How do I cancel My PBO

[Jcorstorphine]

Tried to make a posting regarding the January 2003 PBO which is just like YM but the posting was not accepted so trying a shorter one.

Having scanned through the above edition and decided that PBO has now lost its way, I wish to cancel my subscription. Having been a reader since volume 1 back in 1967 the magazine is a poor shadow of its earlier self.

Sorry Sarah, but I for one am not interesed in a review of a £60,000 yacht, or seeing endless repeats of GPS article, you even have repeated an article on winter cruising whish was featured a few years ago.

John C

ex PBO reader

PS How do i cancel my subscription

 

[ccscott49]

Simple, dont pay!

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Hi . I have to agree I have bought PBO for years . last month I posted that I would not buy another copy but because it Christmas I bought Jan edition having read never again
cheers bob t

boss1

 

[maxi]

After some 40 years of subsciption to Yachting Monthly, I was forced to cancel on the basis that the mag had become light weight and peripheral, but not without first talking to Sarah Norbury. She, unlike some of her established colleagues, merely stated that she was right, and that what she was doing was right, and that I as a reader should adapt!!!. Bye Bye YM.
Now, it would appear that PBO is embarked on the same slippery slope - and this great magazine deserves far better.
Please Santa, send us a proper editor.

 

[kimhollamby]

John, in reply:

a) in the contacts panel of your PBO will will have details of the subscription service. Use that email/tel/address to make your request. Any problems please mail me.

b) I've not spoken with Sarah about your comments but I will ensure she sees them.

c) with specific reference to your comments on Jan 03 I would imagine that the majority of the make-up of that issue was pre-planned at the time of Sarah's arrival. From experience it will take longer than the first couple of issues for the new editor to make her mark. Ditto Jake Kavanagh, who has just moved there as of 21 Nov as features editor. Jake worked for me for several years and has a deep-seated interest in the kind of boating that is meat and drink for PBO - I would imagine he will make a big difference there.

++

In summary, we don't like to lose readers - and not just for the obvious commercial reasons. At the very least please keep an eye on Practical Boat Owner and, if you feel so inclined, let us know if you feel it is changing for the better over the next few months. You can mail Sarah direct on sarah_norbury@ipcmedia.com and if anyone has any feature ideas you could also include jake_kavanagh@ipcmedia.com on your message.

kim_hollamby@ipcmedia.com

 

[mike_kolling]

I have just cancelled my Direct Debit to Motor Boat and Yachting for same reason, have been reading it since I was eight reading over my father's shoulder.
The magazine today has lost the plot, very sad.
As others have said, cancel the direct debit and I am sure a letter will arrive very quickly with the contact details on it.

 

[stubate]

going back to roots

hi kim
am tending to agree with comments about pbo loosing its way, subscribed over 2 yrs ago and it seems to be losing the "nuts and bolts" image even see the difference from early this year issues to now.
take note of the popularity of the posting about so called "bore glazing"
lets strip an ageing diesel, get a snapper with a decent close up lens and take some pix of the bits so that people can see what the bits look like after years of use etc
stu

 

[Guest]

Refreshing to read your reply.

Articles!
I suspect there are too many magazines for the size of market. I would like to see a magazine become more radical and challenge many of the assumptions in the industry.

I thought Sailing Today had hit the mark with its series on Anchoring rights. However, the article failed. It didn't give specifics - it's all generalisations. As a reader I'm not mush wiser and without specifics the article became worthless.

The trouble is there is no real news for the magazines to report. The articles have become rather stale and repetitive. How about covering the build of a boat at different boat yards? I remember the name and shame article on marina facilities - made good reading. Lets have a few more of that ilk. Maybe covering peoples experiences with different insurance companies etc. Actually, the more I think about it the more I think there is lots that could be done. Take Top Gear on BBC2. Look at how the old format has been completely binned. The new format is fun. Apply the same concept to boating.

 

[Johnjo]

Much of the content seems to be advertising related, new boat tests
for example, should imagine most PBO readers would be more interested in
d.i.y than a review about a sixty grand boat, If I could afford one I
would be reading a more upmarket mag, never seam to say any thing really
bad about them,do they pay for the review perhaps? every month more and
more reviews, seems to me to be a cheap way of filling pages, If you skip
all the advertising, how much is there actually left to read?Hand held
radios hand held gps hand held this and hand held that,wish I could uprate
my kit every few months as this is the impression given that every one has
at least three GPS sets and a couple of radios, Again if I could afford to buy new gear all the time I would have new boat as well! Feel the mag has
completly lost the plot as to what the readers actually want,
But as long as we keep on buying it, I cannot see it changing back to what
it was, Agood interesting value for moneyread!!
rant over,

 

[bigmart]

I am now on my third sailing club. By & large the biggest boat in any of them has been 32 Foot. Most of the regular cruisers have sailed boats in the 22-26 foot region & 10 - 30 years old. For cheapness most boats have been Bilge Keelers or Shoal Draft designs.

What seems strange is that, if you believe editorial comments, most of the magazines journalists also sail boats of this type.

Why then does this type of sailing get so small coverage in the content of the mags.

Merry Christmas

Martin

 

[gus]

Perhaps the answer may be to get back to the magazine being a PRACTICAL magazine. I have bought every copy for the past umpteen years and the main benefit I have found was the practical advice which has taught me a large part of what I now know about boats – of all types. Having progressed from a 16 foot sports cruiser to a 24 foot Vivacity and now on to a 38 foot 11.5 ton steel motorsailer, I have learned a lot about boats and boating by reading PBO and other publications. Perhaps part of the difficulty is that the magazine is trying to encompass a large spectrum of boating experience from the basic beginner all the way through to the well experienced boater. I, probably like many others, have many practical and innovative ideas, which have been carried out on our boats, and which might be of great interest to others, but we lack the skills to create an article about them. Perhaps if there was an easier way for PBO to tap into this resource then they may find more interesting subject matter for the magazine for others to enjoy and be inspired.

 

[mikewilkes]

I agree that certain pieces of gear seem to be done to death and like the insurance idea. Now you are going to get all the negatives like their are so many variables to contend with. But at least, as whoever mentioned Top Gear, give it a try. At the moment what the hell have you got to loose apart from more customers if you continue as you are.
Thats my twopennuth,
Mike

 

[nicho]

I hope it's not because my picture's on the front..........!!

 

[ccscott49]

Oh! is that you wearing the tea cosy?

 

[nicho]

Strange, but in my opinion, PBO is the ONLY magazine that covers everything from the DIY enthusiast (of which I guess makes up a relatively small minority of boat owners), through to the tests of used boats and of course more expensive new examples, and lots of gear tests. To my mind, it covers the whole spectrum for all types of boat owner, far better than ST or YM.

I never read any sailing magazine until about 12 months ago, so never saw PBO in it's "purer" form. I see lots of criticism here of the current mags content, but not a lot of ideas of how to make it suit yours (and others) needs better.

 

[ccscott49]

I don't think you're reading the posts then, because I've seen a few suggestions on how some of the readership would like to see the magazine develope, but I've also read Kims' post., which says how the magazine may well be changing in that direction, but to give the Editor and a features editor?, time to get they're feet under the table. You are also quite right, you didn't see PBO as it's previous form, also I think your wrong about the DIY lot being a very samll minority, especially with prices of services the way they are, I feel you are missing the point some of the guys are trying to make. The magazine is titled "Practical Boat Owner", thats the problem, it's not (or shouldn't be) aimed at "Every boat owner".

 

[Avocet]

As the co-owner of an ageing and not particularly valuable (I'd be chuffed if someone offered me £10k!) yacht, I have to say that I have little interest in the £50k+ boats often featured. I'd love to see more articles on making things for £50 quid, rescuing stuff from skips and general stuff of interest to me and my fellow "Wombles" but I do also like the odd bit of pure fantasy. Of course I know I'm never likely to own a luxurious yacht but that doesn't mean that once in a while I don't like to see "how the other half lives"!

 

[lauradee]

couldnt agree more with you, simple things like you see here on the forum but which puzzle people who have never done them before, ill always remember a buddy of mine watching me dismember a bottle cooler to get rid o the non essential bits because i was converting it into a bits chiller, how do you know whats what in there? cause ive worked all my life with things like this and i just know !!
s

 

[Avocet]

OK, here's an idea,

How about the magazine getting a lab to test a load of different water filters? I change mine every year but after the tanks had water in it for a few months in summer I'm never brave enough to drink it.

Am I being a big girl?

Do these thing's really filter germs out?

 

[lauradee]

drinking ickky water

why not indeed, i mean that is exactly what they should be doing, practical.
also explain the effect of milton and bleach and quantities to be used, i used to chuck a cup ful in our bladder tanks in the desert and it stopped egyptian belly in its tracks but whether it was the correct doseage ???
s
s