Okay, so this is one of those questions that sounds simple until you start answering it
It’s like “what should we have for dinner?” or “do these pants make me look weird?” Totally depends who’s asking, and what kind of day they’ve had.
So yeah, it’s subjective. But still… there are a few things most people agree on when it comes to what makes a sailing magazine actually good. Let’s start with the good stuff, and then I’ll get into what people roll their eyes at.
First up: the content’s gotta be solid.
A great sailing magazine should feel like a great conversation… like someone’s telling you stories you actually want to hear about… sailing techniques, boat reviews, seamanship, travel logs, and all the oddball stuff that comes with living part of your life on a boat. It should make you want to keep turning pages, even when your coffee’s cold and your phone’s already dinged three times.
And honestly, everything hinges on the contributors. If the writers don’t know what they’re talking about… or worse, if they write like they just came off the instruction manual assembly line… forget it. The best stuff comes from people who’ve been tossed around mid-storm, who’ve dragged an anchor at 2 a.m., or who once accidentally set fire to their galley stove and now have a funny story about it.
And don’t even try to publish a sailing magazine without top-notch photos. Sailing is one of those activities that looks just as good as it feels… sometimes even better. You need photos that make people pause mid-article and go “damn.” Waves crashing, sails snapping, sunset off the stern… without that, you might as well hand out pamphlets.
Here’s where things get sticky though. For years, a lot of sailing mags tried to please everyone… racers, cruisers, liveaboards, salty retirees, weekend warriors. But at this point, audiences have gotten picky. Racers want different stuff than the folks slowly bobbing around the Caribbean, and honestly? A smart magazine should just pick a lane.
So what about timely versus evergreen content? Depends on who’s reading. The racing crowd? Yeah, they want fresh news, product drops, upcoming regattas, that kind of thing. Cruisers? They’re more into timeless advice… like how to unclog a head with a spoon and some hope. But even then, you gotta toss in 30% of the spicy stuff… new gear, weird sailing stories, epic fails… just to keep them awake.
We already talked about photos… and yes, they should be big and beautiful… but layout and design matter too. If your mag looks like a tax return, no one’s reading it. A sailing magazine should be fun to look at and easy to follow, like one of those glossy cookbooks where you pretend you’re actually gonna make a soufflé.
This part’s big: a good sailing magazine should feel like a friend. Not the one who talks too much about their boat’s fuel efficiency, but the one who texts you funny videos of dolphins and warns you when the marina showers are out of hot water. The closer a magazine gets to building that kind of bond… maybe even a community… the better.
And let’s not forget the new folks. Every year, someone gets curious about sailing and buys a used Catalina 27 and a stack of magazines. A great publication should have something in there that doesn’t make them feel like idiots.
Okay, now for the stuff that makes people unsubscribe.
Repetitive content is a killer. If every issue has the same three types of stories… “How to Trim a Sail,” “Best Handheld GPS Units” and “Anchoring 101”… people zone out.
Also, let’s cool it with the jargon. It’s fine if you know what a traveller is, but maybe explain it for the folks who still mix up port and starboard. Or at least admit that sometimes you forget too.
On the flip side, if the whole thing is windshield-deep in dreamy lifestyle content without any actual tips, the more experienced readers start to lose interest. Everyone loves a good story, but sometimes you just want to know why your bilge pump smells like dead fish.
Oh, and enough with the ads. Yes, yes… we all know you need to pay the bills. But the moment readers feel like they’re flipping through 40 pages of vacuum-sealed cooler reviews and solar panel coupons to find a single article? That’s when they’re out.
It’s a balancing act. There’s no one-size-fits-all, but the one thing every good sailing mag has in common?
It listens. It pays attention to what readers actually want, not just what advertisers think they want. The great ones change when their audience does. They show up on time. They deliver on their promise. Switched On Sailing also delivers multimedia…
Now if this resonates with you, then stick around because we intend to shake things up
Stay Rogue
Warren Cottis
