what sailing / cruising magazines are worth reading?

[Sterling]

i've perused the magazine stand a few times and flipped through Blue Water Sailing and SAIL magazine. They seem to be the only two I can find with any regularly. I'd like to subscribe to a few, what would you suggest and why?

[David M]

I subscribe to Cruising World and Multihulls. Both are pretty good. I get Latitude 38 for free but if you are not in the SF Bay Area, I think it is worth a subscription. Latitude has excellent articles from people who are out there cruising, not just local sailing news. I buy Ocean Navigator and Latitudes & Attitudes off the shelf occasionally. I don't care much for Sail magazine. I don't know how to describe it other than "generic" and "lacking personality". Same with Yachting magazine and any powerboat magazine with a cover page that shows a woman in a swimsuit on the bow.

I think if you go into a really large bookstore or West Marine you will find quite a variety of boating related magazines.

[Chuck Baier]

Cruising World has rehashed the same tired old stuff for about the last ten years so if you are looking for something different and new you won't find it there. You could buy 3 issues, read them and you would be covered and save the subscription costs. Sail is better and Bluewater and Ocean Navigator will give you some info you might actually use. One of the best publications out there today is Good Old Boat.

[bstreep]

We are longtime Cruising World subscribers. Still like it. Latitudes sits on the YC coffee table, so I see it some. Also a Practical Sailor subscriber.

[Agur's Wish]

I like Lats and Atts. It has plenty of technical advice but also lots of articles by sailors that are out there and doing it. You're more likely to see or hear of boaters you know. It doesn't take itself as seriously as the other publications and it's actually fun to read.

[GordMay]

See also our Magazine Poll:
The Magazine Poll

[trinescape]

In Australia i buy two magazines the first is '' crusing helmsman'' and the second is ''australian multhull world'' i can highly recommend both of them as they both cover a wide range of topics from general crusing destinations to world wide destinations and also articles on practicle ideas for onboard systems infact articles on every conceiveable thing on board and no i dont work for them!

[Chuck Baier]

Originally Posted by trinescape

In Australia i buy two magazines the first is '' crusing helmsman'' and the second is ''australian multhull world'' i can highly recommend both of them as they both cover a wide range of topics from general crusing destinations to world wide destinations and also articles on practicle ideas for onboard systems infact articles on every conceiveable thing on board and no i dont work for them!

But do they offer subscriptions in Los Angeles?

[Vasco]

Chuck is right on the money as far as Cruising World goes. That magazine has gone to the dogs. I don't subscribe to any sailing magazines anymore. Used to get them all before I started cruising. It's nice to sit in the office and dream of sunny shores but once you get there (to the sunny shores) you don't need the glossy pictures or the advertisement paid reviews anymore. In any event I couldn't afford any of their BOTY picks. Is there anything under half a million dollars? As for how to do things, the internet has all the information you'll ever want, you just have to find out what's the truth and what's B.S.

[Cheechako]

Consider trying to find someone on a local boaters forum that has a stack of Cruising worlds!

[ztviper17]

i like sailing magazine

[Chief Engineer]

I find most of them b-o-r-i-n-g.

We have two locals here...Spinsheet and Nor'easter....they are excellent.

[speciald@ocens.]

Now that I rely on mail forwarding service, magazine subscriptions have become very expensive. It cost me $75 to have a few letters and a handful of magazines forwarded to me in St. Maarten. BLUE WATER SAILING has a online subscription that I will change to when my current subscription expires. I don't know if other magazines have followed their lead.

[maxingout]

We don't subscribe to any sailing or cruising publications. Many of them are little more than an advertising platform, which does serve it's purpose if you are looking for yachting gear.

Cruiser's forums like this one are a better source of information on a broader range of topics, and you can ask questions and get quality answers if you ask the right questions.

I don't think that sailing magazines will disappear, but I think that internet will become the primary source of information for most people wanting to learn more about sailing and sailing destinations.

Sailing magazines and the internet are both in the publishing business. Internet uses a different publishing model, but in many respects, internet is better because you can publish in color at a very low cost. If you want to publish your own stuff, you don't need the magazines to do it. Simply start up your own web site or blog and start publishing on line. You probably won't make any money, but you will have a lot of fun. I would rather go to a good sailing blog any day than go out and buy a sailing magazine.

[Liberty28]

With the current depression underway, we're letting all of our subscriptions lapse. I can find everything I need on the internet and I'm saving a tree at the same time. I'm amazed that some people actually think that they can afford anything more than food and a boat. Hey, I gotta have my boat!!!