What makes a milestone? Everybody loves a round number, but the quantity merely prompts the occasion to mark what’s come before and what it says about the present and future.

Of course, I’m talking about this fine magazine. In August of 1981, our first issue was released, which means this month is our 45th anniversary. As the story goes, Seattle’s beloved sailor bar, the Sloop Tavern, was the scene of a fateful “What if?” conversation between a couple of guys who knew enough about sailing and publishing to start something new. Soon, a third was brought in, picking up the title of Publisher for his $10,000 loan. Less than six weeks from that initial conversation, a magazine was born.

As some of you know, the first few editions were published under the title Latitude 48, but it was only a few months before a re-brand brought the name that has stuck through all these years: 48° North.

In the time since, 538 monthly editions have been printed and distributed. I’d conservatively put the number of real, original editorial stories per issue at an average of eight; so that means 48° North has shared more than 4,300 stories of the sailing and the sailors of the Pacific Northwest, of Salish Sea boating and the cruising, of racing and adventures, and just plain fun. If we released one of those articles per day, 365 days per year, we’d be re-publishing that library of content until 2038. And we’re happy to say there are still so many stories to tell!

The by-the-numbers stuff is enjoyable, but it misses the real impact. Think of the who and the why of all those stories. How many writing careers have been launched? How many sailing careers? How many fledgling cruisers set off from their home waters to parts unknown? How many gunkholes have been discovered? How many lessons learned, and more importantly shared? How many boats sold via 48° North’s classifieds, and how many of those boats went to mariners just getting started? How many tales spun, heart strings pulled, and future journeys inspired? In a world of metrics, I couldn’t be prouder to celebrate these things we’ll never measure but that make 48° North what it is.

An anniversary like this invites a look back, but I’m pleased to report that 48° North’s future remains bright and our horizons incredibly broad! The unsung anchorages, the transformative journeys, the connections between humans and the natural marine wilderness, the rewards of pursuing a passion with those you love—especially in the Pacific Northwest, the well of stories wouldn’t run dry in 450 years, let alone 45. Through all that’s come before and all that lies ahead, the core of this publication endures, its community and the joys of sailing and cruising these waters. It is critical that 48° North continues to evolve, but we hope and believe our DNA remains intact, our navigation through variable conditions confident, and the soul of the magazine steadfast.

Any attempt at a list of “Thank You” messages would fill every page in this issue. Short though it is, I’ll offer this: 48° North only exists and continues to thrive because of the community of readers, writers, sailors, cruisers, marine industry pros, and advertisers who make it possible. We’re raising a glass to 48° North’s first 45 years, and to everyone who is a part of that,
THANK YOU!

P.S. In conjunction with this anniversary issue, we are running our once-annual fundraising drive. If you’re moved to help contribute to 48° North’s work as a free non-profit publication, and the mission of Northwest Maritime more broadly, your support is remarkably meaningful. Donate here.

Thanks for being a part of 48° North, I’ll see you on the water, and cheers to the next 45 years!

48° North Anniversary