Online Hunter's Magazine

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Franklin

Ok...another idea :) Thinking of starting a Hunter's Cruiser Magazine starting me :) Would anybody be interested in paying $2 a month for a subscription to a website that has articles and pictures and captains logs and all that from a Hunter Owner? I figured that while I was out there, I could also get other Hunter cruisers to write something, for a fee of course. Aka...would anybody be interested in paying $2 a month for a Hunter's cruising magazine? I know there are already other sites such as CruisingWorld.com and bwsailing.com which lead me to the next question...what are the others? I'm just kind of wondering since Hunters seem to get so much downward looks from other boat owners, that it would be good to have our own site and like a window to the capabilities of Hunters in blue water without having to go there yourself. What do you think? Another option...don't limit it to hunters, but inlist all production boat cruisers? This would give me a larger market but also maybe reduce the effectiveness. Note: Just 500 * $2 = $1,000 a month. I'm not talking about becoming a billionaire, just enough to keep the magazine going and me cruising.
 
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marcin

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May 12, 2005
11
- - City Island NY
Yeah..

I think it is a good idea. If you would post projects and how to do it guides forums yes sure why not.
 
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Franklin

That's one...yahooooo...

Part of what go me on this is when I was coming in from a day of sailing yesterday and this guy, who by the way was blowing down the narrow channel way to fast (we had about 15 boats in a 40 yard by 100 yard passageway and that's the norm and he was doing at least 5 knots), look at me as he passed by and say "Where's your backstay".
 
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Franklin

Just one more thing...

I would post a lot of pictures unlike the current online magazines so you can see what it is I'm seeing (pictures are worth a 1,000 words).
 
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Monty Miller

Keep it simple...

...and team with this site. Talk to Phil.
 
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T J Furstenau

Not to be negative

But I get the majority of what you are talking about right here on HOW. There's no charge here, just a loyalty to the advertisers/sponsors. I've been here so long, and there is such a depth of knowledge in the archives and among the regular visitors that about the only thing that would cause me to go elsewhere would be Phil winning the lottery and closing up shop here!
 
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Steve Dion

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Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
I'd agree with TJ

Franklin: I would have to agree with TJ. Why would we want to pay for something that we get for free. I do NOT believe that most pay sites have much of a future on the web, when 99% of it is for free. If you want to make money from a website you will either need advertisers that are willing to pay YOU or you are going to need to sell something that everyone else is not trying to sell. Just my opinion.
 
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Franklin

That's cool....

There are going to be those who wouldn't and that's why I posted...to hear from everybody...aka...a cheap poll. So far it's 1 - Yes 1 - Combine with this site 1 - No Lets here ya people...and don't worry about being negative. I would rather the idea fail now then later when I have more invested.
 
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Franklin

Disagree

I disagree about getting the same info. These are two different. I read this site a lot (haven't missed a posting in 5 months) and learn a lot from here but I also ready from CruisingWorld.com and enjoy readin the articles. I learn a little from there but it's also the enjoyment of the articles is what keeps me coming back and reading more. In the past two months I've read every article they have published and a lot of the stuff I've learned on there isn't on this site because this site is more of a day-weekend sailers forum. Thanks for the input though....updated count below. 1 - Yes 1 - Combine with this site 2 - No
 
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Buck2796

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Dec 24, 2003
233
- - Va. Beach, Va
Well,

Might be an interesting addition to the HOW site; and if Phil were interested, it might be a nice tie-in... but trying to get a lot of people to pay $24 a year would seem to be more trouble than it's worth to you... I would think that if you want to build such a site, you would be better to go after sponsers... like Hunter dealers, product manufactures, etc., to earn a little money for your time and effort.
 
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Barry15106

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Jun 4, 2004
17
Hunter 41ac Topping, VA
Magazine Idea Discussed w/Hunter

I am a former Catalina owner (now own a 2004 Hunter 33) and noticed the difference in owner communications. Catalina has a quarterly magazine called Mainsheet. It differs from the Knotline newsletter in that it is managed by an outside graphics company and is paid for in part through advertisers. While visiting the Hunter factory last month, my wife and I spoke with Greg Emerson (NE Sales Manager) about the 2 year lapse in Knotline production. The answer was they produced it in-house and the person who was responsible for it had won the lottery and quit. We discussed Catalina's arrangement and Greg said he would pass on the information. Online forums like this are great (thanks Phil), but a magazine or fat newsletter supported by the factory and advertisers would be well received. Mainsheet only charges $10/year because of advertiser support - and these advertisers know they are marketing directly to thousands of current owners of that brand. Just my 2 cents, Barry Bear Necessity
 
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Franklin

conclusion

The responses from here weren't something to build a business plan off of, so I'll just have to wait (hopefully just two or three years) until I save up enough money to fiance my own cruising journey. Phil suggested I get with the hunter dealers and Hunter Marine to see if they would sponsor me. I figured it was worth a shot so I sent them an email asking if they could sponsor me and in return get free advertisement and living proof of the quality of Hunters that could be used in sales. No replies. It's understandable. They don't know me or the product I will provide so it's too risky to show any interest. Now if I had a developed product, then it wouldn't be such a risk. However, if I went on with my journey and updated the site as I went and then tried to get sponsors, there wouldn't be an incentive for them because they already have what they need...documented real life experiences of a cruising Hunter. So, it seems another idea of mine is dead. One of these days though...I just may come up with something golden :) Until then, I'll just keep putting the pennies in the piggy bank.
 
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SailingSue

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Jun 17, 2005
25
Hunter 44 DS Marina del Rey, CA
Hunter Mag Online

Well now, I think it would be a good idea. I'm new to sailing and I have a Hunter 44DS and I live aboard. I read everything I can get my hands on. I pay more than $24/year for several different magazines (Sail, Ocean Navigator, etc.) so I'd say...yeah I'd be interested if the content pertained to larger boats too. How about sending me a monthly reminder to check in...sometimes life is so busy I need reminders to check online content. And...who looks down on the 'back-stay-less' Hunters? Pooh on them, I love my boat!!
 
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SailingSue

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Jun 17, 2005
25
Hunter 44 DS Marina del Rey, CA
Hunter Newsletter

And, have you ever checked out the Hunter website. They put out a so-called newsletter but the last one posted is over a a year !!
 
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