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The Bowsprit: Editorial
The bowsprit
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From the editor
Did ‘video kill the radio star’?
What does a song released in the late 70s have to do with this issue? Nothing, and perhaps everything. Recently I was chatting with colleague and friend Phil Ross, editor of Cruising Helmsman magazine here in Australia (and supporter of SisterShip). We were discussing the rise of video blogging (vlogging) and its impact on the printed word. There would be very few of us who don’t enjoy sitting down to watch a sailing vlog now and then, or even regularly.
Why then, with the multitude of YouTube sailing channels to choose from, should you subscribe to a magazine?
If you are like me, you’ll choose a vlog based on the type of boat, the locations being visited, and perhaps form a bond of sorts (or not) with the people on board. All deliberate choices.
However, opening the pages of a magazine, to quote a well-known Beatles song, you, ‘roll up for the magical mystery tour’. You never know where the issue will take you. Take this issue of SisterShip for example; who would link sorghum (a plant) to sailing (much less intentionally google it)? Yet the ‘magical mystery tour’ finds us in Flores (Indonesia) with a heart-warming tale of locals starting a new venture with a little support from cruisers.
Will video kill the magazine stars (I like to think we are one!)? Time will tell, but I am optimistic that we can complement each other. To this end, we are introducing a new regular feature –‘SisterShip watches…’ helmed by successful YouTuber and circumnavigator Amy Alton. Let us know what you think.
You may notice a few of our regular contributors still missing. Unfortunately COVID-19 continues to play havoc around the world. Some of our writers are health care professionals and naturally their time is devoted to more pressing matters than our ‘magical mystery tours’. Our thoughts are with them and we thank them for their tireless work on the front line. Hopefully we’ll see them back here in the near future, after a well-deserved rest of course.
Stay safe and, as always, look for the dolphin... Shelley Wright
