New style pullout charts in Yachting Monthly

Malish

Malish

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What do people think of the new style pullout charts included in YM this month? - I think the new version looks like something from a Playstation, nothing like the quality of the old style. Still I suppose cheaper graphics should help keep the cover price down (flying shoulder of ham passing the window as I write).
 
I don't like the relative lack of information. They are aimed at the sailor who uses predominantly GPS for navigation, allegedly, so they seem to have left all the interesting bits off the chartlet. That said, I've never used one as a guide on the boat, I'd always trust the pilot book/almanac combination when it comes down to it. The most useful bits are the port info., e.g. telephone numbers, facilities, pubs etc.

Actually I was hoping YM would produce an index at some point, to save me having to go through them all and put them in alphabetical or geographical order.
 
I havn't seen these new charts. We get next months issue at the end of this month.
However, I did collect the 'old' charts and when one of my Norwegian friends went to France to pick up a new yacht. I gave him a folder of those charts which, would be on his route back to Norge. He could then look up and select, along with the 'guides' and other 'information' which port he might like to visit. Once he had selected a port, he used my charts and pilot guides he borrowed.
He said that the guides and information helped them select their route. Especially when they had to make a quick diversion in some bad weather.
He and his crew told me that they had found them the best piece of kit they had taken with them. Very useful. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Which reminders me! Hes still go my courtesy flags
 
What pull-out bit!!. Nothing to pull-out in the copy I received yesterday. If it was an "insert" and loose then it either wasn't there or it got thrown out along with all the other unwanted advertising that all magazines now include. Have I missed out?
 
thanx.....must get my eyes tested as I didn't spot that. The previous pull-outs were excellent this "new style" is a very poor replacement. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking this.
 
I'm surprised this is the only criticism of the "new look" YM

The whole magazine looks a mess with confusing page styles and varying typefaces. My impression is that once again the actual volume of content (measured by words not pages) has been reduced and replaced with white space and pictures

As you say, the new style pullout just a piece of cost saving and not an improvement for anyone who actually wants to use them.
 
And they should ensure that the keel layout and draft (or is it draught) of the intrepid writer's boat is clearly stated in every pilotage article..
Just a Grumpy old man after the KY jelly thread..
Cheers Bob E...
 
Even more to the point, IMHO, I found very little to read in the latest issue. Had effectively finished it over my morning (lazy) cup of tea in bed....usually I get a couple of days out of it. Am I the only one to find the endless Charter reviews a complete bore? (closely followed by pre/during/after show reviews).

Vic
 
Worse, some of the recent articles contain serious errors. I drew one to the Editor's attention in December and am still waiting for a reply. The offending piece on that occasion was about the use of radar in fog, written by a dude who did not know his rule of the road and wrote as though the steering and sailing rules for vessels in sight of each other can simply be applied to a radar picture in low visibility.

Must be something wrong with the editorial process for this sort of thing to reach the readers.

Personally, have switched to Sailing Today, written by a yachtsman for yachtsman. And, no, I am not paid to promote ST or its editor!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one to find the endless Charter reviews a complete bore? (closely followed by pre/during/after show reviews).

[/ QUOTE ]

I groan when the charter holiday review issues drop through the letterbox this time of year. The Management will no doubt claim that more people purchase a charter holiday each year than a new boat. The problem with these reviews is they are poorly written advertorials that usually finish with "Mr. Gloating Git and his family were guests of...".
 
YM has lost he plot

Not keen on the new look at all. It's not just the look, content's going downhill as well. Choice of articles is debateable. Seem to be all horror stories of late.
Also, factual errors are on the increase.
When it comes to product reviews or travel destinations... well, let me just say you can't fail to notice who the major advertisers are.
When it comes to products Raymarine & Icom are nearly always best products, and as for destinations: Moorings or Sunsail always happen to be based in that area. Am I just getting old, or has someone else noticed it too?

Picked up Sailing Today a couple of months ago, and have now taken out a sub. Don't know yet if I will renew my YM sub when it expires.
 
Re: YM has lost he plot

I have to say that in the past I've generally liked the changes YM has made but not his time. Was looking through some older editions and it has changed for the worse.

Accept the fact that a lot of readers will be seriously into sailing and treat them like that - stop dumbing it down.
 
Re: YM has lost he plot

Have to agree about the charter reviews I skip right past them and move onto some more white space and adverts.

Not too impressed with the pull out chart, as has been said earlier I know it's GPS only BUT surely even with GPS waypoints you still have to consider the surrounding depth, rocks awash, sand banks etc.

I've just got this image of quite a few boat owners all using the same waypoint from the same mag on some sunny day and all of them wondering why it's so busy around this particular spot /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: YM has lost he plot

I hate all the charter reviews as well - perhaps they should produce a separate mag for charterers.

However, the editorial trumpeting the new look 'with bite-sized pieces of information for the internet age' also promised more affordable boat tests and more gear tests, so let's wait and see.

- Nick
 
I agree ,the charter reviews were a waste of space. As for the new chartlets they have gone down the pan!
Yes I'm getting a little suspicious of just how often Raymarine and Sunsail are 'involved' in the content
 
I don't think much of it either. Some of the font (fonts?) used seem to be smaller than before and my old eyes have struggled a bit with this issue. Agree that it looks a bit of a mess so far as the layout is concerned too, much the same thing that I dislike about PBO. I also subscribe to Sailing Today and I have to say that I think it's the better mag at the moment.
 
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