Coinciding with our 45th anniversary, 48° North is making our annual request for financial support from you, our faithful readers. As a free, non-profit publication, 48º North depends on contributions from the community of supporters like you to help drive us forward through sometimes choppy waters and ever-broaden our horizons!
On the cover of the inaugural issue in 1981, 48° North’s founders placed the now-familiar tagline: “Just like the wind… it’s FREE!” All these years later, no-cost access to all of 48° North’s content remains a core principle. While our commitment to free access is unwavering, making this magazine is far from free; in fact, it’s increasingly costly. On a month-to-month basis, 48° North is made possible mainly thanks to our family of advertisers. (Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to these businesses. Please support them too!) But every once in a while, we ask readers like you to lend a hand.
If you enjoy 48° North, if you love to see a new issue delivered to your home marina or local chandlery, if you feel like you’re part of the 48° North community—or you value what we do to support the community that you care about—please give! Every contribution counts. We cherish your belief in the work we do at least as much as the donation itself!
Whether funding new 48° North content and initiatives (like our freshly unveiled video program, a new supplemental publication coming later this year, expanded digital services, and more ambitious stories) or providing 48° North with more consistent “boat speeds” when the financial winds get light and progress is more difficult—your support makes a genuine difference.
Since 2018, 48° North has operated as a division of the 501c3 non-profit Northwest Maritime. Ultimately, that means your contributions not only help 48° North, but also power the hugely impactful work of Northwest Maritime in service of our mission: to engage and educate people of all generations in traditional and contemporary maritime life, in a spirit of adventure and discovery. From events like Race to Alaska and the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival, to experiential education opportunities for people of all ages—your gift to 48° North helps sustain the important work of the entire organization.
So, as we turn the page on the first 45 years of 48° North and set our heading for the next 45, we ask for your help. Whether or not you’re able to contribute, thank you for being a part of 48° North!
Humbly, and with gratitude,
The 48° North Crew
DONATE TODAY
New This Year – A Unique Thank You Gift!
If you donate $150 or more before September 30, 2026, you will receive a commemorative 45th Anniversary hat featuring 48° North’s three best-known logos over the years. These will only be available while supplies last, and won’t be available for sale, so don’t miss out!
Feature photo by Andy Cross.
