Opinion of Practical Sailor magazine?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by vikingwoman

As of June 2024 they will no longer be a magazine.
I have subscribed for 6 years and will no long purchase their publication.
REASON ALL DIGITAL NO OPTION FOR PRINTED COPY.

Very sad.

Sad, but inevitable. Let's see if they can survive in this format alone. I don't give them good odds.

[Reeve21]

I'm kind of sad to see the print edition go away, but without advertising what choice did they have to stay in business in the current climate for print?


I stopped saving the printed copies anyway once the back editions became available online to subscribers.


I have whiled away many winter hours looking over past editions, especially the boat reviews, dreaming of the next one.


I do fear for the future of PS. There are only so many things to say, and they have a limited number of writers these days. They were a great resource to me in the past, not so much anymore, but I will continue to subscribe while we see how this plays out.

[sailingharry]

While I agree that the loss of print is bad, I'm guilty myself of never reading the print that comes in my mail (PS, club newsleters, etc). The online doesn't take up space, can be searched, etc -- even if it's a serious pain to read.


But, as far as "going away?" Print or online, there is ZERO competition. Where else will you find multi-year, in water analysis of bottom paint, complete with pictures? Where else will you find tear-and-compare toilet flush analysis? Where else will you learn that Green Grease is hands down the best marine lube you can buy?


On line alternatives (you tube, etc) have some traction. Panope is one of the very best sources of anchor data. MaineSail was a treasure. But, the vast majority of internet "review" trash is very poorly designed, very poorly presented, almost always comes as a long-drawn-out video, and isn't in an consolidated location. And some of the best, like our ThinWater, isn't really "internet" stuff, but spillover from his work for PS.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

But, as far as "going away?" Print or online, there is ZERO competition. Where else will you find multi-year, in water analysis of bottom paint, complete with pictures? Where else will you find tear-and-compare toilet flush analysis? Where else will you learn that Green Grease is hands down the best marine lube you can buy?

Does anyone have the subscription data? Are they losing subscribers? Gaining? Are their costs rising faster than their revenue? I bet they are declining in both revenue and subscription numbers, but that is only my guess.

I subscribed to PS for many years, early on in my watery life. I loved the model, and didn't mind paying a hefty price for the subscription. But over the years, I found the information to be less and less useful to me. I eventually let my subscription lapse.

My personal view is that PS suffers from its own success. By this I mean, it is a wonderful resource for people starting out in the boating life. But after a few years, most of us figure out most of the questions. After more than a decade of being a subscriber, I found I no longer needed PS. I knew enough so that the new questions could be more easily researched directly online, and even via forums like CF (shudder ).

[sailingharry]

Mike,


Your points about the relevance for us old-timers are quite valid.


Initially, every article was filled with gems, because like a new baby, EVERYTHING was new and interesting. But over time, it became less and less so. Sometimes, there would be an article on something I never thought about (who would have thought that pink antifreeze was bad for your plumbing -- and that green is no worse for the environment!? Now I only use green except for potable water). Now I mostly go to it for a current question -- like, what bottom paint to use?


But that pink vs green antifreeze is an example of just how valuable PS is. Name one youtuber who has soaked plastic and rubber for a few months in both green and pink. More importantly, name one youtuber who has dug into the EPA reports (actually, driven by the FAA for de-icing programs) to find that green antifreeze is marginally BETTER for the environment than pink -- and that neither have much impact at all.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

....


But that pink vs green antifreeze is an example of just how valuable PS is. Name one youtuber who has soaked plastic and rubber for a few months in both green and pink. More importantly, name one youtuber who has dug into the EPA reports (actually, driven by the FAA for de-icing programs) to find that green antifreeze is marginally BETTER for the environment than pink -- and that neither have much impact at all.

As someone who has had 5-6 articles in PS, that is the difference! I have delivered sailboats owned by YouTubers. Invariably, both were a hot mess. Yes the super geeks may find fault in some of the analysis, but it is still dang good.


ANYONE getting into the sport of sailing will learn more from a few issues of PS than a month of watching YouTubers. While PS writers may not look good in a bikini, but they know their stuff. Or can do some sound research vs making it up as they go along.

[Opie91]

Once they let Lady K Sailing write/do videos for them they lost all credibility (the little they had left).

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

Your points about the relevance for us old-timers are quite valid.
...
But that pink vs green antifreeze is an example of just how valuable PS is. Name one youtuber who has soaked plastic and rubber for a few months in both green and pink. More importantly, name one youtuber who has dug into the EPA reports (actually, driven by the FAA for de-icing programs) to find that green antifreeze is marginally BETTER for the environment than pink -- and that neither have much impact at all.

Yes, I'm certainly not downplaying the quality, focused and untained approach PS brings to the table. There are certainly lots of questions worth investigating, and I don't expect tuber cruisers to be the source of this kind of info. But if you wanted to investigate the environmental impacts of various antifreeze chemistry, I'm sure there are better sources than PS to do this.

Regardless, the observation I'm making (not harshly) is that PS is mostly useful for those early in the boating game. As one learns and gains experience, it becomes less relevant. So they require a constant stream of newish boaters to come into the subscription fold.

Unfortunately, new boaters are not turning to so-called "legacy" media for their source of information. So I can see why PS is choosing to focus on digital. I just don't know if there is a business model to support their excellent work. I hope there is, even as a niché product, but given what has happened in other related areas, I have my doubts .

[GordMay]

From 2007*:
“Editors Log: Two Years In and Looking Up” ~ by Darrell Nicholson, Editor “Practical Sailor” magazine
➥ https://www.practical-sailor.com/mai...and-looking-up

“... Many of you have been clamoring for easier issue downloads at sea, better and expanded online archives (yes, we know those three-ring binders are piling up), and improved online services. Along with our Internet team, I am working at revamping the website, to address those needs. If you havent visited the website in a while, I invite you to drop in on the “Tools and Techniques” section, where we have begun uploading back articles of two of our more popular columns, “PS Advisor” and Nick Nicholsons “Offshore Log.” The website is a sliver of what is to come, but I hope the expanded content helps fill the gap until the greater vision unfolds.”

* IIRC, 2007 was the year "POWERBOAT REPORTS" magazine ceased publishing.

The British publication, “Practical Boat Owner”, had a certified Circulation [average per issue] of 13,220, January to December 2023.
➥ https://www.abc.org.uk/product/2706-...cal-boat-owner
However, they report 117k Average Global Monthly users.
More ➥ https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/insp...-Pack-2023.pdf

“Good Old Boat” magazine recently shut down. The March/April 2024 issue was their last, and came out in a digital format, only. They reported Circulation 30,000 subscribers.
Here ➥ https://goodoldboat.com/advertise/

[Island Time O25]

While I understood their refusal to have brand ads I never understood their not having small mom and pop chandleries ads or quirky non mega boat shows ads such as Maine Boat Builders Show or Cape Cod Boat Builders or wooden boats shows, etc. PS subscribers, and I was one of them for some years and still have boxfulls of the old issues, would be the perfect target audience for such ads. Plus ithe ads would in some way help these small businesses to compete against the mega stores and mega boat shows.

If you ask me I'd rather see some ads which would not impact the credibility of reviews than no print edition, if that's a choice we'd be given. Perhaps they could do a poll of their subscribers to see if some ads would be acceptable as an alternative to shutting down.

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by Opie91

Once they let Lady K Sailing write/do videos for them they lost all credibility (the little they had left).

[wsmurdoch]

I have subscribed to PS for decades. When I last paid up my subscription, I thought hard about renewing. Several months earlier as I was beginning a sewing project and ready to buy an electric hot knife from Sailrite, PS ran an article by Frye showing how to make a simple and effective hot knife tip for a pistol-type soldering gun. I made one. Actually, I made several more improving on the concept as I went along. I cut all my Sunbrella with it. The savings from that one article paid for the subscription. I resubscribed.

[Kettlewell]

PS is not alone in struggling in today's media environment, and it covers a small niche within a small niche. That was always the case, but back in the day those seeking such information had no choice but to read paper pubs. Apparently, you need to be an "influencer" online to make any money today.