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We stopped subscribing to the cruising magazines quite a long time ago because they largely had become advertising platforms with a smattering of articles that we were interested in. When we were learning about boats and figuring out how to outfit a yacht, all of those advertisements came in handy. Now with the internet, you don't need all the advertising, and there are also plenty of websites that have great articles and stories for free. One of my favorites is setsail.com. They have correspondents sending articles from around the world.
After we started world cruising, our best source of cruising information was the Seven Seas Crusing Association bulletins. (ssca.org) There were lots of stories, adventures, misadventures, and tons of infomation about the different destinations around the world.
Traditional publishing uses paper and ink and is expensive. You can accomplish the same thing on the internet for a fraction of the cost. It's also publishing, but the publishing is in cyberspace, and it's free to the browsers.
There is a time and place in the life of every yachtie for paper magazines. I find that the internet is exciting because it is a level playing field. Everyone can publish their adventures and inspire others to live their dreams unencumbered by the need to make a profit from the experience.
Forums like this one also get you in contact with other sailors around the world. You get first hand information on a timely basis rather than hoping that someday someone would write an article on a subject in which you are interested.
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