Bring back Motor Boat Monthly

[Brightside]

Having subscribed to Motor Boat Monthly for some years was disappointed to be told that it was ceasing - in my view it was getting better and better.

Today, received Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly and, wow, I was even more disappointed.

MBM took me a while to read and then re-read MB&YM is just too fluffy and nothing of substance. I have a number of back issues of MBM over the years with interesting articles for reference. Nothing to keep MBY for and it only arrived this evening!

Despite the statement "MBY has never defined itself purely by size or price" out falls a loose insert "Ventura" and I have to say that the magazine to me seems to be aimed at the larger vessel owners (or dreamers!) . Bring back MBM, I say. What do you say?

 

[mad_boater]

Nn

Having subscribed to Motor Boat Monthly for some years was disappointed to be told that it was ceasing - in my view it was getting better and better.

Today, received Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly and, wow, I was even more disappointed.

MBM took me a while to read and then re-read MB&YM is just too fluffy and nothing of substance. I have a number of back issues of MBM over the years with interesting articles for reference. Nothing to keep MBY for and it only arrived this evening!

Despite the statement "MBY has never defined itself purely by size or price" out falls a loose insert "Ventura" and I have to say that the magazine to me seems to be aimed at the larger vessel owners (or dreamers!) . Bring back MBM, I say. What do you say?

Had my copy of MBY as substitute for MBM.It has nothing of interest in it for me.just glad my subscription has come to an end

 

[tinkicker0]

I enjoyed the article about the 60s boat that was restored and not scuttled, but mag deffo aimed at those with pots of gold. Stories of peeps however; who have two boats, one in the med and one here because they don't want to miss out on something, both boats being double the size of mine leave me cold and I find, vaguely vulgar. Or just maybe I am envious.

In fact very envious.

 

[Greg2]

Definitely prefer MBM to MBY. Not terribly enamoured that the default position was to switch me automatically to MBY instead of offering a refund of my outstanding subscription to MBM. I am guessing that option is available if I ask but it should really have been offered as an option IMHO.

 

[Gemini]

I received 2 copies of MBY today, thought strange , I did subscribe to both mags and not cancelled anything
SWMBO was checking bank account tonight seem IPC have taken 2 payment

Will be on the phone tomorrow,

 

[Viscount]

To be fair, when I was advised that MBM was ceasing, I called and asked for a refund and received same within a few days. I agree it should have been openly offered as an option but it is definitely available.

 

[sharpness]

To be fair, when I was advised that MBM was ceasing, I called and asked for a refund and received same within a few days. I agree it should have been openly offered as an option but it is definitely available.

Good to know, as like the views above, i'm afraid MB&Y isn't my cup of tea in comparison to MBM (RIP).

On a positive note, another good edition of motorboatowner this month

 

[RogerRat]

I received 2 copies of MBY today, thought strange , I did subscribe to both mags and not cancelled anything
SWMBO was checking bank account tonight seem IPC have taken 2 payment

Will be on the phone tomorrow,

That's naughty of IPC. Your call is well justified.

I'm not a subscriber, but I always preferred MBM if I was in a newsagent buying a single issue.

It makes sense that it had to go if advertising revenue was not making targets. This means either the ad team space-men were struggling or the various boat manufacturers and accessory suppliers weren't getting a return on their investment. Also, not forgetting times are hard in what can only be described as an expensive leisure industry.

You can join a decent golf club for far less than it costs to berth a 40 footer. With nothing like the capital outlay.

Mind you, running cost are high if you lose a lot of balls per mile. :ambivalence:

RR

 

[thejonesey]

The two copies problem happened to me too... After I had emailed and asked them not to. Rang up and they were very helpful although they kept trying to add the refund to the end of my MBY subscription which is daft as I subscribe by DD. Pretty annoyed by the whole thing and am thinking of switching to Powerboat and Rib along with Motorboat Owner.

 

[aquapower]

I must be lucky as I have always subscribed to both and only got 1 MBY this month, will check my DD at some point and see what's been taken from bank.

 

[Trundlebug]

Sorry to be the lone voice of dissent, but I went off MBM a long while ago.
I got sick of the regular RIB tests taking up half the content.

I always found MBY more inspirational, as well as aspirational. Yes, for dreamers, but there's always enough content about regular boaters experiences to keep it real. The photo quality is much better, not to mention the text which is devoid of the multiple typos and bad grammar that plagued MBM for years.

 

[rafiki_]

I too got a bit bored with MBM last year, having been a subscriber for years, and swapped to MBY. I agree that the pics and text are better quality. My dirty fingernails needs are now covered by Neale's on-line Motorboat magazine, which I also find a good read.

 

[ari]

Sorry to be the lone voice of dissent, but I went off MBM a long while ago.
I got sick of the regular RIB tests taking up half the content.

I'm curious, can anyone remember when there last actually was a RIB test in MBM? I'm probably wrong (hence my question), but I honestly can't remember the last time I saw one.

You're not thinking of Powerboat & RIB are you..?

 

[mlines]

Rib test - final edition "Cuddy Ribs"

 

[ari]

AHA! You're quite right, so there is!

I had a look through the boat test videos though, just out of interest.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ybwtv/videos?sort=dd&shelf_id=1&view=0

There was a Williams a year ago, and a Ribeye about 3 years ago, and that seems to be about it. Not convinced that constitutes 'regular RIB tests taking up half the content', even with the cuddy RIBs this month...

 

[oceanfroggie]

The maths won't lie but one wonders if they pulled the wrong mag?

 

[Beyondhelp]

So my edition of MBY is here... Same view as above. I'll give it a few issues to see how it changes if at all, and then reassess. Would Perhaps move to Powerboat & Rib, but tbh the RIB aspect really bores me.

 

[tinkicker0]

So my edition of MBY is here... Same view as above. I'll give it a few issues to see how it changes if at all, and then reassess. Would Perhaps move to Powerboat & Rib, but tbh the RIB aspect really bores me.

Concur with that. The difference in the way I read it is quite telling. MBM was opened at page one, the editorial read, then through the letters page ect to the last page, often in two sittings in the bath or for reading in bed.
I seem to use MBY as a waiting room type magazine. It lives in the conservatory where I repair after a long day at work with a good cup of coffee and leaf through the mag. I look at the pretty pictures, read maybe a paragraph and move on to something that catches my eye again. I will return to the other articles when everything else vaguely interesting has been looked at.
I maybe read one article a day, whereas MBM would see multiple cups of coffee and a good hour or more in similar circumstances.

I'll give it a chance, after all how many songs has one heard that did not seem particularly outstanding on first hearing, but a couple more hearings would see it become a firm favourite?

Besides MBM was my only boaty subscription and any boaty mag to read is better than no mag at all.

 

[Medskipper]

Having subscribed to Motor Boat Monthly for some years was disappointed to be told that it was ceasing - in my view it was getting better and better.

Today, received Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly and, wow, I was even more disappointed.

MBM took me a while to read and then re-read MB&YM is just too fluffy and nothing of substance. I have a number of back issues of MBM over the years with interesting articles for reference. Nothing to keep MBY for and it only arrived this evening!

Despite the statement "MBY has never defined itself purely by size or price" out falls a loose insert "Ventura" and I have to say that the magazine to me seems to be aimed at the larger vessel owners (or dreamers!) . Bring back MBM, I say. What do you say?

MBY always was and has been aimed at the larger richer people who can afford million pound vessels and over! IMHO.
Ive been boating over thirty years and have subscribed to both, I alway felt MBM was of more interest and wondered how larger the audience was for MBY! However we now know the answer don't we? I guess there are more millionaires around than ordinary earners as MBY are still going to be around.

 

[petem]

So my edition of MBY is here... Same view as above. I'll give it a few issues to see how it changes if at all, and then reassess. Would Perhaps move to Powerboat & Rib, but tbh the RIB aspect really bores me.

You seems to be assuming that the content of MBY will remain as it is now. I've always understood that MBM went for the lower and of the market whilst MBY went for the upper (with a little crossover in between). If they hadn't taken this approach the the content would all be pretty much the same. On the basis that MBM is not more, I would expect MBY to move a little downmarket which should produce a mag that is universally popular.

It's a shame that IPC aren't confirming this or letting us know what the future market will be for MBY. Richard?