Boating Magazine

Have you even dreamed about owning a magnificent yacht and taking pleasure trips on it with the sun on your face and the wind at your back? Well, I've got a great boating magazine for you to use for dreaming. It just may convince you to go ahead and make that purchase - that is if you have the money. Some of these babies are very expensive! The cost of the magazine alone will set you back $4.50 but you'll get your money's worth. Save money and subscribe for only $1.50 per issue. If you are really serious about boat ownership or already are a boat owner, then the magazine is naturally even more useful.

The monthly magazine is simply called Boating. Boating Magazine has plenty of competitors like Boating Life, Boating World and Go Boating but I think Boating is tops. It is the most popular powerboat magazine published and it contains the most articles on boat tests. Last year Boating magazine rated 206 boats. It contains detailed coverage on a wide range of boat prices and sizes and appeals to a large audience of boaters. However, don't expect to find any coverage on sailboats.

One of the boats tested each month is on the magazine covers. February's cover is on the Regal 3860-price $265,694; December's cover is of the Pursuit 3070 Express - price $256,270; November's cover is on the Doral 310 SE - price $128,000. The beautiful covers lure readers to buy issues. They are gorgeous!

Six cover articles are listed on the magazine's covers each month and some have page numbers listed for easy reference. There are lots of ads - beautiful ads for dreamboats. Unfortunately, although the ads give readers information on boats, they interfere with locating articles since ad pages are unnumbered. Other ads are for automobiles and fish or boat accessories, gadgets and equipment. The Table of Contents page is neatly organized on one page with several colorful illustrations at the top. The layout of the magazine is neat and attractive. Boating magazine runs around 160 pages. It is for both novice and experienced boaters. Anglers who are also boaters will enjoy the advice and feature articles on this subject.

Besides boat tests, Boating magazine also tests hundreds of boating products each year. Recently they looked at marine toys for kids. You can read some of their choices on the Website. There is a range of prices and a good description and an illustration of each toy.

Every issue is divided more or less evenly into sections: Boat Tests, Departments, Features and Experts. Every issue has regular departments: Rock the Boat, Moving Waves, Tow Test, Gearhead, Don't Know Much About, Diesel Doctor, Boat Doctor Special and Short Casts. Sometimes additional departments are included; sometimes they are listed under the above departments. All the departments include interesting short articles on a wide variety of important boating topics. They are all well written and colorfully illustrated.

Under Making Waves, News Brief contains short bits of new items about marine topics. For example in December they report that old New York subway cars are being used to make reefs to attract sea life. There is always an interesting Quote of the Month from a famous celebrity along with a thumb print photo. November has a simple one from Today's Show Matt Lauer on fresh-water fishing. January has an even better one from Actor Ethan Hawk. "[Fishing] is like watercoloring. You get in touch with the beauty and you don't worry about your problems or how the Knicks are going to do." Kevin Spacey's Quote in February says "Never act with children or fish." Did You Know? puts an interesting slant on boating statistics. Did you know that nearly half of the tax money collected on gasoline used on boats goes for highway construction? I didn't know. There also are informative short essay reviews on Pleasureboats.

The Making Waves department also contains lots of basic information such as weather, boat and fishing terminology, tips on handling boating situations, solutions for common boating concerns like motion sickness cures and brief concise certified test results with photo on a particular boat. There is fun stuff too. In January's issue there are 10 things to keep your better half busy while you fish. The article assumes that the fisherman is male and it is funny from a male's point of view. There is also an article on the chances of success using some of the "better?" reasons given by boasters caught speeding in the water. I don't agree that this is a subject to joke about as it causes many accidents. February has funny boating mishaps.

Each month Tow Test has a useful and informative road test review (w/photo) of a vehicle capable of towing a boat. The vehicles are SUVs, pick-up trucks and vans. January's issue reviews the largest vehicle you can operate without a commercial driver's license - Ford F-650 Super Crewzer; November's issue reviews the pick-up truck GMC Sierra Denali. Vehicles are rated most importantly on hauling capacity/ability and also on maneuverability, weight, space, amenities, price and performance among other things. A handy chart displays all the specifications in an easy to read concise form. There is also information on vehicle accessories.

Gearhead has all the hottest product information for boaters to help make the boating experience even more enjoyable. New products range from the more sophisticated expensive gadgets to low tech items. In January's issue there is a cupholder ergonomically designed to adjust to wave motions for $30 while another item, a monitor to display navigation information costs $649. Find other recent reports on such items as marine binoculars, fishfinders, gadgets for storing fish, spotlights, CD-ROM cartology and vinyl fenders. Several items are highlighted each month. There is a brief description, photo, price information and full source information.

I love this month's Boat Doctor Special article that predicts what boats will be like in 2011. It is really fun to read but even the author suggests that the futuristic boat by boat design students probably will never be built. He predicts they will be a return to past designs - what's old is new.

This department also included the Don't Know Much About department which is a brief column that explains buzzword boating terminology clearly and in easy to understand language. Recent topics are Prop Thrust and X-dimension. It also includes the Captain's Test dealing with different topics. January's test is about traditional navigational skills and November's test is a preparation for Coast Guard or US Power Squadrons' classes. There are multiple choice answers. Answers and scoring information are supplied and explained. The tests are a fun way to test your knowledge. There are also test results for low-tech boat products like cleaners, chargers, scrubbers and repellents.

The Diesel Doctor reports on improvements related to diesel engines. The very brief pieces are well written and fully explain the new products or improvement. Photos are usually provided and contact information and pricing are given. In January, there is a new diagnostic tool using a Palm Pilot that can check on your engine and a biocide for ridding fuel tanks of bacteria. The department also provides information on new engines coming on the market. I don't find this department too entertaining but there is good information.

The Practical Boater in the No-Fear Rx Gear department has a great article in January called "Is there a Doctor Onboard?" It tells how to prepare your boat for medical emergencies. There is further information about Sea Paks, which are waterproof first-aid kits. Source information and price ranges are provided.

Short Casts is a colorful two-page department devoted to fish talk for anglers. There are several informative short pieces about such topics as reels, bait, casting off techniques, netting tips, planer boards, quiet motors and fish catching inventions. There are always some fishing tips and expect reviews on fishing boats. Full descriptions, specifications, price information and contact information are provided with a small photo of each sportboat. Since I'm not a fisherman, I rarely read this department.

One reason Boating is such a popular magazine is because it reviews so many boats. There is a complete section devoted to boat tests and as mentioned above the tests are included in other sections as well. Some tests are short tests and run only one page. Others run 3-4 pages. This month there are eleven articles under Boat Tests. With all tests there is a thorough description of each boat. Reviews discuss craftsmanship, construction, maneuverability, specifications, comfort, amenities and standard equipment among other factors. Longer reviews contain more information than the shorter reviews mentioned above. They have larger photos with more interior shots and a boat diagram. Highs and Lows are summaries listing the best and worst features of each boat. Longer reviews aren't just for more luxurious boats; generally boats reviewed range in price from $22,00 up to $2.5 million.

Each issue has 5 to 7 feature articles. Some features cover a category of boats like January's feature on flats boats, dragboats and others like the comparisons between East Coast attitude boat -Bertram 450 Convertible and West Coast attitude boat -Mikelson's 43 Sportfisher (November.) The first article covers 5 of the best shallow-water fishing machines priced from $17,700-$25,500. Some features are devoted to engine care others to electronic equipment. November has a fun feature on a search for a $1,000,000 fish where the fisherman tested electronic fishfinders. I especially enjoyed reading January's feature "The Future of Marine Electronic" which describes future improvements in electronics for boats. Especially useful is the "Boat Buyer's Cheat Sheet (January) with tips on things to looks out for when shopping at a boat show. "End Game" is an article anglers will enjoy. Everyone will get a kick out of "Naked Truth"- a 4-page article with photo shots of celebrities in brief attire. February's feature "Thou Shall Not Sink Thy Boat" is very informative. If you think this can not happen to you, think again.

There is plenty of wonderful advice from Experts in the magazine. Randy Steele writes editorials and answers common questions on buying boats in January's issue. In November he discusses the events of 9-11 and relates it to the ease of using your boat to avoid crowded airlines and busy security checkpoints. In February's issue he asks if you would ever consider selling your catch. Joe Money gives us interesting and entertaining items in the news concerning fishing and boating. David Seiman gives us a list of things we should be thankful for over the past year. He also discusses navigation in January and instant Zen in February. Lenny Rudow discusses docking maneuvers in February's issue. As The Ultimate Angler, he discusses fish talk under the Short Casts department already mentioned.

The Boat Doctor covers articles on boat maintenance. In January, he gives good answers to questions on paint for aluminum hulls, rust removal, cleaning trackballs on chartplotters, carbon monoxide detection devices, transmission/carburetor problems and vapor lock. In February he discusses what happens to your engine's management system when batteries lose power. Ken Englert covers electronics. In January, he reports on five gadgets to help find fish, a new GPS system, an open array radar antenna and a new instrument for detecting lightning. In February he discusses the right monitor for your helm.

Although many of the boats covered by the magazine are expensive, Boating has lots of coverage on less expensive boats and how to save money. "Free & Cheap" list boating gear that costs under $30. Another feature offers "55 Tips that Save you $$." Read articles such as the "Ultimate Bargain Boat." Visit the Website for strategies when negotiating with boat dealers and check out the current Boat Special - Chris Craft 25 Crowne Cruiser.

The publisher of Boating is Hachette Filipacchi Media US Inc. - the largest publisher of special interest magazines. It publishes such popular magazines as Road & Track, Flying, Cycle World, Car & Driver, Popular Photo, Metropolitan Home, Travel Holiday, Elle and more. Visit Boating magazine's Website www.boatingmag.com for upcoming Boat shows and events, feature articles on boating and articles for anglers with great fishing tips, tricks and techniques. Read recent boat tests and get sound advice from the Boat Doctor. Visit the Forum and discuss boat reviews and topics such as should Boaters be licensed and how much did you pay for your first boat? Receive the latest marine weather reports. Read about boating and fishing gear, fishing tournaments and maybe win a free trip. Answer a survey and win a gift certificate from amazon.com. The site is attractive, informative, entertaining and easy to navigate.

Subscribe online to Boating-12 issues for $17.97 or subscribe from the postcard found in the magazine (same price.) For even more savings, subscribe right from a link on Epinions.com to valuemags.com. Receive the best price of $14. 95 for twelve issues. It's a great deal! The February issue is just out on newsstand. Pick up a copy and see if Boating is for you. If not, just flip through the beautiful photographs of boats and dream along with me.