48° North joins the Northwest Maritime Center!

We know, we know—we should have sent invitations to a big wedding and invited all of our friends, but as it happened, the Northwest Maritime Center and 48° North, the Northwest’s sailing magazine of record for 30-plus years, effectively eloped during the summer of 2018—and all of us at the altar are pretty moony-eyed about the whole thing.

The Northwest Maritime Center exists to advance our region’s maritime culture, and after years of engaging with us as advertisers, covering our programs, and being inspired by and sponsoring the Race to Alaska, the owners of the magazine were looking to retire. Rather than continue to look for a buyer to carry the torch, Richard Hazelton and Michael Collins grew keen on the idea of the NWMC becoming the steward of their legacy. After a series of conversations that spanned months, and pints, and emails, 48° North now and forever exists as part of our family of efforts to engage the ever-growing number of people looking to the water as their source of inspiration and adventure.

What is happening?
The Pacific Northwest’s sailing magazine of record, 48° North, has been donated to the non-profit Northwest Maritime Center. The NWMC will continue to publish the magazine into the future in order to preserve and further sailing and water engagement in our region.

How did this come about?

After trying to sell the magazine for years, co-owners and longtime employees Richard Hazelton and Michael Collins determined that the NWMC would be an apt steward of the publication. After eight months of deliberations and due diligence, both the owners and the NWMC determined that it was both feasible and an exciting idea.

Why did this make sense for 48° North?

Beyond the tax deduction, the NWMC will provide a stable foundation for growing the publication’s reach and content into the future. The legacy of 48° North has a safe harbor at the NWMC.

Why did this make sense for the NWMC?

With a recent focus on regional growth, plus several members of the board and staff with careers in magazine and print publication, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to further the legacy of the Pacific Northwest’s sailing magazine, while helping grow and evolve this community resource which, by its very being, advances maritime engagement. That we were asked to be this publication’s next steward was an honor.

What does this mean for the magazine?

In a word, stability. When the donation is finalized on August 1st, 2018, the same magazine staff will still go to work in the same office, making the same great free magazine they have made for the last 30-plus years. Over time, the hope is that, with the increased scale and support of the NWMC, the magazine will be able to take a fresh look at itself and continue its evolution into the future.

What does this mean for the NWMC?

Like the Wooden Boat Festival, Wooden Boat Chandlery, Race to Alaska, SEVENTY48, and Marine Thrift, 48° North is now a department and sub-brand of the Northwest Maritime Center. 48° North will continue to be Seattle-based, but will shift some of the administrative and support functions to the Port Townsend campus.

Read 48° North‘s article about this exciting news!