Heresy - Have Cancelled Subscription

[[2068]]

Sorry: the March cover of MBM was the final straw that has caused me to cancel my subscription.

It's only fair that I give some of the reasons:

1.) It's green, and has a riverboat on it (algae, weirs, frogs, brown water, locks, beards, narrowboats - does anyone realise how unattractive this is to a sea boater ?)

2.) Recent issues just don't seem have as much that is interesting to me, or have I changed ? Articles such as "Where to find spares for old engines" don't do it any more.

3.) You seem to be testing everything under the sun, from riverboats to 50-footers, based on whatever manufacturer happens to throw your way that month. Why are you not more in control of this process ? Who is your target audience ? What I am looking for is a magazine that tries to be something a bit more practical than Motor Boat and Yachting: I'm interested in most things seagoing from 22ft to 40ft, preferably built after 1980, and with a cruise speed over 15kts, plus useful information on how to keep my own (cough) S&#line seagoing.

4.) Where have all the bikinis gone ?

dave.

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[jfm]

Entirely agree dvine2. Re bikinis, MBY's are much better. Sometimes monokinis in fact

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[andrewa]

I thought it was just me, I have no interest in inland waterways and alot of the mag since its last update now seems to cover this subject for a large part of its print. US mags, though smaller, seem to cater for one particular niche i.e sports boats and cruisers or off shore fishing for instance. I think the mag is trying to be all things to all men and its not working. Why not split it into two smaller publications.
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[jhr]

Can't say that I was desperately impressed either but perhaps, as Sailbad the Sinner would say, they are trying to target PaulineB as a reader, with her well known love of inland waterways and canal barges ;-)

I'm suspending judgement until the new editor is on board because I suspect that what we are seeing at the moment is a holding operation until he's in place, which I think (?) is soon-ish. I guess we may see some change of emphasis thereafter. I agree, however, that I'm not sure what MBM sees as its natural readership constituency at the moment. Like you, I'd personally like it to be sub 40 ft, p'raps less than gin-palace type coastal and offshore boating, leaving Inland Waterways mostly to the other, specialist publications that already exist (but I assume, perhaps erroneously, that the narrowboat-type mags in WH Smug aren't IPC titles, in which case this is the only way they can get at that particular readership). A readers' survey might be interesting and enlightening - I can't remember when they last did one.

I've just re-read this and it's all a bit pompous. Just to put it in perspective, I have a beard and don't often don swimwear (a fact for which you should be down on your knees, giving thanks to God) so my opinion may be flawed.

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[EME]

Monokinis

Have just spent 3 hrs going through back issues looking for 'monokinis'...I'm either blind or a monokini is actually a 1960s all-in-one.

I would have thought given our New Editor's professional background , he might enlighten future copy with some of the Biker girls adorning such mags. Or perhaps John matthews could be co-erced away from his D-I-Y Captain's Chair to write an article on 'Birds on big Boats'... I volunteer for research ( as opposed to modelling).


<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[markc]

100% agree....this month is dull, dull, dull

M

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.geocities.com/jinto100/Jintopics.html

 

[DavidJ]

I always think that MBM is aimed at people who use their boats unlike those who are always on the hard working on them (PBO) or people who just drink gin off them (MB&Y). I agree that MBM should be more focussed on the majority of motor boats that you see in marinas (22-40ft seems a good model). Canal boats are a different dimension and not only don't fit but detract from a generally useful mag.
David

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[tcm]

Re: clarification please

so which one are you?

For myself, I am anxiously awaiting the launch of the new magazine due soon "Practical Mangusta 108 owner".

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[hlb]

Re: clarification please

Must admit, I got tired of mags along time ago. Maybe it's because what I really want is a Princess 35 based in Plymouth mag!!

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Haydn

 

[jfm]

Re: Monokinis

Learner, you need to demist your specs mate. When I sed monokini I meant monokini, as in string. Can't remeber the dates but the write up of the Fairline Blerix rally (featuring our boy tcm, with pic of T48 that has never been to Capetown) had front on topless shots, and the Cannes St Trp feature a while back had a full on frontal of 1/2 doz topless models with uncensored unpixelled-out nipples. And quite a bit of silicone if I recall.

Are we allowed to say nipples hereabouts?

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[EME]

Re: Monokinis

Can only suggest that as a Quaker household these issues were destroyed by SWMBO before my sensitive persona was subjected to such filth.

Of course you can mention nipples, they are the bits that need regular greasing.

Now TCM in a bikini.. that I HAVE to see.

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[[2574]]

hmmmmmm........agreed. I've stopped both MBY & MBM in the last month. MBY has gone upmarket (superyacht section) and MBM has gone down market. I've just dropped through the up to 40' LOA, 2nd hand boat sub £125k gap in the middle.

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[DavidJ]

Re: clarification please

I actually hover between MBM and MB&Y ...one of the don't knows
David

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[LeytonC]

Not all boats on inlandwaters are Narrow Boats!

First off let me say, yes MBM is pants at the moment, has been for months.
(how many pictures in this months mag have we seen before?)

But please remember not all boats on the inland rivers are narrow beam canal boats, i think MBM are right to aim some stuff at sea boats that spend time on a river. My boat spends 60% of the time on the river severn and 40% of the time down the bristol channel, so i want to know about both things and MBM seems to be the only mag that do this, i give them A for effort but F for attainment! I for one hope they improve the situation soon.

And after reading the MBY article on inland water ways i would never buy that mag again, i know they were trying to be funny, but i thought it was very tastless.

All of this is IMHO




<hr width=100% size=1>Thanks

Leyton
(EXTAR Solutions - Software that works for you)

 

[longjohnsilver]

jfm causes ripples

with his nipples post. |Seems to have some sort of fixation today, several posts on females and bonking, praps he could illustsrate his posts next time.

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[Hugo_Andreae]

Don't cancel your subscription just yet. As the new editor, I can assure you that the magazine is about to take a big step in the right direction. The main thrust of the magazine will be affordable boats between 20 and 45ft (although I'm not ruling out the occasional larger and indeed smaller boat when they are of particular interest) and it will become a lot more fun, interesting and involving. I don't want to divulge too many plans just yet but stick with us for another three months and I guarantee you'll like what you see. You can come and give me grief at SIBS in person if you don't.
As for the bikini debate, trust me you wouldn't want to see any of us in less than full wet weather gear.



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[milltech]

I think first of all magazines should be entertaining. In this sense Yachting Monthly used to be streets ahead of the rest, I'm not sure it is now. For my own part I'm happy to read about boating experiences anywhere from rowing across England to RTW, under sail or under power I don't mind. I even think that should I still be alive in ten years I'll probably take to the canals myself. It's all fun on the water, messing about in boats.

I think pilotage articles are great, it takes a lot of the strain out of first time visits, although why they do Plymouth and Falmouth and places you can't miss with a home made compass and a school atlas is hard to understand. Little places they help with a lot.

But cruise reportage, first we went from this buoy to this buoy where Fred drank a beer and the brown rice went cold and then we came home again and covered 40 miles on our really big adventure are really the pits. They would be OK if bought to life by truly great writing, don't we have great writers who like boats anymore, or does it all have to be done by in-house journalists or people who write like they work for the local planning department!

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[TomIsitt]

Re: Monokinis

I'm afraid that JFM is absolutely right...a couple of previous issues of MBY have indeed featured shocking displays of female flesh (the June 2000 issue had a nipple-count of 12, and they were oiled rather than greased), the Bally Rally was filled with tits (not all of them owned a Targa 48), and Our Bess got her hooters out at the Festival of Power not that long ago. Fortunately the new Editor doesn't hold with that type of thing (he's more of a leg man).

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[[2068]]

Too late, already cancelled, but I'll check out (and probably buy anyway) the next 3-4 issues as they appear in the shop up the road, and if things improve, I'll reinstate it. Can't say fairer than that.

Practical question... How long does it take for Micron Extra to come off finger nails ? Mine are still dark navy blue from last weekend, despite scrubbing and cutting. Maybe International could release a matching lippie and eyeshadow to create "antifoul chic" - the look that lasts all week.

dave.


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[pistonbroke]

Would have to agree, the latest issue is absolute drivel. Luckily, my subscription has just expired, so I'll just borrow me mates copy.

Has anybody noticed that both MBM & MB&Y are the perfect size for the bottom of the cat litter tray.

Out of interest, I met Tom Isset once, he came and tested one of my boats when he was a journalist for Sportsboat magazine, he seems an alright kind of guy. I wouldn't be suprised if he could turn the mag around.

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