Motor Boats Monthly update

[Fantasie 19]

There is already too much stuff in PBO that is not relevant to me. If they ditched the "local" stuff in favour of practical MB stuff, I guess that would be OK.

+1 ; also the reviews of new boats which are way out of my league.... (the best stuff in PBO recently has been the recon on Hantu Biru, but even then I wish they'd gone a little more "realistic" and done it like most of us would have done it ie. no handouts from the manufacturers of paint/resins etc so advice guidance on best/cheap alternatives, and a little more detail on the repairs.....)

 

[Admin]

IPC is in consultation with the staff about the title’s future and a final decision will be made when the consultation period ends on September 5. Should the final decision be to cease publication, we will then disable all subscription sales devices.

 

[Dick Atcherley]

IPC is in consultation with the staff about the title’s future and a final decision will be made when the consultation period ends on September 5. Should the final decision be to cease publication, we will then disable all subscription sales devices.

It doesn't really seem right to carry on taking potential subscriber's money when the future of the magazine is uncertain; that's like an airline selling tickets for flights that may or may not happen - it borders upon obtaining money by deception.

 

[P4Paul]

IPC is in consultation with the staff about the title’s future and a final decision will be made when the consultation period ends on September 5. Should the final decision be to cease publication, we will then disable all subscription sales devices.

Hmmm.....

We're sad to confirm that unfortunately IPC Media has yesterday announced its intention to cease publishing Motor Boats Monthly and has entered into consultation with editorial staff on the title.

The consultation will conclude on 5 September 2014 and subscribers will be notified of their options following this date.

YBW Admin

 

[longjohnsilver]

It doesn't really seem right to carry on taking potential subscriber's money when the future of the magazine is uncertain; that's like an airline selling tickets for flights that may or may not happen - it borders upon obtaining money by deception.

Oh come on, get off your high horse. You're now aware that the mag will probably cease to exist, and I'd be amazed if subscribers were left out of pocket if MBM closes. So where's the problem?

I do wish all the staff well. Must be very difficult times for them.

 

[prv]

the best stuff in PBO recently has been the recon on Hantu Biru

Have to say I mostly found that rather dull. Watching someone else slogging through a long but unremarkable series of repairs and refits wasn't really very interesting or informative.

Glad someone liked it though

Pete

 

[Greg2]

Have to say I mostly found that rather dull. Watching someone else slogging through a long but unremarkable series of repairs and refits wasn't really very interesting or informative.

Glad someone liked it though

Pete

And therein lies the difficulty I guess, it is virtually impossible to keep everyone happy and getting the right mix of content must be a tricky business. I liked the recent changes to MBM but someone else commented that they thought it was more like a travel magazine.......I think that comment was in the minority bit nonetheless it may have been representative of a number of readers. Bottom line is sales and if the numbers don't stack up then something has to happen. Pity the 'new style' MBM hasn't had the chance to bed in and to make a difference.

 

[kimhollamby]

I'm really sorry to hear that. As a loyal subscriber for 23yrs, I really enjoyed the magazine particularly in the early days when Kim Hollamby edited it. I will also be forever grateful to MBM and its Cruising Club who guided us across the Channel for the first time and to many further flung cruising destinations thereafter. I have to say that the mag did lose it's way a little in the last few years but the most recent edition was a return to form as far as I was concerned so I'm very surprised that IPC have decided to pull the plug now although I guess with the advent of digital media and the recession in the boating industry, it was going to happen sooner or later. Very sad to see it go and I hope that the staff manage to find suitable employment elsewhere quickly. Thanks for the memories

Thanks Mike – happy days. It'll get lost in the mists of time (errr... actually it is already lost in the mists of time) but the things we got up to in the 1990s particularly were different to everyone else, a bit like MBM plus with things like the club (peaked at about eight events a year) and Try A Boat (I still bump into people who came out on that programme that are now into second, third or fourth boat). Was dead lucky in those days to have a complete team of crazy people that often worked seven days a week to make it all happen.

The latest redesign really did take MBM back to some of its original ethos, I thought it was great and really chuffed to be invited back to make a contribution.

I too am sorry it didn't get more of a chance to stick. Soon after I took the editor's job (when MBM was owned by United Newspapers) we were under threat of closure but ultimately got our day. Incidentally Nick Hopkinson, the publisher today, was also the publisher all the way through the 1990s and supported our many whacky ideas which culminated with the 1999 round Britain trip so although he won't be in a position to say anything about this right now I'm sure he's sad about this turn of events too.

 

[PCUK]

Hopefully this thread will be seen when the consultation takes place.

 

[[2068]]

Hopefully this thread will be seen when the consultation takes place.

Ummm, typically these things are not a two-way process.
"Consultation" means that you get a chance to rant to the HR lady before accepting a generous settlement in lieu of suing them sideways.

 

[mjf]

I too used to have a sub but finally gave it up several years ago now as got fed up with the multiple tests that I had seen before in MBY or visa versa.

Odddly a friend gave me the latest copy yesterday to read and I was astonished at the new look - I thought it was a fabulous transformation.

IMHO IPC need to let the new look settle in and word to spread on the change before ditching the title.

That said I have no idea about the financials which will be the boss.

 

[Imperial One]

I remember buying the very first copy of the new magazine and greatly enjoying it.
I wish now that I still had all those back issues so that I could take them to Antique Roadshow but they were becoming a huge fire risk!
Subsequently, as an advertiser in both MBY and MBM, over the years, I have to say that I always felt MBM had the edge in terms of content and readability. It was always full of many interesting, down to earth and relevant articles for most boat owners.

I was lucky enough to be at a dinner a good many years ago when it was announced that IPC had purchased MBM and was somewhat surprised at the news and wondered what might happen to its content. After this it seemed to me that MBM were "allowed" to carry on pretty much as before but only do articles on boats up to 50 feet while MBY did all the others. I guess there was some sound logic in that decision and both are/were good in their own fields of operation. Dare I suggest that MBY would do well to adjust their content and embrace much of what MBM did so well?

On a personal note, I have fond memories of doing boat tests for both mags but remember particularly a day at sea with the late Robert Avis revisiting the Atlantic 444 for one of his test of time articles, testing the first Pearl 45 with Kim Hollamby and loaning my own boat (at short notice) to Carl Richardson for a photo boat when he was doing a Sunseeker test.

Many of my customers took part in the MBM cruises, these were inspirational, a great idea and much enjoyed by everyone who took part in them. It was a good way of gaining that all important confidence to trust in the boat and widen ones horizons to try new destinations and get more from the ownership of a Motor Boat - irrespective of size or type.

The digital age has certainly changed so many things including the relevance of printed matter as a form of reference and I have no doubt this has had an impact on MBM as it has on other magazines.

If it does disappear, I shall be very sorry to see MBM disappear and wish all its staff, contributors and management team, past and present, all the very best in the future.
Thanks to you all for a great magazine and so many, years of interesting, honest, helpful and sensible articles. :applause::applause:

Mike Miller.
Imperial Motoryachts.

 

[Piers]

My love of boating began when I saw my first copy of MBM years and years ago. As a result, I bought a Fletcher Arrowbolt 21 with a Yammy 175, moved to a Cougar predator 35, a Princess V39, and then our Fleming 55.

The MBM cruises introduced me to out of sight of the land cruising (cross channel) where Kim and Tom began to impart their stockroom of boating experience and wisdom on those brilliant MBM cruises.

Can anyone remember the MBM club card? I still have mine - can't bring myself to throw it away. It's a valuable momento of a passport to boating.

Neale and Clare did a magnificent job of keeping the mag alive as long it was. And yes, I read their new Motorboat Owner mag in detail.

Memories. Really precious memories, started by MBM 26 years ago.

 

[sea-commander]

I makes me really sad to read this.
As a subscriber from Germany I must say that I like MBM much more than These two magazines that we have here ("Boote" & "Skipper").
In every edition you can tell that the staff are true boaters by heart. An important point, that I miss in the German mags.
I also like the used boat tests (non existant in Boote and Skipper) and the boat tests are more detailled.
I've been looking forward to every edition. Sad, when it's over!
Chris

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks Mike – happy days. .

Kim, I'm writing this from the cockpit of my boat whilst anchored in some sunny bay in Sardinia. I can't say that it was entirely your and MBM's fault that I've spent the last 23yrs pouring money into ever larger and more expensive floating moneypits whilst enduring the inevitable marital arguments over what else we could have spent the money on but you and MBM certainly must shoulder some of the blame
Yes, as I said, the most recent edition of MBM was a return to form and its a great shame it isn't being allowed a while longer to prove itself again

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

On a personal note, I have fond memories of doing boat tests for both mags but remember particularly a day at sea with the late Robert Avis revisiting the Atlantic 444 for one of his test of time articles,

It is very sad that Robert passed away at such a young age. Back in the '90s, and as a result of reading his contributions to MBM, I engaged him to give me a few days instruction in preparation for my Yachtmaster practical exam and it is to his eternal credit that I passed the exam. He was an extremely knowledgeable and delightful man but he took no prisoners when it came to applying the ColRegs. I remember once motoring out of the River Hamble hugging the starboard side of the channel as I should and being faced with a yacht coming into the Hamble under sail but on the wrong side of the channel. I was ready to change course but Robert instructed me in no uncertain terms to hold my course. When the yacht eventually moved to his correct side of the channel and passed us, there was much jeering and swearing from the crew. Robert hailed them on the VHF and demanded to talk to the skipper whereupon first he informed him that he was a Yachtmaster Examiner and Royal Navy Reserve Commander and then delivered a withering lecture to the skipper on the obligations of vessels navigating in narrow channels which resulted in the skipper abjectly apologising for his actions and that of his crew. My favourite memory of Robert

 

[Imperial One]

Great story Mike, that sounds like the Robert I knew. On our Atlantic 444 test, he needed to get a few running shots and as there were just the 2 of us, he called QHM in Portsmouth and asked for permission to do some speed trials in the harbour. Permission was granted and I dropped him off on a floating wreck up stream towards Port Solent Marina and then started to charge towards him a number of times. He gave me the thumbs up as he had got his shots, I picked him up and he politely thanked QHM for their assistance and we went off to the pub for lunch.
A true Gentleman and fondly remembered by many.

 

[Wavey]

It is very sad that Robert passed away at such a young age. Back in the '90s, and as a result of reading his contributions to MBM, I engaged him to give me a few days instruction in preparation for my Yachtmaster practical exam and it is to his eternal credit that I passed the exam. He was an extremely knowledgeable and delightful man but he took no prisoners when it came to applying the ColRegs. I remember once motoring out of the River Hamble hugging the starboard side of the channel as I should and being faced with a yacht coming into the Hamble under sail but on the wrong side of the channel. I was ready to change course but Robert instructed me in no uncertain terms to hold my course. When the yacht eventually moved to his correct side of the channel and passed us, there was much jeering and swearing from the crew. Robert hailed them on the VHF and demanded to talk to the skipper whereupon first he informed him that he was a Yachtmaster Examiner and Royal Navy Reserve Commander and then delivered a withering lecture to the skipper on the obligations of vessels navigating in narrow channels which resulted in the skipper abjectly apologising for his actions and that of his crew. My favourite memory of Robert

Priceless.

If MBM monthly gets a reprieve then I for one will take out a sub to support them. It's the only boating mag out there that I find relevant to me.

Sadly I find MBY to be a coffee table mag in the main for dreamers or people that want to impress their friends. Bits that interest me I read in about 2 minutes standing in W H Smiths. I used to think it was because of the type of boat I had and where I was cruising. Three years ago when I spent the equivalent of a reasonable house on the boat of my dreams I tried it again. Nope, still not relevant. But I guess it's more to do with advertising revenue and a lot of the advertisers in MBY are interested in selling the dream. That's must be where MBY scores as the last circulation figures for both mags weren't wildly different.

 

[paul_hanson]

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments, good to know our efforts to produce a better mag were not entirely wasted.
We've just polished off the 330th issue (October), collectors item, hope you like it.
See you on the water...
Paul

 

[whisper]

I'm yet another one who very impressed with the latest format - well done.
Good luck to you and your colleagues in the future.