Two or three people have made such comments over the years. Interestingly, they appear to be armchair sailors, not people actively using the guides in the islands. I have had quite the opposite reaction users in the islands who say the ads are helpful.

For anyone that is interested, here is the story of how the advertising came about and why I support our advertisers wholeheartedly

Back in 1979, when I got the idea to write a cruising guide, I was cruising and chartering my own boat, running on a shoestring budget. I tried to find a publisher, but no one was in the least bit interested. I called some local printers to find out how much it would cost to print a small black and white book and was horrified – no way I could afford that. Someone suggested I approach local businesses to advertise to help defray the expense. I was amazed at how helpful and trusting they all were, considering I had no track record. Quite a few have been with me for every edition. Below is the Frangipani ad from the first edition and then from the 03 edition (Click on the images to enlarge them)

I have been immensely happy with the result. Some of the best consequences were quite unintended. Selling advertising integrated me into the local community of those who cater to yachts. Nearly all the advertisers in our guides are local and most have become friends over the years. They, like me, are all trying to provide goods or services that enhance the experience of those who cruise in the area, and I am proud to be able to provide them with a platform, so that cruisers know what is available when they arrive at an anchorage. In some cases we have been able to work together to get improvements to local regulations (unfortunately, we still have a long way to go).

Advertisers, along with cruising sailors, are a major source of ideas for improving the guides. They suggest new things I should include. Many ideas for guide features, from the GPS waypoints (and more recently downloadable waypoints) and star charts to much of what is included in the detailed descriptions, have came from other people. It makes me feel that the guides are not so much as “my” guides as “our” guides – “our” meaning me, the cruisers, the local business, charter-check-out managers, bareboaters, and everyone else I talk with. There is no question the guides are way better for it, and even if I could afford not to have advertising, I would continue accepting it. But in fact I do need advertising. It enables me to make a living at this job. Guides have a definite but limited market – selling a huge volume is just not an option.  If you don’t sell advertising how else can you make it pay?

Most guide writers have other jobs and writing guides is a sideline. Those guides will always be a second fiddle for them, and never get the full time attention that makes the difference.

Others write many more guides over a larger area, to increase their volume. This works OK for the first edition, but their updating is usually inadequate. I once met some Germans updating a Windwards guide on a two-week cruise!

Another answer I have seen in Europe is to charge twice as much for the guides. That is not an idea I like.

Including advertising enables me to research and write guides full time so that you get as complete and up-to-date a guide as possible. It also means you get a well-produced, full-color product with lots of great photography and detailed information. You get all this at a price that is generally lower than the competition, because the ads help pay for the book. That cannot be bad.

 Number of visitors since september 03