The first publication I was involved with at 48° North was September 2014. Check my math, but that means that when this magazine goes to press, it will round a decade at the helm of 48° North, and it coincides with the completion of the magazine’s 43rd year of publishing. A milestone like this invites more than a little self-indulgent retrospection, indescribable gratitude, and disbelief (time flies when you’re having fun). Looking back on these 10 years, so much has happened in sailing and boating in the Pacific Northwest, with 48° North itself, and in my life on and off the water.
There’s remarkable consistency at the core of the sailing and boating communities of the PNW, not to mention with the activities themselves. Sailing has evolved over millennia, so a decade is a drop in the bucket of time. Still, we’ve seen advancements and evolutions in many forms, and one of the many intriguing developments in boating in our special corner of the world is the application of solar boating for distance cruising nearby and in the remote reaches of the Inside Passage (see page 36). I’ve seen a new generation of the most ambitious sailors decide the right boat just isn’t out there and have followed closely while they build from scratch or complete major ingenious reconfigurations. Though I’ll be the first to say we still have a long way to go and there is so much more work to do, there are more tangible efforts today to make sailing and boating more inclusive and equitable than there were a decade ago. One pair of communities I remain incredibly grateful for are the advertisers who help keep your magazine free and you, our wonderful readers, who support them.
Here at the good ship 48° North, plenty has changed since 2014 with two significant mergers (marriages) that have set up the publication for the future. In 2018, 48° North sailed away from its home waters as a small, private, for-profit business, and joined up with the non-profit Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend. This has done so much good for 48° North and ensures its legacy in the long run, not to mention that making the magazine for you feels more impactful than ever as an act of service to a non-profit mission that raises the tide for all boats and contributes to the common good. The other noteworthy partnership came in the digital realm. In 2020, 48° North brought the excellent boating news website Three Sheets Northwest into the family, folding it into the broader 48° North brand and bringing Editor Andy Cross onto the team long term. Founders Deborah Bach and Marty McOmber still write a brilliant column for us (page 22). I’m confident that, in the years since, readers have enjoyed both Andy’s fabulous stories of family cruising (see page 32) as well as a vastly improved digital experience.
And then there’s me, your Managing Editor. I suppose I’m a little different than I was 10 years back. I know a lot more about making a magazine, that’s for sure. This decade has seen some of my best moments on the water. I’ve raced in National and North American Championships in the Melges 24 and 505 classes, and enjoyed enough time (a lot) to go from a self-doubting new TP52 trimmer to a confident contributor making one of the best big boat programs in the PNW go fast; not to mention the countless casual evenings with friends racing around the cans. More important to my role with 48° North, I’ve become a card-carrying cruiser with significantly more chops, experience, and personal connection to our cruising grounds and the cruising lifestyle than when I took over this chair—I’m days away from leading our annual cruising rally, and can’t wait! Off the water, I met and married the woman I love, we bought our first house, and welcomed a pair of beautiful children. That part of life looks a lot different a decade on!
I’ll leave you with my profound thanks. It is my absolute privilege and joy to serve, support, and grow this community of boat folk, businesses, readers, and dreamers.
P.S. Speaking of those kids of mine, we’re going to do a change-of-watch here at 48° North for a few months while I spend some leave time with our infant son. You’re in good hands with Andy, and I’ll look forward to returning in the fall.
Joe Cline
Joe Cline has been the Managing Editor of 48° North since 2014. From his career to his volunteer leadership in the marine industry, from racing sailboats large and small to his discovery of Pacific Northwest cruising —Joe is as sail-smitten as they come. Joe and his wife, Kaylin, welcomed a baby girl to their family in December 2021, and he is enjoying fatherhood while still finding time to sail, make music, and tip back a tasty IPA every now and again.
