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Best Sailing Magazine ?

28K views 33 replies 29 participants last post by  g0twind  
#1 ·
I am looking to get a monthly subscription to a sailing magazine but am looking for input as to which one you like. I want to read tips and tricks, how to's, sailors stories, some product information and things like that.

I saw one magazine and it was more of an advertising catalogue and I don't want that. I am interested in an American magazine and if one focuses more on the Bahamas and Caribbean area then that would be ideal.

Please let me know your favorites. Thanks.
 
#4 ·
2nd vote for G.O.B.

I get Practical Sailor and Cruising World, and used to subscribe to SAIL.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Like Yachting Monthly but much prefer Yachting Today, more real sailing and less articles about sailing in places and on boats out of reach of the average penniless sailor.Of course these may not be of much interest to US sailors. A good free read is Afloat, an Australian online mag, lots of good technical articles and realy funny stories from their regulars, Arry Driftwood never fails to cheer me up.
Happy sailing.
Brian
 
#8 ·
Good Old Boat get my vote for the best. I have subscribed (or still subscribe) to Cruising World, Sail, Sailing and Small Craft Adviser. All of these publications are quality magazines. Although they will all seem like they have too many advertisements. If I was to have a second favorite it would have to be Sailing, although they do always seem deliver there magazines in a timely fashion or they don't always show up.
 
#9 ·
There is NOT a perfect magazine that will fit the OP's need. Closest would be Cruising world, BUT< that will have a lot of adds etc.

I have yet to see GOB, practical sailor, Small craft adviser have articles on sailing the Caribbean/Bermuda area. For how too's, then these latter rags are a bit better than CW. Sail has a mixture to a degree.

Reality is, for the OP, you will need to look at 2-4 rags to get the info you want.

Marty
 
#14 ·
I enjoy Good Old Boat, but also find a lot of useful tips in SAIL. And for those of us locked in ice half the year, nothing quite beats the large, full spread photos in Sailing Magazine.

GOB is more for the do-it-yourself'er, where as SAIL appeals to the techie in me. Blue Water Sailing is ok, but is mostly stories of distant cruising lands. Practical Sailor is invaluable, but only if you are planning on spending more money :confused:

I finally gave up on Cruising World and Sailing World (although they still keep coming - kind of like your race crew when there is free beer). Way too much advertisement and promotional articles for my liking.

I agree with above - depends on what may be your style, and how many magazines you want to buy.
 
#15 ·
The two best are Good Old Boat and Ocean Navigator
 
#17 ·
IMHO, #1. (best all around) Good Old Boat. #2. (tie) Sail and Lats and Atts. L&As is very entertaining and I love Bob, captain Woody,Tia and Buba. Sail is really more high tech, has some nice articles, but a little too much big money and big ocean racing for me. #3. Sailing. I like the editor and the various contributors. A fine mag with great photos. #4. Practical Sailor. Hard to read because it is by nature a research and testing publication, not meant to be entertainment.
 
#19 ·
The name Good Old Boat has always left me with the feeling that it's about old boats and my perception is that is largely wooden boats? We don't get it here and the sample issue is also not available to us so I have no way of evaluating the content.

It sounds like a good magazine, will someone give a broad-brush-strokes idea of the content please.
 
#21 ·
GOB is actually OLD classic plastic in nature. Boats reviewed will be from 1960 or there abouts, some 50's, to about 1995, ie anything older than about 20 yrs to when FG boats first started coming out. here is a typical review article of older boats from them. Granted I am a bit biased on the boat......as it is mine!:D:D:D
Arcadia 30

Even still as I mentioned above. Not sure this rag will fit ALL of what the OP wants. Where to cruise or charter per say, CW is hard to beat that way. Articles on how to's, older boat reviews, GOB is hard to beat. SW for race article, how to's and boat reviews. Sail a good or what I call a reasonable mixture. Sailing, a bit more laid back, like B Perrys reviews.... vs the reviews in other rags...... There is not a one best all around IMHO.

marty
 
#26 ·
My vote is divided... I really like Good Old Boat, but I have a 30 year old fiberglas boat and enjoy the fact that the magazine is aimed at me. My second choice, because i am a photographer and love sailing photos, is for SAILING magazine, Both are excellent for different reasons. I also have SAIL and Cruising World. but those would be way down my must read list.

FYI: check amaon for magaine discounts.

Sail: Sail (1-year auto-renewal): Amazon.com: Magazines

Good Old Boat: Good Old Boat: Amazon.com: Magazines (this is expensive for 6 issues for $39 but still worth the cost).

Cruising World: Cruising World (1-year auto-renewal): Amazon.com: Magazines

I didn't see a listing for Sailing Magaine but you can get more info: Sailing Magazine
 
#27 ·
Personally, I am partial to Lats and Atts as I like to dream, and I find that there is a great variety of persons submitting articles, from coastal cruisers to intrepid offshore voyagers. This is nice because I can read about the places I'd love to be, but still get funny and relevant stories for coastal cruisers dealing with similar problems to what I may encounter.

Cruising World is fine, but the content is clearly not focused to the type of sailing I do. Good Old Boat is better in that respect, but I prefer more on the destinations personally. Boat projects are something it's nice to avoid thinking about sometimes...
 
#28 ·
Good Old Boat. As they say, "the magazine for the rest of us". I fit the demographic perfectly. 35 year old boat that I want to fix and maintain myself for not a huge amount of money.

However, to tell you the truth, I think I have learned more from this forum than from any magazine. It just takes a bit of reading and thought to decide what advice to take, and what to reject.