Sailing Magazines Options

[TackBoston]

I get asked form time to time about the “best” sailing magazine to subscribe to. That’s a bit of a silly question, as there are many good sailing magazines out there that serve difference purposes. I thought I might give a little overview of a number of the magazines I receive to help people decide which ones might fit their needs. This is by no means exhaustive, and I am sure many of you out there can add to this list (and I hope you do!).

Cruising World – focused on “light” cruising under sail, this is one of the more popular magazines. Includes boat and gear reviews, stories of cruising life, and lessons on boat care. Strong classified section.
Sailing World – focused completely on racing, including boats, gear, rules, and strategy, as well as race results. Small classified section.
Sailing – large-format magazine with great photography. Covers everything sailing.
Soundings – large-format magazine published in regional editions. Very full of content on all things boating, including local content. Huge classified section.
Blue Water Sailing – focused on hard-core, distance cruising. Good practical advice and stories of cruising and destinations.
Practical Sailor – no nonsense reviews of all kinds of sailing gear. No advertising.

What else do you get?

[painkiller]

Don't forget Latitudes & Attitudes (now called Seafaring).

[painkiller]

Oh, and Spinsheet if you're on the Chesapeake.

[alwheeler98]

Good Old Boat (we have a 40 year old sailboat) and Sailing

[PierreMundo]

What about "SAIL" magazine, lots of information, Boatsworks articles (what and how to do) and good classified section.

[rperret]

Small Craft Advisor for small boats. i don't subscribe but have received a copy and it looks like a nice read.

Good Old Boat is a wonderful magazine by the way.

One thing I have noticed - a while back I was in a marine consignment shop and purchased some sailing magazines ca. early-mid 1970's - Sailing and Sail Magazine to be specific. A side from some of the "racy" advertising - the articles were of much better quality - more detailed and comprehensive - much of the magazines today (not just boating) are full of gibberish - light on content - too much gloss - no subtance.

enough said.

Rick

[AllThumbs]

I just subscribed to "Sail". No idea if it's any good, but the only sailing mag in my kids school fundraiser catalog.

[camaraderie]

Latitude 38 on line. LectronicLattitude
Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing & Marine Magazine.

[Delirious]

The only sailing magazine I currently subscribe to is Good Old Boat. I get more off the Internet than Crusing World, Sail or Practical Sailor provided me in the past.

And I still miss (* sniff *) Small Boat Journal.

[Valiente]

I get Ocean Navigator and Practical Sailor as subs, and I pick up the odd Good Old Boat for one of their detailed "turn your quarterberth into a woodshop/spa" articles. I would probably buy the British "Practical Boat Owner" if it didn't cost so much here, and every third article wasn't about some 35 year old bilge-keeled 23 footer used to smoke kippers in some backwater estuary.

I used to buy Sail and Cruising World, but I guess I outgrew them, and they scaled back on the gear and tips and lore stuff I enjoyed in favour of reviews of the latest Bendytoy or Farr 40. Which is fine, but if I want to know about race boats or "performance cruisers", I'll crew on one at my club, not via the pages of a magazine with quite so high an ad count.