Death by a Thousand Clicks: How We Killed Sailing Magazines—And How AI Is Coming for Us Next
FYI: We're all to blame...
The Death of Print Sailing Journalism
Most of you have probably heard that Good Old Boat magazine shut down about a year ago. Now, in just the past month, we’ve lost Points East and Sailing magazine as well.
Sailing magazine, America’s longest-running pure sailing publication, launched in 1966. Points East was a New England sailing staple for 27 years.
Beacons for Sailors, Now Extinguished
Good Old Boat wasn’t just another sailing magazine—it was a lifeline. It built a community of sailors who valued restoration, resilience, and making sailing accessible.
Unlike SAIL Magazine (still in business), which often spotlights sailboats starting at $850,000 (absurd!), Good Old Boat reminded us that sailing wasn’t just for millionaires. It stood against the tide of soulless, modern uniformity.
Points East, rich with tales of New England boating, and Sailing, an oversized rag packed with great stories (and big enough to double as a blanket), filled their own niches.
Now they’re all gone.
Did We Kill These Magazines?
In short—we all had a hand in it.
(You can watch me rant about the demise of Good Old Boat in an episode titled MURDER OF A MAGAZINE: Good(bye) Old Boat.)
The Amazon Effect
The collapse of print sailing magazines (and many others) mirrors what happened to bookstores and traditional publishing.
In the mid-’90s, the U.S. had over 12,000 bookstores—then came Amazon. Next, Kindle, self-publishing, and print-on-demand flooded the market, making survival nearly impossible for smaller publishers and bookstores. Book sales shifted online—and stayed there. Today, less than half that number of bookstores remain, while millions of new books—both traditionally and self-published—hit the market every year. More on this in a minute…
I witnessed the beginning of the end firsthand. I worked in publishing for years, including at Simon & Schuster in New York when Amazon was just getting started. I was in meetings where we debated whether to do business with them. When we did agree to, it felt like we were letting the fox into the henhouse. And, almost immediately, everything changed.
Now, magazines are suffering a similar fate (and have been for a decade or so). When readership declines, advertisers follow. In other words, they will go where the eyes are.
YouTube: The Old Double-Edged Sword
Like Amazon did to books, YouTube and digital content have done to sailing magazines (and others).
The good folks here at BoatFools Sailing are guilty as charged. And you all are too.
We loved Good Old Boat, Points East, and Sailing—but we loved them to death.
We didn’t want to wait a month for the next issue. We wanted instant access to boat reviews, DIY projects, and sailing stories. So we turned to YouTube, forums, and social media.
And, of course, platforms like YouTube made it easy to get sailing content for free, and in a world of on-demand content, traditional magazines can’t keep up. And maybe we let our physical magazine subscriptions lapse…
Then, everyone became a content creator. And this ties back to book publishing: A new author trying to gain traction in the book market is very similar to a new content creator trying to get noticed on YouTube, Instagram, or any other platform. The sheer volume of new books published each year—over 1 million traditionally published books worldwide and millions more self-published—means that standing out is a massive challenge. Likewise, millions of new YouTube channels launch each year, making being “discovered” nearly impossible.
Now, AI is making things even worse—for everyone.
AI Has Come for the Content Creator
AI-generated content is already flooding the market—even in the sailing space. AI can now generate scripts, voice-overs, and even entire videos at unprecedented speed. The impact?
AI-powered channels can pump out dozens of videos daily, drowning out human creators.
Algorithms favor quantity over quality, boosting AI-generated content in recommendations.
Oversaturation drives down ad revenue for real creators.
Tools like Pika Labs, Runway, and Sora create fully animated videos, while AI narrators like ElevenLabs mimic human voices. Soon, content will feel real—but it won’t be.
AI-Driven Search Will Reduce Video Views
Google and YouTube are integrating AI-powered search tools (like Google Gemini and AI snapshots). Instead of recommending a video, AI can now summarize its key points instantly. Search “How to rig your sailboat for single-handed sailing,” and AI could generate a text and video summary—without directing users to a human-made video.
AI Enables Plagiarism & Unoriginal Content
AI can scrape and repackage existing content at scale. It can take the top 10 sailboat reviews on YouTube, for example, auto-generate a narration, and post it as a new video—without ever touching a boat. This is already happening—and you’ve probably already seen it. For an example, go check out this crap—but please don’t subscribe!!! It’s all AI, or someone using AI to generate their videos. Soulless, full of bad info, and taking views away from those of us who put in hours to bring you all entertainment and actual factual information (at least to the best of our human capabilities).
AI-Generated Deepfakes & Voice Cloning Are a Threat
AI can now clone voices and faces with eerie accuracy. Not only is this scary, it poses massive risks. It’s already happening to major creators. Scammers have used AI to clone MrBeast’s voice in fake giveaway ads. Imagine this happening across YouTube to smaller creators with fewer resources to fight back?
AI Will Manipulate the YouTube Algorithm Against Human Creators
YouTube’s recommendation system is already AI-driven. AI-generated tech reviews, history breakdowns, and even boat reviews could soon dominate YouTube—because AI can analyze search trends and generate videos instantly. Again, if you missed the previous link, click HERE to see an example. It’s bonkers.
And just like human creators pulled ad revenue away from print magazines, AI will pull revenue away from human creators.
The Fox Is Already in the Henhouse
Between the loss of these beloved magazines and the relentless spread of AI, the future looks bleak, at best.
Our under-served, budget-friendly sailing community, human created content, and the things we used to love, feel like the last house in an old neighborhood being bulldozed for soulless McMansions. And we only have ourselves to blame.
Where Do We Go From Here?
We hold fast.
And we support human creators and we choose content made by real people, not AI. Because once human creators are gone, they’re gone forever.
Good Old Boat, Points East, and Sailing are gone.
We can’t afford to keep losing more.
LET’S GET BACK TO SAILBOATS!
Coming next weekend (03.08.25) on BoatFools Sailing: WOW, WOW, and more WOW! She’s one of two ever made and she will melt your heart. Or break it.
Ok, because it pertains to the market news below, check this out: A HUGE price drop on this incredible Bristol 40. You can watch the video HERE. Her price has come down from $35,000 to $15,000. If you’re a DIY kind of sailor, this boat could be an absolute GEM.
A 1980 Custom Bristol Yawl - one of the prettiest boats we’ve filmed.
SAILING NEWS
Cole Brauer wins Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year!
We reckon most of you followed her story in 2024. So stinkin’ cool - and she has ties to Maine. We hope to nab her for an interview for BoatFools Sailing. That would be a win.
The 50th Year of the Maine Fisherman’s Forum
Canadian Ken and I walked the halls of this annual event and were duly impressed. Neither of us had ever been but it made sense to go this year as Ken’s wife was working a booth and my cousin was working another one - coincidentally directly across the aisle from each other at the Samoset Resort, in Rockland, ME. There were important educational seminars, and all sorts of fun gear to check out, from electronics to diesels. If you’re in the hood next year, check it out in 2026 - and it’s free.
Used Sailboat Market Update – February 2025: Prices Sinking or Holding Steady?
All right, boat nuts, let’s talk about the state of the used sailboat market. Are prices sinking faster than your buddy’s old (insert any boat here!) with a rotten balsa core, or are sellers still dreaming of 2021 numbers? Eh, it’s a little of both.
The Data: What’s Actually Happening?
Sales are DOWN – About 12.4% fewer used sailboats changed hands in the past year. Turns out, rising interest rates and inflation make people think twice before dropping six figures on a floating hole in the water. Who knew? You know I jest! I spoke with a yacht broker recently, and this jibes with her assessment. The broker (located in Maine) added that this winter sales have been all but non-existent. This correlates to our BoatFools Market Report. The only boat that has sold was a perfectly priced Vineyard Vixen 29, down in Duxbury, MA. That was a smokin’ deal.
Prices are… UP?! – Despite slower sales, average sold prices have actually increased 4.2% to around $211,500. Wait, what?
More boats are hitting the market – The pandemic boat-buying craze is over, and a lot of those “This-is-the-year-we-go-cruising!” boats are now back up for sale. Some sellers are getting antsy, which means deals are out there.
So, Are Prices Dropping or Not?
Well-kept boats? Not really. Floating projects? Oh, yes. You know that we love a project at BoatFools Sailing!
If you’re selling a clean, well-equipped, ready-to-go cruiser (think: updated electronics, fresh sails, reliable diesel), you’re still in the game. Buyers want turnkey.
If your boat needs major work (old rigging, dead engine, soft decks), you’re either lowering your price or watching it sit on Craigslist, FB Marketplace, Sailboat Listings, YachtWorld, etc., forever.
What Is Going On?
High Interest Rates & Inflation – Financing a boat is expensive. More buyers are either paying cash or waiting it out.
Too Many Used Boats – All those “COVID cruisers” are throwing their boats back into the market, and there aren’t enough buyers to keep up.
Location, Location, Location – If you’re selling in Florida, you’re still in a reasonably hot market (excuse the pun). If you’re in the Northeast in February… well, good luck with that.
What Should You Do?
BUYERS:
Deals are happening – Motivated sellers are out there, especially on boats that need work.
Patience pays – Prices on some boats are softening, and 2025 might be the year they really start to slip. We’re seeing A LOT of price drops across all sales platforms.
Survey EVERYTHING – A “cheap” boat can get expensive fast if the keel’s about to fall off. But there are some SWEET deals out there! I look at listings daily. But I have a problem.
SELLERS:
Price it right or watch it sit – If your boat’s got issues, don’t expect top dollar.
A well-maintained boat will still sell – But you better have a good maintenance log because buyers are more informed now than ever before.
List smart – Winter isn’t the best time to sell up north. Warmer months = more buyers. So, in Maine, list in August…Kidding. List NOW. The season is upon us.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking to buy, start watching the listings closely—cracks are forming in the market. If you’re selling, be realistic, or get ready for a long, lonely season with no offers.
And, finally, if you’re in NEW ENGLAND and have a sailboat for sale (or you’re thinking of selling) that we should see, drop us a note. Maybe we can help.
Fantastic write up and very helpful perspective on the current state of sailing-oriented content, past and present. Bravo!