Well said!

The current and past magazines don't (didn't) have an issue with getting content. The problem is the advertisers are far and few between these days.

Once the boating business comes back, so will advertisers and so will boating magazines.

I am glad this made it back to the top. I do understand that current and past magazines did not have issues with content. What I was thinking was more along the lines of the compact car magazine called Project Car (I think this is what it is called I really don't read them just see them on shelves) It shows different upgrades and projects that go on month to month along with other articles about bolt ons etc.

I think the current magazines have their place with racing and Poker runs and New boat tests and I feel there is a need for one that does not fit in these categories.

I post this on Speed tvs forum in the past. YES we need something. I love cars, but im not a "car guy" Love fast cars but im not a "nascar guy" I love boats im a "BOATER" I would love to see more for me and anyone else like me. A program on speed, a magazine that speeks to those of us who can only dream of 500 k boats. Not that I don't enjoy Powerboat magazine, but thats a playground that I may never be a part of. Follow your dreams!!!!! and don't let someone else tell you that its a bad idea. Where do ya think Bill Gates would be if he listened to the guy who told him it was a bad idea. Walt Disney was bankrupt twice. Appearently he didn't listen to the guy who told him it was a bad idea.

Sorry for the random thoughts.

With all due respect. I hope no body ever told you that you had a bad idea.

Ditto
Hey db, I like your idea also

Next thought Anyone have some project boats that could have an article done about them. This idea is kind of on a whim but the more positive response I get the more I want to do it.

There is a thread in the cigarette forum called "updated cafe's" there are two awsome cafe's with some outstanding work. check it out!

In 2003 several of us started Extreme Boat Magazine and as Ron Polli said, content wasn't the issue. We had very simular ideas in what we wanted show and do with the features. Readers rides, reviews from boat owners, projects that the owners were able to do and needed help with.

It was very well recieved and with people like Ron providing content about offshore racing and Bill providing the Unliimited Hydro connection, we had a great thing going. None of us were taking a salary and scraping up everything we had to print each issue figuring the advertising dollars would soon follow...NOT! The advetisers were interested but wanted lots of proof their dollars were getting results.

Though we had lots of issues, advertisers and capitalization were the main ones and caused us to seek outside investment earlier than we had planned to. So we lost editorial control and the magazine took on a differant slant, but one we still thought did well, it just wasn't along the lines we planned.

Knowing the boating manufactures and accessory suppliers were a very limited market for advertising income, we started there but also went after hotels, real estate and other advertising. Each issue cost $15,000 to $20,000 to print and ship and the 25 dollars per year subscriptions just don't cover very much of it.

As Casey Kiernan, the new publisher, grew it over the years, advertisers were covering each issue but not much more than that and without them, no matter how good the content, your not going to get a single magazine printed.

As we all saw, the economy took out Hot Boat and Extreme Boats along with hundreds of other magazines out there.

Chris Davidson of Performance Boats has several things going for him, DEEP POCKETS and a publishing plan that limits the number of print issues a year.
Powerboat is doing simular things like cutting back on number of issues.

So, I agree a magazine with the type of content you mention is needed, good luck in getting it together. Make sure you can publish for a year without much income and line up some great photograhy and writers. You might just be in time for the next economic wave to carry you along!!

This gives me an idea, toilet paper holders that have Wifi signal boosters in them.