"Practical " Boat Owner?..

[seeSimon]

What has become of PBO?

Latest has 9 pages of irrelevant (to me, and i suspect the majority PBOers) guff about SATCOM systems, and at least the same about electric propulsion systems...for yachts, not tenders. Thought I'd opened "Yachting World" by mistake!

Similar to motoring magazines.... in their relentless quest to seek out/appease advertisers?

My recent issues of "CAR" magazine is seemingly preoccupied with electric SUVs, most >£45k, many are more than twice that....

Both subscriptions unlikely to be renewed next year.

Might help me save up for the £1000 AIS B+ that I'm told I "need"...

 

[dunedin]

Electric propulsion is very relevant in the PBO market - not least because other than expensive new builds, the majority of yacht electric drives have been DIY fitted in old boats whose diesel engine is end of life. (Sailing Uma was an early example, but I know of many more)
It is not for everyone, but for some boats and usage patterns it is worth considering.
Perhaps you need to be more open minded?

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Electric propulsion is very relevant in the PBO market - not least because other than expensive new builds, the majority of yacht electric drives have been DIY fitted in old boats whose diesel engine is end of life. (Sailing Uma was an early example, but I know of many more)
It is not for everyone, but for some boats and usage patterns it is worth considering.
Perhaps you need to be more open minded?

I would be very interested to know how many diy installations in the UK in the last 5 years. I know of one through an association but the claimed range figures were so fanciful that I disregarded it completely.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I stopped my subscription to PBO some time ago after being a subscriber for since late 1969/70's

I like fiddling with boats and long time ago found very little relevant to me. Even the DIY mags and car mags are of little relevance to me now.

Electric cars and boats do not have anywhere near the range I need as distances are vast where I live

 

[DreadShips]

I felt something similar, to be honest - added to a review of two brand new mobos costing over £200k (as tested) and a look at various second hand 32 footers (way out of my league, and by not giving even guideline prices it didn't even give an idea of how the various boats measured up in terms of bang for buck).

It all felt rather unbalanced in terms of who it was written for.

 

[Wansworth]

People don’t need pencil holders anymore

 

[footsoldier]

I stopped my subscription to PBO some time ago after being a subscriber for since late 1969/70's

I like fiddling with boats and long time ago found very little relevant to me.

I think that view would be shared by many, myself included. We are long past the heady days when I eagerly anticipated the arrival of a new PBO, packed with well-written and researched, innovative and informative articles that were relevant to its declared target audience. The last one I saw was a sparse effort comprised of irrelevant pasted and copied PR puffs.

 

[Bristolfashion]

I generally find a "that's interesting", a "that's useful" and a "that's irrelevant" group in each issue. I do all the sailing mags as part of a "Readily" subscription - which is for the whole family and only £7.99, so I'm happy at the moment.

Readily includes the canal boat mags and music mags which I'm also interested in - my wife (who is anything but idle) likes "The Idler".

You can read an American gun or knife mag for a laugh.

 

[thinwater]

Consider the economics. Ads pay for the paper and old boats don't generate ad revenue, shiny things do. Also, magazines now have to compete with all manner of free content and social media. Some is good, most is "influencers," but it is content all the same. Many, many magazines have either failed outright or gone to an on-line presence that is but a shadow of their former selves.

The market for instructional books has suffered much the same fate. "Why buy a book, when the information (not organized or vetted) is available for free on the net?" And why would anyone take the time to read a boring book when they can just ask a dumb question on a forum? I have perhaps 20 times more books on sailing than the local library.

There's no point in crying over it. I am relieve the writing portion of my career is winding down anyway. It's gotten too weird.

 

[Wansworth]

Maybe a niche for mags like Good old Boat?

 

[Bristolfashion]

There's no point in crying over it. I am relieve the writing portion of my career is winding down anyway. It's gotten too weird.

Yes, it feels like younger generations are used to free content - paying significant money for a magazine must seem weird to them.

I generate a little bit of professional video, music and written content but, like you, I'm winding down any attempt to make reasonable money as free content is so common and it can just be nicked and appear elsewhere so easily.

Of course, some might be glad I'm winding down!

 

[doug748]

Maybe a niche for mags like Good old Boat?

Folded I think (heh). Another sharp nail in the boot of the old boat, foot soldiers.

 

[Bristolfashion]

The market for instructional books has suffered much the same fate. "Why buy a book, when the information (not organized or vetted) is available for free on the net?" And why would anyone take the time to read a boring book when they can just ask a dumb question on a forum? I have perhaps 20 times more books on sailing than the local library.

There is some brilliant educational stuff for free, but I find that it's not particularly organised in any sensible progression - one can end up simply learning a bunch of disconnected bits and pieces.

One thing I'm trying to learn, I had to spend quite some time at the start of the year mapping out a sensible order & the resources I'd use - back in the day, a combination of a good teacher & instructional book would have made that easier.

 

[KevinV]

From my own perspective "boat ownership on a budget" and "paying for a glossy magazine full of adverts and the occasional solution to a problem I don't have right now" don't tally.
I do read things just out of interest, and for the mental exercise, but this forum generates plenty of that

 

[Refueler]

How long will these forums remain without revenue from the Mags ?

Long ago - I felt PBO was moving away from its primary reader base ....

 

[Beneteau381]

From my own perspective "boat ownership on a budget" and "paying for a glossy magazine full of adverts and the occasional solution to a problem I don't have right now" don't tally.
I do read things just out of interest, and for the mental exercise, but this forum generates plenty of that

There aren’t many adverts these days, thats the problem.

 

[Bristolfashion]

How long will these forums remain without revenue from the Mags ?

Long ago - I felt PBO was moving away from its primary reader base ....

There do seem to be quite a few ads floating around the forums - and I guess that forums are pretty cheap to run? Of course, a little bit of forum stuff turns up as content in one of the mags each month.

Sadly, a few of my favourite mags have closed down over the years.

 

[Refueler]

With most people using Ad Blockers .... that means even Forums are not earning as much as they are designed to.

 

[Bristolfashion]

With most people using Ad Blockers .... that means even Forums are not earning as much as they are designed to.

Good point. Do you have an ad blocker that works on Chrome on an android phone - I'd quite one.

Thanks

 

[Bristolfashion]

Funny coincidence - "Guitar Player" magazine, which has been printed for 58 years (and is one of my favourites) has just announced the last print edition.