Boat Magazines
Please contact us to edit or contribute to this page.
For the aspiring boat owner or experienced yachtsmen, there were many boating periodicals available. These magazines reviewed new boats, offered industry news, or related stories of cruises and journeys by boat. National or regional, monthly or bimonthly, these magazines offered up the latest in travel, equipment, or techniques for servicing or improving their boats or motors.
General interest magazines featured special annual boating features including Outdoor Life (February), Field & Stream (January), Popular Mechanics (March), Mechanix Illustrated (April), and Popular Science (March). Some of these general interest magazines published booklets such as Mechanix Illustrated's "Boat Show" / "Outboard Boating Handbook" and Popular Mechanics "All About Boating".
The following information was derived from a variety of sources including library catalogs, E-bay listings, the Google Books library digitization project, and other miscellaneous sources. Please feel free to continue the research at websites such as Worldcat.org, Hathitrust.org, and Google.com/books.
All About Boats- A small annual magazine/booklet published by Popular Mechanics. At least one edition from 1958 is known to have been issued.
Boat & Equipment News- This magazine was published in at least the 1940's through the mid-50's and had both commercial craft and recreational craft issues.
Boat & Motor Dealer - Published monthly except for December and July by Publishers' Development Corporation, Inc. of Skokie, Illinois. Vol. 3, No. 4 was the April 1960 issue, so maybe this magazine started publication in 1957?
Boat Sport - First published by Rockly Publications, Silver Springs Maryland, a later publisher was H.K. Publications of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Issues range from May 1952 (Vol. 1, No. 1) to April 1958 with 39 total numbered issues. This periodical was published bimonthly with six issues per year. In June/July 1958 issue, the magazine was then titled "Aqua Sport (Including Boat Sport)" (the 40th issue). This magazine heavily featured the sport of outboard boat racing with many ads and articles from racers; when re-titled "Aqua Sport (Including Boat Sport)", many articles on water-skiing and other water-sports were added. Issues available online include #1 (May 1952) to #40 (June/July 1958) at http://boatsport.org/.
Boatcraft - "How to Build, Repair, Maintain and Enjoy Your Boat". By July 1958, this is "Boatcraft, Including Outboarding Guide", which itself was an earlier publication. By the mid-1960's, this was "Boatcraft; the Boatman's Handbook Incorporating Boat builders", with summer and winter issues in 1964, an August/September issue in 1965 by Science and Mechanics Publishing Co. of New York. This company apparently published this title from 1963 on.
Boating Industry - "The Business Paper of Pleasure and Commercial Boating". This magazine published eight issues a year on the tenth of the month. The magazine was based at 505 Pleasant St. in St. Joseph, Michigan. Publication may date back to 1929. Later, National Trade Publications, Inc. published this magazine in Latham, New York. Vol. 23, no. 9 was published in Sept. 10, 1960. It is still being published as Boating Industry International. An annual Marine Buyer's Guide issue was published each year. At some point this magazine absorbed the "Marine Business" publication. The January magazine was the New York/Chicago/Miami show issue; March "Marine Engine Specifications"; April "Outboard Motor Specifications"; May "Spring Selling Number"; June "Boat Service Issue"; August "Marine Buyer's Guide"; October "Announcement Issue"; November "Stock Boat Builder's List".
Boats - Published monthly by Motor Boat Publications, 1953 (Vol. 50) - 1960 (Vol. 57). Numbering was continued from the earlier "MotorBoat" publication. Rolled into Rudder magazine to be “Rudder, incorporating Boats” in November 1960. This publication billed itself as "The Practical Magazine of Power, Outboards and Sail".
Boat Show - "Photographs and Descriptions of Over 225 Boats You Can Buy or Build From Kits". This was a printed by Fawcett Books, a publication of Mechanix Illustrated magazine. At least one edition from 1952 is known.
The Complete Book of Small Boats - this was published by MACO in at least a 1954 issue.
The Fisherman - Published in Oxford, Ohio. This magazine began in June 1950 with volume 1, number 1, as the "Midwest Fisherman" by Midwest Fisherman, Inc. The name was shortened to "The Fisherman" with the June 1951 issue (Vol. 2, No 7). Publication was monthly the last issue occurring in August 1958. Outdoor Life absorbed this magazine in November 1958 and it was no more.
Hot Boat - This magazine was active the 1960's with at least a Summer 1963 issue known. This issue had the tagline "American Yachtsman- West Coast Boating News".
How to Enjoy Outboarding - Found with the tagline "Outboard Boating". This is known to have Winter, Spring, and Summer 1956 issues. This became "Outboard Boating Guide", perhaps for the Fall 1956 issue.
Hydroplane Quarterly - a magazine for the outboard motor racer, this was self published from 1970 to 1974 by Tim Chance of Excelsior, Minnesota. Publication was quarterly as the title suggests, but with some "special"issues scattered in. 22 total issues are known from #1 the Hydroplane Quarterly "Boat Racing Handbook" to Winter 74. Available online at http://boatsport.org/.
Lakeland Yachting - Known from at least 1946 to 1951.
Lakeland Boating - Published monthly in Sheboygan, Wisconsin by Lakeshore Publications. Official publication of the Inter-lake Yachting Association. From 1957 (Vol. 12) on through the 1990s. Also found as Lakeland Boating Central States.
Marine Dealer - "The Monthly News and Merchandising Magazine for The Pleasure Boating Trade", published by Marine Publications, Inc. of Orange, Connecticut. The first issue was September 1958 and distributed at the Chicago and Dallas boat shows in that month with additional copies mailed out October 1 to small boat dealers. It is unknown at this point if any libraries hold copies of this publication.
Western Marine Dealer - A trademark dispute arose between Marina Publications and the publisher of "Western Marine Dealer", the Marine Digest Publication Company of Seattle, Washington. Western Marine Dealer cited use of their name since July 26, 1958. (Trademark Opposition No. 38,994 against trademark application number 58,553 filed Sept. 8, 1958). Marine Dealer said they conceived of their publication in August 1957, coming up with the name Marine Dealer in June 1958. The Western Marine Dealer publisher previously published "Marine Digest" with coverage of small pleasure boating added in late 1946 with a new "Boating News" column. This column was renamed to "Western Boating News" in the July 19, 1958 issue; next changed to Western Marine Dealer in the July 26, 1958 issue. The company took out advertisements announcing the new publication "Western Marine Dealer" to begin in January 5, 1959 with 24 issues a year. The first copy was actually first distributed in October 17, 1958. The trademark opposition was dismissed and the Western Marine Dealer received its trademark and continued publication. The University of Washington Libraries list numbers 1 to 48 (1959/1960) in their catalog.
MotorBoat - Published in New York, NY by Motor Boat Publishing Co. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Apr. 1904)- v. 50, no. 10 (Oct. 1953). Renamed and continued as Boats in 1953. Volume 17-19 available online from Hathitrust.org, digitized by Google from the University of Chicago Library Collections.
MotorBoating - First published in 1907 by The Motor Boating Company, Inc. of New York City, New York, most issues of this long-running magazine are on Google Books
N.A.M.D. Report - A publication of the National Association of Marine Dealers. A source refers to a July-August 1958 issue of this publication.
Ohio Boating - "Serving the mid-America boater", by Professional Publications of Vermilion, Ohio. Vol. 5, No. 1 was issued in January 1961, so this magazine may have began in 1956. The Mariner's Museum in Newport News, VA has one copy in their library.
Outboard - "Cruising, Skiing, Fishing, Racing" by Outboard Magazines, Inc. of Tallahassee, Florida. Monthly issues are known from 1956 to 1960 with possibly a greater range published. Vol. 5, issue 11 was December 1958, so this magazine may have started in 1953?
Outboard Boating - This was the annual publication of the Outboard Boating Club of America. Vol. 6, Number 1 was January-February 1951, so maybe this publication began in 1945?
Outboard Boating Guide - This was advertised with the tagline: "Boats, Motors, Trailers, Cruising, Water Sports". The Fall 1956 issue was found with the note "Formerly 'How to Enjoy Outboard Boating'". This may be the same publication rolled into "Boatcraft" Magazine by July 1958. This may have be a quarterly publication with a "Fall 1956" issue and May, September, November 1957 issues known.
Outboard Boating Handbook - by noted boating writer Hank Bowman, this was a Fawcett "How To Book" printing, published by Mechanix Illustrated who also issued the "Boat Show" magazine. At least a 1959 edition is known.
Outboard Dealer News This magazine was published by H-K Publications, Inc. with volume 1, no. 1 being the Feburary 1957 issue. Dick Van Benschoten was a writer for this publication.
Outboard Progress - "A trade publication for the outboard industry." This magazine was published in Tallahassee, Florida by Outboard Magazines, Inc. with eight issues a year. Vol. 2, No. 5 was the January 1959 issue. This magazine had a special annual "Gold Book List" issue described as "A Comprehensive "Who’s Who" In the Outboard Industry." Eventually by 1962, this magazine became "Boating Progress". The Mariner's Museum in Newport News, VA has two issues in their library.
Popular Boating - This magazine began publication in October 1956 with the tagline "The New Magazine for Boatmen... Power and Sail". Many issues of this magazine are Available on Google Books.
Power Boat News - a weekly publication, issued every Saturday, by the Rudder Publishing Company of New York City, New York. This appears to have been published beginning in 1905, and it is unknown how long it lasted. Volume 1 (1905-1906) available online from Hathitrust.org, digitized by Google from the New York Public Library Collections.
Power Boating - First published simply as "Boating", the magazine was re-named to "Power Boating" for the December 1907 issue. The first issue may have been September 1905 (The October 1905 issue was Volume I, No. 2. and the stated issuance period was monthly). This was published by Penton Publishing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Volumes 1 to 4, 6, 11, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23 available online from Hathitrust, digitized by Google from the University of Michigan Library and University of Chicago Collections.
Pacific Motor Boat - Published beginning around 1908 in Seattle (the October 1915 issue was Volume 8, No. 1), later in Newport Beach, California by Sea Publications, 1952 - 1973 (Vol. 65). Renamed to be Sea: the Pacific Coast Yachting Magazine in 1952. This magazine described itself as "Devoted to the rapidly growing power boat and yachting interests of the English Speaking Countries of the Pacific." Available online from Hathitrust.org, Volumes 8-15 (1915-1922), digitized by Google from the New York Public Library Collections.
Rudder - Published in New York by the Rudder Publishing Co., 1890 (Vol. 1) - 1977 (Vol. 93). Combined with Boats to be “Rudder, incorporating Boats” for 1962 to 1963, Later (1977?) was merged with Sea, to form: Eastern Sea combined with Rudder, Western Sea combined with Rudder; Inland Sea combined with Rudder; Southern Sea combined with Rudder. Numbering continued from Sea, not Rudder. The original "Rudder" is available online from Hathitrust.org, Volumes 12-38 (1901-1922), digitized by Google from the University of Michigan and Cornell University Library Collections. Rudder, in conjunction with Fawcett Publications, produced an annual "How to Build 20 Boats" paperback book.
The Skipper - "East Coast Boating - Power and Sail"
Sea - the full title was "Sea - the Pacific Coast Yachting Magazine". This later combined with "Pacific Motor Boat" in 1952 to become "Sea and Pacific Motor Boat". The first year of publication was 1937 (Vol. 1) with monthly issues beginning in January of each year. The magazine was published in Los Angeles, California by Pacific Coast Publications. One library catalog notes that issues from May 1950, have the subtitle "Western Yachting and Boating". Volumes 1 to 16 (1937-1952) are available at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Maritime Research Center. The New York Public Library has volumes 5-11 (1941-1947).
Speed and Spray - "the International Magazine of Boat Racing". Published by Marine Publications, Inc. of Newport Beach, California. This magazine began publication in June 1952 with issue #1, Vol. I, No. 1. 22 issues are known up to May 1956 (Vol. 2, No. 10). Publication by that time was by C-B Publications of Fullerton, California. Publication was spotty with 6 to 7 issues published per year with the entire year of 1954 with no issues published (publication skips from September 1953 (Vol. 1, No. 11) to April 1955 (Vol. 1, No. 12). The complete range of issues known are available online at http://boatsport.org/.
Yachting - First published in New York, NY by Yachting Publishing Co. (Vol. 3 was in 1908); published biannually in the 1950's, then quarterly (1960's) in Los Angeles, California by CBS Magazines.
