Then get an iPad with the Good Reader app and you'll have a very fine reading experience that's much better than reading off of a laptop screen, IMO.
GOB Gone?
- Thread starter shemandr
- Start date
It is a shame. i've talked to Karla, the publisher and know the founders. Costs have increased and so they decided to either sell or close down. They did the latter. They also said a digital format is out of the question. They will, as stated, will provide digital access to past issues and their last issues with not be in print, but digital.
We have subscribed to PBO for many many years. Read it pretty much cover to cover, and re-read many articles.
Even with their occasion resubscribe discounts it is not cheap.
..
We were certainly willing to consider paying more for GOB, if (!!) they had chosen to make their case to what is a determined and supportive group of subscribers. Besides the known problems of the publishing industry, I would guess that the new owners were never really committed to their task.
Even with their occasion resubscribe discounts it is not cheap.
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We were certainly willing to consider paying more for GOB, if (!!) they had chosen to make their case to what is a determined and supportive group of subscribers. Besides the known problems of the publishing industry, I would guess that the new owners were never really committed to their task.
They did. They offered digital only subscriptions for less than the print version.
Yup. That's what I had. I preferred it over the print version, which just added to my clutter when I used to get those. Reading the digital version on my iPad with the Good Reader app is great! And with the Apple Pencil I can highlight text, add marginal notes, and so forth. Holding the 11" iPad is not much different from holding a book.
wow, that's bad news. I better keep all my paper copies of GOB . I hope they allow subscribers to access their digital archives but I guess that is a lot of money to keep up somewhere on the web. . .
If you are a subscriber, keep a watch on your email. They promised to provide a download to subscribers. It is probably a one-time thing.
I feel honored to have had many hours of pure peace, pleasure and opportunity to learn for the last five years, reading GOB. As everything does, another great institution comes to an end. I want to thank every single person involved in the production of such fine content. I think we should all give ourselves a thank you for supporting GOB over the years. Without its readers, it would never have made it for its lifespan. I've saved every copy I purchased. I think I'll start reading them again.
Me too…at least most of the…an O’Day 322 (not my boat) was featured many years ago. I can’t find that issue, so I am hoping to find the digital edition when they release the archived ones.
Greg
What is it that you miss about Good Old Boat the most? For me it would be the
I'm wondering what topic areas other magazines, for example Practical Sailor, might want to expand. For me it was always the unusual, thoughtful, DIY projects. Not "how to paint the bottom," but rather "how to make this niffy change to this old boat."
I'm wondering what topic areas other magazines, for example Practical Sailor, might want to expand. For me it was always the unusual, thoughtful, DIY projects. Not "how to paint the bottom," but rather "how to make this niffy change to this old boat."
Nearly every article was a story that was a pleasure to read and learn from. There's a great sense of humor throughout the entire magazine. It will be sorely missed
Perhaps the favorite article I ever wrote for GOB was on the "Art of Climbing Down Gracefully," or about 13 reasons to avoid going cruising. Normally I write non-fiction, and DIY or testing, but this time I found humor, though still no-fiction, which always helps. This was a draft--the GOB illustrations and probably some light editing really helped. Enjoy!
For: Good Old Boat
From: Drew Frye
Date: 2-7-2018, rev’ Laura 2-24-2018
The Art of Climbing Down Gracefully... Or the Long, Dedicated Declined to Dignified Decrepitude
We see it all the time. A boat is purchased, an announcement made, and at length, either reality or nerves derail a bold plan sell all and sail into the sunset. No doubt, the reasons are fully rational. It matters not. Only some very fancy dancing can save the would-be voyager from humiliation. The retreat must be well reasoned or at least artfully presented.
Some years ago I found myself at such a crossroads. I had been dreaming of passages to Bermuda and beyond. I even hinted as much to friends. But I soon found the cost—insurance, EPRIB, sat phone rental—was more than I could stomach and the emotional reward less than I originally perceived. Crew was a challenge, my back was unreliable at the time, and done right, it was more time away from work than I could justify. Moreover, for me it has always been about the sailing and the figuring, not the voyaging.
Everyone has their own story. The bottom line is that faced with a parade of stumbling blocks, I found myself “climbing down,” retreating to the familiarity of coastal cruising. A famous Scottish ice climber with a rapier wit, Tom Patey, wrote a penetrating article by the same title some 40 years ago, describing traditional ploys used by climbers when age, situation, or infirmity prevents them from making the grade at the local crag.
Apply these as you will, either as justification for your land-based life, or to explain why your boat hasn’t left the dock for two months or two years.
- The ‘Off Form’ Ploy. Perhaps your sailing skills aren’t what they could be. You started on a cruising boat and never developed the instinctive feel of a dinghy sailor—so sail a dinghy, crew on a race boat, or take a class. Not enough experience to feel comfortable as skipper—so volunteer to crew with a neighbor. Docking in a crosswind, with everyone watching, scares you—the truth is, it scares everyone a little. Pad the pilings with fenders and add guidelines from the dolphins to the pier, and set aside a few days for repetitive practice, just like school homework. Afraid of a little dock rash? It’s the mark of a well-travelled boat.
- The ‘My Boat is Not Finished’ Ploy. Of course it isn’t. No boat ever is. As such, this will only play for a few weeks unless generously supported with props. Leave some tools here and there. Salvage empty equipment boxes from the marina dumpster, making certain to rotate them from time to time. Avoid exterior projects, unless they are real.
- The ‘Gunkhole’ Ploy. Guidebooks can help you righteously declare the popular places too crowded and the out-of-the-way places unworthy. Of course, the guidebook author has never actually visited the gunkholes; he trusted on the experience of another guidebook author, who in turn copied an even earlier author. The popular places are deserted on weekdays. Our favorite places are either gunkholes or popular places that aren’t actually crowded.
- The ‘Wrong Boat’ Ploy. Given that people have rowed across the Atlantic, having a smaller boat may get you out of a world cruise but not local local cruising. Or complain that deep draft makes thin water cruising awkward, a heavy keel is not fun to sail in light winds, or that the weather is too strong for your more tender design. By carefully selecting a boat that makes no sense for your local cruising grounds, you can spend years protected by her shortcomings.
- The ‘Secret Cove’ Ploy. Speak slowly and reluctantly, with a faraway look. “We’ve been exploring some of the old places, and we’d hate to spoil the sense of discovery for others.”Don’t maintain a blog or they will expect to see pictures. Proclaim you leave your smart phone at home for spiritual reasons.
- The ‘Solo Man’ Ploy. The subtlety of this ploy is that no one, other than Solo Man, knows how he spent the day. From the moment you clear the jetty, everything that happens is mystery. Don’t know the area? Describe long, challenging passages instead of shore side explorations.
- The ‘Responsible Family Man’ ploy. Many a Solo Man has been known to contemplate matrimony as the only honorable way out. You can then blame that heartless virago for your lack of adventure (and hope that never gets back to her).
- The ‘Gamely Leg’ Ploy. Only an obvious and permanent physical disability is of any real use; a wooden leg just adds flare. The weakness of this ploy is that people older and more disabled than you have sailed everywhere. The sailors you’ll be trying this on have just as many aches and pains as you do. All the same, it is popular.
- The ‘Ill Wind’ Ploy. The standard British climbing mantra of another age was that it took more courage to retreat than to advance, and the best loved expression was to ”give the mountain best.”
- The ‘Blue Water’ Ploy. The underlying assumption is that only ocean crossings are worthwhile and that local sailing is not worth the work involved to untie the lines (suggesting to me that you’re not very efficient). Owning a heavy boat that won’t move without a small craft advisory helps sell it. Provisioning, preparations, and planning become so involved that an afternoon sail is unthinkable. It helps if you have actually made some passages (not on a cruise ship) or are an accomplished liar.
- The ‘Old Man of the Mountains’ Ploy. “Play-up and play the game. But learn the rules first.” Reaching a venerable three score and 10 helps, but developing a proper vocabulary can substitute. Scribble down the most conservative internet wisdom from sailing forums. Read old sailing manuals; if they speak of fiberglass they are too contemporary.
Phrase Meaning
Seamanlike * Perhaps quite cautious
Conservative * Over-weight
Traditional * Obsolete
Plastic fantastic * Not wood
Classic * Pre-Nixon
Well-maintained * Dock Queen
- The ‘I can’t Afford It’ Ploy. Ever since glossy mags convinced us that 40 feet was the new 30 feet, it’s easy to sell yourself on this one. Although it can be the plain truth if your ambitions include offshore sailing or competitive racing, as a semi-retired engineer getting by on a writer’s earnings, I promise you that a nest egg is good and that lack of funds is not a “fun adventure.” On the other hand, my first overnight trip involved a beach catamaran and camping gear; it was Spartan and the mosquitoes nearly ate us. For most of us, there is a happy medium, if we embrace DIY and avoid mortgages.
- The ‘I Don’t Have Reliable Crew’ Ploy. The inverse of the ‘Solo Man’ ploy, you risk of exposure if your victim is a singlehander. There is also the risk you might be invited along. If this is not the plan, keep the ‘Gamey Leg Ploy’ ploy warmed up by staggering along the dock with a solid limp or wearing an obvious bandage on one hand.
This is too much work for me. Instead of fancy ploys to avoid voyaging, I just say “I don’t wanna,” and I sail where I want, when I want, the weather be damned.
I don't climb rock as much as I used to either; I just proclaim that I’m old and lame, limiting myself to a dozen trips a year. Ice climbing, on the other hand, still holds mysteries for me and my skills continue to improve. The damn thing is, Virginia is rather short on ice, even on a good year… and there I go using the ‘Ill Wind’ ploy.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,493
Interesting look. Lamenting the change of sailboat book publishing as the gentrification of sailing. Nuggets of truth in his presentation. Liked how he identified himself as contributing to the paradigm shift.
GOB was enjoyable. I loved the depth they explored in a story. DIY projects can have surprises that lead to unexpected solutions or lead you down a rabbit hole of project creep. Somehow the editors maintained a pace to their stories and lead readers to solutions.
Sure hope, for the future sailboat enthusiasts, someone or group takes up the challenge and can fill the void left by the demise of GOB.
GOB was enjoyable. I loved the depth they explored in a story. DIY projects can have surprises that lead to unexpected solutions or lead you down a rabbit hole of project creep. Somehow the editors maintained a pace to their stories and lead readers to solutions.
Sure hope, for the future sailboat enthusiasts, someone or group takes up the challenge and can fill the void left by the demise of GOB.
I don't think I'm going to take any share of the blame for the demise of GOB. I was a subscriber for probably 20 or more years. I don't think I contributed to the "Faster" phenomenon. I prefer paper published format over digital. But times change. While the speaker laments the loss of variety on one side he doesn't acknowledge the gain of variety on the other. One could say even this website contributed to the loss of GOB. But I disagree. There is more sailing information available now than ever.
While I agree in theory with the above, the difficulty is there is too much information, and a whole lot of bad information. So until one arrives to a level of competence it's very difficult to filter out the wheat from the chafe...
Good Old Boat did that filtering.
But we are entering into a new age - I've now met several people who identify themselves as "Content Creators". A non-existent "work title" not long ago. We have algorithms that monitor what subjects we like and provide us with more options within our particular "tastes". Seems to me both a good and bad thing - good that sometimes you discover things you do really want to know about; bad in that you don't get an equal exposure to what may be "opposing" ideas, augmenting our increasingly conflicted society/world.
dj
I was once told my writing sometimes represented "sustainable boating" rather than traditional product testing, which was Practical Sailor's bread and butter. This tendency on my part increased when I downsized to a 24-trimaran from a cruising cat. But I think more of it came from evolving skills and learning tricks related to keeping sailing affordable. I enjoyed that hunt. I'm not anti-modern design. But I am anti-status symbol, anti-elitist, and pro-DIY and pro-tinkerer. For me a boat is a tool for sailing and a toy to be played with, not something to show off.
So yes, I really miss the well grounded attitude of GOB. The lack of infomercial article type reviews based on advertisers. I've witnessed how review articles get written at some of the glossy mags; it's worse than you think.
So yes, I really miss the well grounded attitude of GOB. The lack of infomercial article type reviews based on advertisers. I've witnessed how review articles get written at some of the glossy mags; it's worse than you think.