Another Victim of the Economy...

Print going away is not a surprise. A few years ago I stopped all the subscriptions and notified the publishers that I'd be happy to subscribe again when available as searchable PDFs. I don't have any idea how many tons of paper in the form of magazines, industry periodicals and newspapers got dumped over the years but there was a pile at least two feet tall out back every time I went by.
Some magazines actually got collected, put up on shelves and took up a pile of space. When the question was asked as to if anyone actually had taken a look at a single magazine in the collection there wasn't a soul that answered yes.
The one holdout came up with an interesting compromise. The periodical comes in the mail on a little USB fob with the name and date of the issue printed on it.

I've stopped buying mags, not for ethical or green issues, they are just so darned expensive. Here is a quick list of the stuff I used to buy monthly.

Boat International
Yachting World
Yachting
Car
Bike
Superbike
Landrover Owner International

Thats a good chunk of cash every month in anyone's book.

Just recycling all of the above with the daily papers, Sunday papers (that now come in something like 19 sections) junkmail and all those stupid inserts in magazines. Its all just extra work.

I now just read the London Times on-line and YF, much easier. Its at work where yards and yards of useless paper is used and no one will ever, ever read.

Hmm, at least you sold the house at the right time...Hopefully you are not broke and homeless?

You can always come over here and paint my house or sleep on the boat if you are in trouble..

Not a big surprise: Been to the local Boater's World store in Fort Lauderdale a few times and never seen any customers there..The place is a ghost town.

Wow Fish. You're either quite the speed reader or you've got way too much time on your hands. I can hardly keep of with the one on your list that I get and the subscription price is only $12 so I splurge. Then again, I read it for pleasure. I get my info here.

I always thought Boater's World was a great marine store to buy clothes and shoes, but nothing else. I don't really buy marine related clothes and such. Everytime I've gone in there looking for parts, I've found that there inventory was very lacking.

I don't see West Marine as much better. Boat US was better before West Marine took them over. In the majority of West Marine's you cannot find anything larger boat related such as 24 volt light bulbs, bilge pumps, etc.

Sir,

I could not resist this reply to yours as I could NOT agree MORE with your comment.

"...employed writers with NO actual experience in yacht design, engineering, navigation or maintenance."

One long ago learned to resist the temptation to fork out for yachting publications, however tempting the covers, due to numerous sad anti-climaxes that had left a feeling of being cheated into paying for a ridiculous proportion of advertising padded out only with over enthusiastic, yet inane comment on semi-seaworthy and tastlessly appointed vessels, or else cloudy go-nowhere advertisements, thinly disguised as articles.

The yachting world suffers increasingly from a lack of professionalism in almost every quarter, yet the press continue to pander to the lowest common denominator, offering no informed opinion or, heaven forbid, any informed critique whatsoever.

Yachting used to be focused on relaxation, safety, elegance, a bit of adventure. Now it's more about selling hugely overpriced products, some decidedly suspect yachts and, generally, semi-trained part-time crew to the naive newly weathy.

We need urgently an independent publication with the educated knowledge, broad experience and dedicated courage to comment truthfully and expose our weaknesses before we completely forget the true objectives of private boat ownership and destroy the perception in the minds of the next generation of owners.
Published truth is not boring, but the essential vitamin of a healthy discipline.

Welcome pilgrim. Your search has ended.

YF is the only vehicle for information to which I refer others in the marine industry. I recently returned from sea trials and surveys. Over the 3 day period, I recommended YF to the buyers and sellers of the vessel, as well as 2 of the surveyors, the yard manager, and one of the dockhands. It doesn't take much in casual conversation with marine interested folks to advise them of the usefulness and professionalism of YachtForums.

It's the one and only and I am continually impressed and appreciative!

Judy

That gets my vote as best post of the month!

Today, while I was at the Palm Beach show, I got a request from Marquis for some YF magazine covers to be used on the Press Page of their website with links back to our reviews on the 500SC and the 720FB.

Tonight, I put my P-Shop hat on and whipped out YF's first issues. Because we've been discussing print vs. net, I thought it would be interesting to see what YF may have looked like on a coffee table, or... a toilet tank.

Keep in mind, my biggest weakness is graphic design. Same with interiors. Never could get my wrist to go limp. Oh yeah, the bold URL at the bottom of each page is because these covers will be shrunk to 160 pixel thumbnails. I'm trying to make our address legible.

Here's the 50SC...

And here's the 720FB...

And with YF's first issues complete, it's 1:00 AM and I'm headed to bed. 'Night all!

Carl, these images look great they really caught my eye! But why only think of what could have been? What about a small coffee table book put out by YF? It would be unique in that its not as public as a magazine, it would be more like a community yearbook that could be filled with review highlights, pictures from events (like that YF barge we are always hearing about), member projects and cruises to unique waters, and of course could it be complete without a centerfold concept from Lars? It could possibly make a nice fundraiser as well.

Just my last thoughts of the day I wanted to share.

Posts 31 & 32 are really nice looking ads. You might need to get a paid writing staff. I understand that there are some good newspaper guys available or journalism students might work for a reasonable salary. Just have to explain about the pointy and square ends.

Gone; Hot Boat magazine, Extreme Boats magazine, Poker Runs America magazine.

Powerboat magazine has gone bi-monthly now, down from 11 issues to 6.

I could have lived another 35 years without realizing these points ^^... it has been so long since I picked up one of those magazines.


I did have the good fortune of being out in San Francisco for a POPBRA race shortly before the 1989 earthquake - got to ride 3rd seat with Cammy and Vic Edelbrock on a scouting run pre-race (then their guest on the photo boat) when Bob Nordskog was running the #75 Fountain. My old man told me about racing against Nordskog in his prime on Lake Hopatcong and the Barnegat Bay... said any speed Powerboat reported, you could guarantee another 10 mph out of the boat with anyone who knew what they were doing. After drinking with Dick DeBartolo in FL at age 16, and hearing him tell the same stories my dad did, I started losing faith in the printed page (though really, wasn't his best work printed in MAD Magazine and not in Powerboat?).

Far more value and information has been gleaned from the knowledgeable and the obvious blowhards/negative nellies here in the last year than in 30 years of reading glorified ad copy.

Thanks Carl for providing the venue, and thanks to all the contributors for both wheat and chaff. This forum is both present and future of our common interest.

Your graphic and design talents look healthy to me. Even with your masculinity intact. Although, I think that your posted images are perhaps a bit wider than this site prefers.

.....

You're absolutely right. I'm a hypocrite. I posted at 720 pixels, which is the size we use for news. 800 for reviews. The YF covers should have been 640 for the thread.

Fixing that now!

that bought a smile to my face.

Pics

Carl, antime you need some help with pictures and design, just shoot me an email and I'll be more than happy to help you. I'm far from good, but been around computers (hardware and software) for the last 30+ years, so I'm very confident that I can lend you a hand.

BTW, I can't do anything else than agree 100% with everyone around here, this is the best place to get any kind of boat/yacht information, and to be in touch with the most knowledgeable people in the industry.