Blue Water Sailing
Blue Water Sailing is a Rhode Island-based niche sailing publisher under Day Communications, Inc., operating four offshore-cruising and charter-focused titles including Blue Water Sailing Magazine, Cruising Compass, Multihulls Quarterly, and World Sailing Adventures. The company serves bluewater cruisers and marine/charter advertisers through subscriptions and advertising sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersMiddletown, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Blue Water Sailing does
Blue Water Sailing is a niche sailing media company headquartered in Middletown, Rhode Island, operating under parent Day Communications, Inc., founded by George and Rosa Day. The company publishes four distinct sailing publications: Blue Water Sailing Magazine, a print title now in its 22nd consecutive year of continuous publication focused on offshore cruising; Cruising Compass, a weekly e-journal; Multihulls Quarterly, a multihull-focused sailing magazine; and World Sailing Adventures, an annual charter destination guide. A related publishing entity, Daylight Publishing, is referenced within the company's operations as part of the same corporate umbrella.
The company generates revenue through three streams: print and digital magazine subscriptions to readers, e-journal subscriptions, and advertising sales. The advertising customer base is concentrated in the marine leisure and charter sectors, with named advertisers including Moorings, Sunsail, Garmin, and the Newport International Boat Show — all of which serve the same bluewater cruising reader demographic the editorial product targets. Geographic editorial coverage spans major charter cruising grounds including the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific.
With 11–50 employees, a single location, founder ownership, and no outside funding, the company operates as a small specialty publisher rather than a venture-backed media platform. The business model follows traditional niche-media economics: subscription revenue plus advertising, with advertisers concentrated in charter operators, marine electronics manufacturers, and boat-show organizers that reach the same bluewater cruiser audience. Strategic posture over the observable period has emphasized portfolio expansion within the sailing niche (Multihulls Quarterly, Cruising Compass, World Sailing Adventures) rather than platform scaling, M&A, or external capital raises.
Blue Water Sailing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Water Sailing
- Legal name
- Day Communications, Inc.
- Website
- https://bwsailing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Blue Water Sailing is a Rhode Island-based niche sailing publisher under Day Communications, Inc., operating four offshore-cruising and charter-focused titles including Blue Water Sailing Magazine, Cruising Compass, Multihulls Quarterly, and World Sailing Adventures. The company serves bluewater cruisers and marine/charter advertisers through subscriptions and advertising sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Blue Water Sailing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Middletown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blue Water Sailing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Revenue from Blue Water Sailing magazine subscriptions reaching readers across North America and around the world. Now in its 22nd year of publication.
- Advertising: Revenue from advertisers in the marine and sailing industry including charter companies, marine equipment manufacturers, electronics companies, and boat builders.
- E-journal Subscriptions: Weekly Cruising Compass e-journal distributed via email, providing cruising news, technical advice, sailing resources and events.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Blue Water Sailing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Water Sailing publishes and distributes sailing and cruising editorial content for offshore sailors through four flagship titles: Blue Water Sailing Magazine, the weekly Cruising Compass e-journal, Multihulls Quarterly, and the annual World Sailing Adventures charter guide. The publications cover boats, gear, charter destinations, seamanship, and the cruising lifestyle for an enthusiast audience. The company sells consumer subscriptions and supports operations through marine industry advertising.
Product overview
Blue Water Sailing is a publishing company that produces a portfolio of sailing and cruising publications. The core offerings include Blue Water Sailing Magazine (now in its 22nd year), the weekly e-journal Cruising Compass, and Multihulls Quarterly magazine. The company also produces destination guides like World Sailing Adventures. These publications provide authoritative content including sailing stories, real-world solutions for offshore sailors, technical advice, gear reviews, boat reviews, and chartering guides.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Blue Water Sailing Magazine Flagship monthly publication of Blue Water Sailing, covering boats, gear, cruising destinations, seamanship, and lifestyle content for offshore cruising sailors. Distributed in print and digital formats to subscribers.
- Cruising Compass Weekly e-journal delivered by email that provides current news, cruising information, and updates to offshore sailors. Operated under the DBA name Cruising Compass and edited by George Day.
- Multihulls Quarterly Quarterly magazine dedicated to multihull sailing, covering catamarans, trimarans, and related cruising and design topics for multihull enthusiasts.
- World Sailing Adventures Annual guide to sailing charter vacations, covering destinations, charter operators, and planning resources for sailors seeking chartered sailing experiences.
Companies that use Blue Water Sailing
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Blue Water Sailing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blue Water Sailing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Blue Water Sailing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WindCheck Magazine: Northeast US sailing and boating magazine covering racing, cruising, and charters with similar advertiser mix and reader demographics.
- Cruising World: Long-running US cruising sailboat magazine targeting offshore and coastal cruisers; the closest direct competitor in offshore cruising editorial with overlapping readership and advertisers.
- Practical Sailor: Independent sailing publication focused on boat gear testing, reviews, and seamanship; competes for technical-content readership among cruising sailors.
- Sail Magazine: Established US sailing magazine covering boats, gear, charters, and seamanship; competes directly for the same offshore cruising subscriber and advertiser pool.
- Multihulls World: International multihull sailing magazine focused on catamarans and trimarans; directly comparable to the company's Multihulls Quarterly subsidiary in audience and editorial scope.
- Sailing World: US-based sailing magazine covering cruising, racing, gear, and seamanship with a similar editorial mission and overlapping advertiser base in the marine industry.
- Latitude 38: West Coast sailing magazine and digital platform covering racing, cruising, and chartering with regional editorial emphasis; comparable format and audience mix.
Broad incumbents
- Soundings Trade Only: Established recreational boating industry publication covering power and sail with broader industry-trade focus; overlaps in marine advertiser base and cruising audience.
Emerging players
- Cruising Compass (self-reference avoided - replace with Sailing Anarchy): Long-running digital sailing news and commentary site covering offshore sailing, regattas, and industry news; competes for the same online audience without print format.
Regional players
- Yachting World: Leading UK-based sailing magazine covering cruising and offshore sailing with comparable editorial mission, but serving primarily European audiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blue Water Sailing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Water Sailing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Blue Water Sailing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Blue Water Sailing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Water Sailing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Water Sailing
What does Blue Water Sailing do?
Blue Water Sailing publishes and distributes sailing and cruising editorial content for offshore sailors through four flagship titles: Blue Water Sailing Magazine, the weekly Cruising Compass e-journal, Multihulls Quarterly, and the annual World Sailing Adventures charter guide. The publications cover boats, gear, charter destinations, seamanship, and the cruising lifestyle for an enthusiast audience. The company sells consumer subscriptions and supports operations through marine industry advertising.
Is Blue Water Sailing a public or private company?
Blue Water Sailing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blue Water Sailing founded?
Blue Water Sailing was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Blue Water Sailing based?
Blue Water Sailing is headquartered in Middletown, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blue Water Sailing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising and E-journal Subscriptions.
Who are Blue Water Sailing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WindCheck Magazine, Cruising World, Practical Sailor, Sail Magazine, Multihulls World, Sailing World and Latitude 38. Soundings Trade Only is listed as a broad incumbent. Cruising Compass (self-reference avoided - replace with Sailing Anarchy) is listed as an emerging player. Yachting World is listed as a regional player.
Does Blue Water Sailing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue Water Sailing.