Boat Magazines
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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).
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 - Published by H.K. Publications, Silver Springs, Maryland, issues from May 1952 (Vol. 1, No. 1) to April 1958 are known. This periodical had eight issues per year, though it may have started with less. Eventually publication became bimonthly and known as Aqua Sport (Including Boat Sport) for the June-July 1958 issue (the 40th issue).
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.
Boating Industry - "The Business Paper of Pleasure and Commercial Boating", 1950's on up?
Boats - Published monthly by Motor Boat Publications, 1953 (Vol. 50) - 1960 (Vol. 57). Rolled into Rudder magazine to be “Rudder, incorporating Boats” in November 1960.
Fisherman -
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.
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 Merchandizing Magazine for The Boating Trade", 1950's to 1960s?
Motor Boat - 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.
Motor Boating -
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.
Popular Boating - This magazine began publication in October 1956 with the tagline "The New Magazine for Boatmen... Power and Sail".
Power Boating - Dates from the 1910's? by Penton Publishing Company of Cleveland, Ohio.
Pacific Motor Boat - Published beginning around 1908 in Seattle, later in Newport Beach, California by Sea Publications, 1952 - 1973 (Vol. 65). Renamed to be Sea: the Pacific Coast Yachting Magazine.
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 Skipper - "East Coast Boating - Power and Sail"
Sea -
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.