Just got my new issue of Sail mag,Look forward to getting it to kill the winter blues.After going thru it counted 49 pages of ads in a 98 page mag.I understand Internet has killed print but this is getting to be a joke.Does anyone else feel this way.
Sail mag
- Thread starter DJN51
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Mmhmm. Sometimes it's just depressing looking at those 7 and 8 figure boats I'll never own. Which coincidentally ends up being the mags 'Boats of the Year'..
YES,YES,YES!!!! Just finished sitting outside, anticipating a good sailing fix by reading the new Sail Magazine and my reaction was exactly the same. I actually ended up throwing it in the recycle after finishing it. It was unsatisfying, nothing of interest at all, and the new boats they featured were a huge letdown. The 5 new products didn't include prices ... even if I was interested. I don't know what has changed exactly, but I could take it or leave it these days. It's not that I am not interested in boats I will not have, I just feel they are missing the mark and have for a year or so. Probably will not renew... sadly.
Same here.. This issue was particularly disheartening.. I have been a subscriber pretty much since the mid 1970's. A couple of years ago I dropped it.. About that same time they revamped the magazine into something more useful and offered old subscribers a good deal on new subscriptions.. I bit .. it was OK for a few years but now it looks to be going downhill again.. I read it to try to see ideas in new and newer boats but pictures are going away .. I don't think I'll renew that one.. I get Practical Sailor and Cruising World and Boat US magazines I am thinking that I'll go to Good Old Boat when my Sail expires..
that lady that runs that company is super nice ...i called last year to renew my subscription and it was after hours and much to my surprise she answered the phone and took my order ..i also gave a subscription to a friend of mine in the gulf for Christmas last year while talking to her ....and the mag is a good mag it has a lot of ads in the back but not so much through out the mag its self ...and if you read the bio's of some of the contributors you will find that she gets top shelf people writing for them as well.....
regards
woody
Sail mag!
Paper print Magazines are an endangered species. Its true the publication is not what it used to be. If not for the advertisers they would be long gone. Im not going count ads Once they go the only thing you can do is read on line. I intend to keep renewing my subscription
Paper print Magazines are an endangered species. Its true the publication is not what it used to be. If not for the advertisers they would be long gone. Im not going count ads Once they go the only thing you can do is read on line. I intend to keep renewing my subscription
In the 1970's, when I had money of my own I started subscribing to and all sailing mags I could find. I even subscribed to a video mag that sent out a VHS tape every quarter. I have seen the mags go up and down, or out of business (Pacific Skipper as one example). Some deserved it, others did not. PS was a GREAT mag!
Once we moved aboard, I dropped Cruising World as it did not even seem to target cruisers! It was just a LOT of BIG boats, and adds selling me stuff that was mostly JUNK.
I then found Good Old Boat and subscribed to them. Once we actually departed to go cruising full time (2004) I dropped ALL mags except GOB. During our travels we have met many authors and shared anchorages and meals with more than a couple. It seems like now, the mags that talk about cruising have the articles written by in-house writers that may have NEVER been to the area they are writing about!! And the people out there, writing, can't get anything published.
I see the paper mags between a rock and a hard place. They can't diss a boat as the selling company pays big. They are limited, and can't purchase anything but fluff, or in-house writting stuff that is from talking to some one out there.
Sooooo....... for my $$$, it's GOB or nothing.
Greg
Once we moved aboard, I dropped Cruising World as it did not even seem to target cruisers! It was just a LOT of BIG boats, and adds selling me stuff that was mostly JUNK.
I then found Good Old Boat and subscribed to them. Once we actually departed to go cruising full time (2004) I dropped ALL mags except GOB. During our travels we have met many authors and shared anchorages and meals with more than a couple. It seems like now, the mags that talk about cruising have the articles written by in-house writers that may have NEVER been to the area they are writing about!! And the people out there, writing, can't get anything published.
I see the paper mags between a rock and a hard place. They can't diss a boat as the selling company pays big. They are limited, and can't purchase anything but fluff, or in-house writting stuff that is from talking to some one out there.
Sooooo....... for my $$$, it's GOB or nothing.
Greg
We read GOB and Ocean Navigator which is pretty good. ON is an electronic subscription that I get as a PDF. The subscription is included in our SSCA membership. It is nice to store them on my tablet and be able to search them later.
I really enjoyed Sail's December edition, in particular:
- Heave Ho, by Kimball Livingston on future sailing, foiling. Don't think it is possible to overestimate how foiling is attracting the attention of the next generation of sailor. Kimball tells us about it.
- OSTAR winner (IRC overall and class) winner Jon Green talks about how he beats the pants off the big boys in his plain-Jane Beneteau 351. Old-school sailing.
- Hey, have you seen what Chris White is doing with cruising cats? Hint: Your roller-furler just got cool (or at least kinda hip).
- Most likely to take Larry's Cup? Ever heard of Bob Oatley? You will.
- How do I pick up a mooring single-handed? Peter Nielson will tell you. Tor Pinney will show you how to do it under sail...on a gaff-rigged ketch!
- New-to-you boat? You will need to get a new MMSI for that DSC radio!
- Best Boating Apps for $1000...What is Intellicast Boating?
I have been subscribing to three boating publications for years. The only reason I keep them at all is because I have been able to get them really cheap, and I still prefer print media to on line reading. The quality of the written material has deteriorated precipitously in all of them. While some of the technical or "how to" articles are somewhat helpful, most of the remaining text is evidently written so that a fourth grader can appreciate it. That explains why many have migrated to a site like this.
The print editors seem to have seriously misidentified their target customers. They apparently don't seem to realize that a large population of the sailing community, while they may be well educated, do not have particularly copious quantities of disposable income. They tend to be in the lower tiers of the market, buying either really good used boats or purposely those that are decidedly projects in progress. The megabucks boats are decidedly out of the question.
The cost of sailing has always been on the expensive side, but in recent years it has skyrocketed. This in itself drives even entry level sailers out of the sport. The market can't grow if families cannot afford to introduce their next generation into the sport. In order to participate, owners have to be able to access good do it yourself assistance and once out of the trailerable market, access to yards that will allow them to do their own work.
The print editors seem to have seriously misidentified their target customers. They apparently don't seem to realize that a large population of the sailing community, while they may be well educated, do not have particularly copious quantities of disposable income. They tend to be in the lower tiers of the market, buying either really good used boats or purposely those that are decidedly projects in progress. The megabucks boats are decidedly out of the question.
The cost of sailing has always been on the expensive side, but in recent years it has skyrocketed. This in itself drives even entry level sailers out of the sport. The market can't grow if families cannot afford to introduce their next generation into the sport. In order to participate, owners have to be able to access good do it yourself assistance and once out of the trailerable market, access to yards that will allow them to do their own work.
A magazine I've been subscribing to for a long time is "Messing About in Boats". A very low key black and white magazine. Most articles are submitted by readers. Phil Bolger used to write an article for each issue. It's been referred to as being on the dirt road of the information highway.
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Agree
I agree with you that these mags cater to the advertisers. I no longer subscribe but rather go to Barnes and Noble grab Sail and Cruising World read them in about 15 min. and put them back on the shelf. GOB is worth getting. I really like the English sailing magazines . They have very good reviews of boats, new and old, and equipment and pull no punches. Just as thorough if not more than Practical Sailor. I view Sail and Crusing World as pamphlets with ads.
I agree with you that these mags cater to the advertisers. I no longer subscribe but rather go to Barnes and Noble grab Sail and Cruising World read them in about 15 min. and put them back on the shelf. GOB is worth getting. I really like the English sailing magazines . They have very good reviews of boats, new and old, and equipment and pull no punches. Just as thorough if not more than Practical Sailor. I view Sail and Crusing World as pamphlets with ads.
- Jul 24, 2006
- 628
dito
Me too! If you pull out the adds and then the "new boats" just glorified adds, there's not much left. I did read all the rest, the foiling was pretty interesting. I too had 3 subscriptions about three years ago and they were actually writing similar articles so I dropped them all. I got sail mag because I got 3years for something like $20 ? Not only the rags but TV too! John Graviscis (sp) has a show on cable-forget the name, but he used to actually repair boats and instructed on how-to. Now he shamelessly plugs boat suppliers products instead. Sold out to money? Don't much watch it anymore. Might go to bookstore and shop for next subscription? I used to like Good Old Boat but that was one that had duplicate stuff from Sail or the other way around? And the money they want is $$$$ guess i will go to web fix instead!
Me too! If you pull out the adds and then the "new boats" just glorified adds, there's not much left. I did read all the rest, the foiling was pretty interesting. I too had 3 subscriptions about three years ago and they were actually writing similar articles so I dropped them all. I got sail mag because I got 3years for something like $20 ? Not only the rags but TV too! John Graviscis (sp) has a show on cable-forget the name, but he used to actually repair boats and instructed on how-to. Now he shamelessly plugs boat suppliers products instead. Sold out to money? Don't much watch it anymore. Might go to bookstore and shop for next subscription? I used to like Good Old Boat but that was one that had duplicate stuff from Sail or the other way around? And the money they want is $$$$ guess i will go to web fix instead!
- Jul 24, 2006
- 628
Go to your local Barnes and Noble and pick up a copy of Practical Boat Owner. This is the best magazine for sailors. Yeah, it is published in England but you will find articles in P B O months before they are published in Sail or CW. Another good mag is Sailing Today, another outstanding. UK magazine. You can get PBO ON your Kindle, iPad or Nook. Try them, you won't be disappointed.
+1 too many ad's and too little quality content. The web is quickly replacing all of them for good info.
I suscribe to Cruising Outpost, published by Bob *****in, who used to have Latitudes and Attitudes magazine. It is an irreverent, realistic look at the cruising life. Offers advice about where to go, how to get there, and how to maintain your boat. Good articles about cruising sailboats, not all of them new. Fun magazine with a great attitude!
Agree!
We dropped both CW and Sail about a decade ago. No regrets.
Nowadays we take GOB, Practical Boat Owner, and Yachting World (later two are both from the UK).
And, Sailing, the pretty good magazine published in the mid west.
Loren
Join the SSCA www.ssca.org Extremely interesting. Stories, by sailors and no adverts! They have an online and print version monthly newsletter. Also latitude 38 at http://www.latitude38.com a monthly rag but lots of adverts but good content as well. (most of the adverts are not more mega-yachts, but for marinas, boatyards, supplies,etc.) Both are interesting and neither are in light reflecting, eye blinding print. I download them every month
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