After 37 years of writing, managing, designing and taking photos for high performance boating magazines, you'd think I'd know better, but I guess I don't.  Some of you have probably been reading my stuff that long which immediately raises a question about your taste in reading material.  For those of you who don't know me, or what I've been doing for the past three and a half decades, here goes:  nearly six years as executive editor/assistant publisher/boat tester for Powerboat Magazine (1973-1979), then another thirteen years as a monthly Powerboat contributor/editor until 1992 (left when owner/publisher, Bob Nordskog died), switched to Hot Boat and was a senior editor/boat tester there for sixteen years until it went down in flames in December 2008, and most recently a columnist and contributor for Performance Boats.

But enough of the resume....let's get down to why "Classic Custom Boats?"  The reason is simple, I'm still as passionate today about really cool custom boats as I was fifty years ago.  In fact, I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have a boat.  If my family photo album is correct, I was riding in our 12-foot Kelson Craft with a 25 Evinrude at the age of three.  That was sixty years ago!  Since then I've owned more outboards, jets and V-drives, and have loved and raced them all.

Don't get me wrong, I still read every issue of Powerboat, Performance Boats, Poker Runs America and even a few of the overseas books from England and Australia.  But what they don't do for me is fulfill my need for the classic custom V-drives, jets and outboards of years gone by, the kind of boats I grew up with, and the boats that enthusiasts all across the country are beginning to appreciate and restore.

I still marvel at the beauty and technological sophistication of the exotic lake and offshore boats with six and seven digit price tags, but I know I'll never own one, or be able to shop in that neighborhood.  What I'd rather do is recognize those boats that started the high performance revolution over a half century ago along with the people who are actively involved in preserving that legacy.  And that's what I hope this new E-magazine will do in words and photography.

So how is all of this going to work?  First, if this E-magazine has any chance of being successful, it must be built upon a totally different business plan.  As I'm sure you've noticed, boating magazines up until now have depended almost entirely upon advertising revenue for their existence.  Not a chance of that happening in today's economic environment and I'm more than okay with that.   In fact, it's a blessing of sorts since far too often a situation arises where the line between editorial integrity is crossed for the sake of the all-powerful advertising dollar.  It's simply a matter of survival and I'm not criticizing anybody for it.  Besides, I'm looking forward to not buying "chapstick" by the pound, if you get my drift!

So if the ad dollar isn't going going to carry the financial burden, where's the money going to come from to keep an E-magazine like this afloat?  I guess you could say it will be a test of the commitment and passion level of the readership.  You'll vote with your pocketbook.....kind of the America way.  Sorry, there's no more delicate way to put it.  If readers are willing to pay the subscription price for quality  content that caters to their specific interest/hobby, we're good.  If not, lights out.

I hope you're willing to give it a chance.....I think we'll all like it better with the lights on!


Bob Brown
Editor/Publisher