in at the other end of the pipeline.

[rslifkin]

I think some of that came around because of fiberglass boats in general. As boats started lasting longer, that started to fill the low end of the market. And it started getting harder and harder to sell smaller boats profitably, especially if you weren't building the cheapest Tupperware out there.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Decades ago the sailing industry identified a huge problem and there was tons of discussion around how to solve it--young people weren't starting out in smaller boats and working their way up. One of the most obvious reasons was boat manufacturers stopped building and selling boats that ordinary young people could afford and buy. Almost every company, back in the day, produced a full lineup of boats from daysailers to weekenders to cruisers and racers. A company like Pearson would come to the show with boats from the low 20-footer up to the 40s, and many boats were actually affordable by ordinary middle-class people. I can vividly remember the excitement going to the shows back in the 70s and 80s and thinking, "I'll be able to buy a boat like that one day," even though I was an ordinary working person. Today most new boats cost more than many homes. For many reasons, every company began more and more to abandon the mass market and move toward more and more luxury, bigger and bigger, more and more expensive. There is simply no on-ramp for the beginner unless they are willing to explore the used market, but there is no money in that market for the manufacturers who also purchase what advertising there is. So, the entire industry is mostly geared now towards the high-end, with ever dwindling numbers of purchasers who can afford that high end. The number of big sailboats sold in the USA has been declining pretty steadily for decades. In New England the marinas are full of old boats, with the occasional very expensive and big newer boat. The thing is the people who can afford those big, new, expensive boats are for the most part pretty old, so I think once again the industry finds itself in a slow death spiral--their customers are old and aging out, while nobody is coming in at the other end of the pipeline.

^^ Very well said. There is no money in older boats, very likely what killed GOB. Yes, I remember going to boat shows in the 80s, think that there were boats there I could afford in a few years, if I really got into sailing. And what happened is that I bought some of those, 5-10 years later, when they were used boats. By that time, the newer versions were already becoming more complex, more than I wanted, and as a result, unaffordable. For example, I have the money for a new boat now, even something pretty big, but even if I go back to cruising, all I want is a 30-some foot cat, and no one makes a new one. So it will be a good used boat. Without kids and no ambitions to circumnavigate, bigger would only buy me heavier sails and more work. Heck, I'm buying smaller, sporty cars, because I no longer need a van or SUV. At least they still make smaller cars.



Another problem is that many sailors are aging-out (see the graphic below). In 2000 I was 39. In 2020 I was 59, and in 2025 I'll be 64. In each case, just younger than the average, and the average keeps aging with me. At some point I'll stop sailing, we'll stop sailing, and the market will keep shrinking. Thus there are fewer sailors, and the preferred media is shifting to digital and (argh) video.

I only write because I enjoy the research and the learning. On an hourly basis, I make about 8 times as much engineering consulting. Yes, the discrepancy is that large.

[thinwater]

An interesting parallel. Climbing gyms are all the rage. Lot of people taking classes. But if you go out to the crag, it is no more crowded than it was 40 years ago, and often less.

The social aspect of gyms is hot. We used to go to the local crag to hang out, but that has moved to the gym. As for actual uncomfortable, scary adventure ... the appeal has always been limited. Kids show up fresh from the gym, with great climbing skill and strength, all sorts of cool gear, and little idea of how to use it. Curiously, the average age at the crag has dropped, since the outdoor generation has retired and the new generation does not stay with climbing as a long-term lifestyle. When I started there were lot of skilled 40-somethings. Now, just 20s and me.

[Benz]

Originally Posted by barcoMeCasa

....is maybe because it's all been said already....

I believe there's still lots more to say; cruising is happening, people are still exploring, new things are being made. Places, even popular ones like the Abacos and San Blas islands experience changes and are worth a feature every few years, or after an event like a hurricane. Reading a current issue can inspire a sailor to visit a place--or dream of it--because it has just been done, not because it was done 60 years ago when everything was different.

One day, I hope, there will be a publication like Cruising World or Ocean Navigator were when at their best, with more features, columns, and reporting than charter ads.

[BenBowSirocco]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I've notice something interesting at boat shows. Only a few percent of the boats are less than 40 feet long and they are ghastly expensive. Many are charter models. The few smaller boats have no visitors. People are there to gawk. I'm guessing that is also where the profit is. I've noticed something sailing as well. The marinas are as full as ever, but there are fewer boats on the water. They just sit. I'm guessing it a bit of work to take the 40- to 50-foot boat out for a day sail, so they only mount up if they are going farther. That's the dream anyway.

Originally Posted by thinwater

An interesting parallel. Climbing gyms are all the rage. Lot of people taking classes. But if you go out to the crag, it is no more crowded than it was 40 years ago, and often less.

The social aspect of gyms is hot. We used to go to the local crag to hang out, but that has moved to the gym. As for actual uncomfortable, scary adventure ... the appeal has always been limited. Kids show up fresh from the gym, with great climbing skill and strength, all sorts of cool gear, and little idea of how to use it. Curiously, the average age at the crag has dropped, since the outdoor generation has retired and the new generation does not stay with climbing as a long-term lifestyle. When I started there were lot of skilled 40-somethings. Now, just 20s and me.

I can certainly agree with that. The St. Pete Municipal Marina is over 900 boats and we lived there for 18-20 months on our first boat: the only boats we ever saw leave the dock on the regular were under 35 feet. Everything else just sat. We have always tried to remember this lesson.

But new boat owners are not being sold on simple boats. They are being sold that they NEED big fancy complicated boats and in their naivity these complicated boats are hindering their fun and adventure in my opinion.
I personally cannot see how a new boat owner is not overwhelmed by all the gadgetry and systems to learn and taking out big boats is intense enough.

My first comment said: if I see another video about an HH or Rapido I would have to stifle the urge to vomit because these are not boats for people to sail to remote places and be self reliant! These are boats for people who want RV on the water. Which is fine if that's your thing: but for someone who has never spent time SAILING, these flashy, fancy, sparkly toys make the humble daysailer seem like a turd rather than a key to freedom.

Who can blame the naive man and women for looking at the humble Westsail 32 or even a classic Bene First and thinking its junk when they see the boats at the boat shows these days?? "But were are all the conveniences they say!" How do we do laundry, why is there only one fridge, what is an icebox, you pump the toilet by hand and why is there only one toilet.." etc. etc. etc.

The types of people do not know how much freedom can be found in a solidly built and simple sailing machine.

And in my experience this is not just a sailing thing: My wife and I recently did an electric bike tour of the eastern and northern US- a little over 7,000 miles.

We ran into all sorts of other people touring, but 99% of them easily carried 2-3 times as much gear as us.
They had chairs, they had drones, they had multiple huge backup batteries, some carried tents big enough to hold their bikes, many seem to have weeks worth of clothes.. One guy had a two burner stove! They were literally trying to pedal up mountains carrying all the conveniences of a small apartment.

I think this is a tragedy of affordability: electrical conveniences and the affordable nature of products in general has caused a gluttony of excess to the point that few average American people are prepared or even capable of living a simple life.



So I would add to my list of article ideas: SIMPLICITY and MINIMALISM. Show these new people cruisers who live happily on simple and robust boats and are out enjoying themselves.

[sailorboy1]

I think articles in magazines need t be about entertainment. No days if you have a boat problem you aren't going to find the answer in a magazine article

[Kettlewell]

So I would add to my list of article ideas: SIMPLICITY and MINIMALISM. Show these new people cruisers who live happily on simple and robust boats and are out enjoying themselves.

I suspect a "go-small, go now" movement will come around again eventually, and out on the water I still see a fair number of these folks quietly enjoying cruising on small, simple, and mostly older boats. But, they aren't making YouTube videos for the most part. They're just out there doing it. During the summer I anchor out always in the far corner of a very busy harbor where most of the big expensive boats pick up moorings and sit down below in the a/c and watch stuff on their big-screen TVs. But, up in our corner of the anchorage there are quite a few small, older boats with people sitting out in the cockpit, enjoying the sunset, or paddling their kayaks, or just reading a book in the cockpit. It is much quieter up in our end of things since a lot of people even row or paddle to get ashore. You could probably buy every boat up in the anchoring end for the price of one of the big boats on the moorings or at the dock. Same thing in the boatyard where I get hauled out. The vast majority of boats are old and simple, and yet we are out there doing it despite the fact the magazines don't care about us. I frequently note that the smaller boats are the most used. Oh, and a lot of us are old, really old!

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I suspect a "go-small, go now" movement will come around again eventually, and out on the water I still see a fair number of these folks quietly enjoying cruising on small, simple, and mostly older boats. But, they aren't making YouTube videos for the most part. They're just out there doing it.

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of "go-small" YouTubers. School Bus conversions (skoolies), campers, tiny houses, small boat living (including sailboats), off-grid cabins, and more. This has been an upward trend for 20+ years.
Relying solely on visual observation is not the most reliable method for establishing facts.


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Here's the thing, If someone is attempting to earn an income, they need a business plan/strategy... Even if it's writing.
Market research, business model development, competition analysis, etc.
Successful bloggers/writers and YouTubers do this. Every business I've had, I've done this.

[dlj]

Originally Posted by Iron E

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of "go-small" YouTubers. School Bus conversions (skoolies), campers, tiny houses, small boat living (including sailboats), off-grid cabins, and more. This has been an upward trend for 20+ years.
Relying solely on visual observation is not the most reliable method for establishing facts.


-----------------

Here's the thing, If someone is attempting to earn an income, they need a business plan/strategy... Even if it's writing.
Market research, business model development, competition analysis, etc.
Successful bloggers/writers and YouTubers do this. Every business I've had, I've done this.

Without a known data source, we rely on our own visual observations. Perhaps you know of a consolidated data source? Especially related to sailing as everything I've seen and heard is that it is in decline. But as you suggest, concrete data would be needed. In the world's of campers, small cabins and those areas, for sure it is on the increase and has been, in my observations, for some time. But sailing? Not so much - I'd be delighted to be wrong.

Business plan development is an excellent exercise and in the fields of commerce that are not in significant decline, can be quite predictive. However, in fields where there is significant decline, as in the publishing field, you need to come up with innovative models. That innovation can be very difficult. It is similar to the mathematical concept of interpolation vs extrapolation.

dj

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by dlj

Without a known data source, we rely on our own visual observations. Perhaps you know of a consolidated data source? Especially related to sailing as everything I've seen and heard is that it is in decline. But as you suggest, concrete data would be needed. In the world's of campers, small cabins and those areas, for sure it is on the increase and has been, in my observations, for some time. But sailing? Not so much - I'd be delighted to be wrong.

Business plan development is an excellent exercise and in the fields of commerce that are not in significant decline, can be quite predictive. However, in fields where there is significant decline, as in the publishing field, you need to come up with innovative models. That innovation can be very difficult. It is similar to the mathematical concept of interpolation vs extrapolation.

dj

All great questions, but maybe not the right ones.
Even if "Sailing", the general topic of sailing, is in decline (and I don't believe it is)
Is power generation: solar, wind, batteries in decline? No
Is Lifestyle: Recipes, saving money, traveling, diet, exercise? No
Is nomadic income generation? No
And there are quite a few more that are trending upward.

As far as data. You can manually search the trends, or pay for tools to get analytics from social engagement, SEO trends, google trends... MOZ, SEMRush, IBISWorld, and dozens more

Here's a hard truth: Many people think they can write or make YouTube videos, but either they're not as good as they think or lack the discipline and knowledge to see their vision through.

[dlj]

Originally Posted by Iron E

All great questions, but maybe not the right ones.
Even if "Sailing", the general topic of sailing, is in decline (and I don't believe it is)
Is power generation: solar, wind, batteries in decline? No
Is Lifestyle: Recipes, saving money, traveling, diet, exercise? No
Is nomadic income generation? No
And there are quite a few more that are trending upward.

As far as data. You can manually search the trends, or pay for tools to get analytics from social engagement, SEO trends, google trends... MOZ, SEMRush, IBISWorld, and dozens more

Here's a hard truth: Many people think they can write or make YouTube videos, but either they're not as good as they think or lack the discipline and knowledge to see their vision through.

Interesting. Perhaps those that wish to write on topics aimed at the sailing world, would do better to focus on topics that cross over into many of these areas that would be of interest to the many other trends dealing with off-grid types of topics. Those are relevant to a wider audience beyond the sailing world, but still very applicable to sailing as well as those other niche "markets". But the question still remains as to how to make money at doing this.

The data sources you mention, IIRC, are aimed more at trends, but not so much at income generation. That still remains an illusive part of the equation, seems to me.

Statistically speaking, Youtube is not a viable avenue.

dj

[BenBowSirocco]

Originally Posted by Iron E

Here's a hard truth: Many people think they can write or make YouTube videos, but either they're not as good as they think or lack the discipline and knowledge to see their vision through.

I completely agree.
I think people that make the social media thing actually work are basically work alcoholics. They literally LIVE the social media lifestyle and based on some mild proximity to a few people doing it: it's fricken intense because it never ends. Requires constant research to know what's trending to stay reinvent. You film 2 hours of footage to make a 2-4 minute video (everyone is different: but had a YouTube guy say that to me).

I personally have no interest in living life through a lens and under the scrutiny of the random public.. but I do benefit from those that do.

I think writing sounds so much more enjoyable. But based on this discussion is probably just as hard or harder.

[MicHughV]

As a magazine, it's difficult to appeal to all people all of the time.
Many articles are written for the " newbies" which hold little appeal to me.
In the same breath other articles are likely too technical for the newbie, but one's I might find interesting.
Most boat reviews should be taken with a grain of salt as they are typically authored by a salesman and not someone that has some actual experience with the boat.
Sailing destinations are typically ho-hum, one stop short of boring, for the experienced yachtie.
Technical reviews fall into the same category. You've either got your modern day IT guy well versed in computery, or your old time salt that still knows how to work a sextant.
Then there is the actual sailboat. The "modern" boat equipped with every possible electronic gizmo available ( with price to match) and....on "occasion" some chit chat about a classic plastic model.

And, and this is my opinion only, sailing and boating today is not what it was 10 years ago or longer. Anchoring rules and regulations, overboard discharge, restricted anchoring, exorbitant marina and fuel costs, and many other twists and turns, conspires to take the fun out of boating.

Finally, the elephant in the room. Insurance. Boat insurance can cost and arm and leg these days, if you can even get it. Cruising destinations are severely restricted, and the list goes on.

Against all this, you've got " Youtube" where you can find out most anything about anything.

I haven't bought a cruising or sailing magazine in years for many of the reasons I've stated above and am unlikely to change at this point in time.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by dlj

The data sources you mention, IIRC, are aimed more at trends, but not so much at income generation. That still remains an illusive part of the equation, seems to me.

dj

You need to know trends in order to know if something is marketable.

Income generation:

First, if you write for magazines, you may be writing for a dying medium. Like newspapers or cable TV...IDK

If you write as a freelancer, you need to sell your writing. This can be difficult, especially now that AI is in the competition. With proven results and a unique style/voice, a writer will have a better chance of selling pieces. Speaking at functions, engagements, and events also builds your network and shows people you're a real person

If you write for your blog.
Email lists, affiliate marketing, direct advertising, advertisers sponsorship, merchandise, membership. You can offer services such as weather mapping, routing, and purchase consulting. You can have a Patreon that offers members special deals on merch or discounts on advertiser's products or exclusive access to parts of your site not available to everyone else.
There are many ways to make money as a blogger.