When we started D&B Publishing in the mid-1990s, I doubt Barry Thompson and I gave much thought to anniversaries or milestones. We were boat people first, publishers second. Having worked together for eight years prior on Sea Spray and the then PowerBoat magazine, and on my return from my OE, we simply saw a gap in New Zealand’s marine media and decided to fill it with something practical, honest, and rooted in how Kiwis actually use their boats.
Back then, trailer boats were everywhere, and trailer boat builders were busy. Families were launching at dawn and towing home at dusk. Yet there was no publication speaking directly to that audience with real testing, local conditions, and plain-spoken advice. That’s how Propeller came to life in 1996. It wasn’t glossy for the sake of it, and it certainly wasn’t aspirational fluff. It was hands-on, written by people who actually went boating, for people who did the same.
At the New Zealand Boat Show in June 1996, we launched the first issue of New Zealand Propeller magazine, the first and only magazine totally devoted to trailer boating. The response was exceptional, and with the industry on a high and a stable economy, the magazine boomed.
Those early years set the tone for everything that followed. We were deeply connected to the industry because we were part of it. Builders, dealers, skippers, and engineers all had a voice in the pages. Reviews were done on our coast, in our weather, with our fuel prices and our expectations.
That approach quickly earned trust, and trust is a powerful asset in a niche market. The Propeller/PowerBoat team fast became involved with the industry with innovative buyer’s guides and engine shootouts. We also engaged our readers with the industry by organising many highly successful Poker Runs across the country, with up to 70 boats at some events.
As the years rolled on, D&B grew – not in a rush, but carefully. We adjusted and added titles to reflect the way the market was segmenting:
• Propeller Magazine (1996–2011)
• Launch & MotorYacht (1999), which soon changed to Pacific MotorYacht (2001–2011)
• As a result of the GFC’s impact on the industry, Propeller and MotorYacht merged to form the publication you are reading today, Pacific PowerBoat Magazine (2011–present).
Other standalone publications over our 30 years included Pacific PassageMaker (2011–2014), China Yachting (2006), Australian PowerBoat (2003–2005), and Alloy Boat Magazine (2013–2020).
We also produced annual editions of Alloy Boat Magazine, PWC Annual, RIB Annual, Pacific PassageMaker Annual, Race and Performance titles…along with several Boat Test Books, which compiled all past reviews. Many of these (close to 1,000) are now stored on our PowerBoat website for reader convenience.
What tied all those magazines together was a consistent editorial voice: practical, accurate, independent. If a boat performed well, we said so. If it didn’t, we explained why. That mattered to readers making big financial decisions, and it mattered to advertisers who knew credibility was the real currency.
One of the biggest shifts came with the creation of Pacific PowerBoat. Consolidating titles wasn’t about retreat; it was about reality. Readers wanted a broader view of the market. Advertisers wanted efficiency. Distribution costs were climbing. Bringing the spectrum together, from 4-metre trailer boats through to serious motor yachts, made sense. It also reflected the way many owners progress through boating over time.
Then came the digital pivot. Like every publisher, we had to adapt or disappear. BOATMAGS became our operating banner online (at the time), giving us the flexibility to deliver reviews, directories, classifieds, and digital editions while still producing a proper print magazine for readers who value something tangible. Print never went away for us, it simply became more deliberate, more premium, and more focused.
Through it all, the culture at D&B stayed the same. We’re a small team. We rely on experienced contributors who know boats, not just words. We work closely with local builders and importers because New Zealand’s marine industry deserves to be supported at home. And we’ve never lost sight of the fact that our job is to be useful.
Hitting milestones like 100 issues, then 200, was never about self-congratulation. It was a reminder that longevity in publishing only comes if you’re doing something right. In our case, that meant staying niche, testing properly, and maintaining relationships built on trust rather than hype.
Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth water. Print advertising tightened. Online monetisation took time. The solution was never radical reinvention but steady adjustment and an ongoing commitment to quality editorial that readers are willing to spend time with.
As we move further into the 2020s, I see the next chapter for D&B as evolutionary rather than revolutionary: deeper integration between print and digital, more high-value testing and refit stories, and possibly more events and partnerships that bring readers and industry together in meaningful ways.
We’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We’re trying to be indispensable to power boat owners. That means focusing on what matters: good testing, useful advice, and stories that genuinely help people enjoy their power boats and time on the water.
Magazines in the past have often been judged by circulation figures alone. I judge ours by something else entirely: how often our reviews are referenced in buying decisions, how many years advertisers stay with us (some have been with us for every issue over the 30 years), and how familiar our titles are in boatyards and marinas around the country. Thirty years is long enough to know whether a publisher was just fashionable or genuinely useful.
Issue after issue, D&B Publishing has proven that usefulness endures. Today, we combine all things powerboating and produce one publication, still covering all aspects of powerboating, along with our PowerBoat Weekly E-News and recently updated POWERBOAT MAGAZINE website, featuring hundreds of powerboat-related features and close to 1,000 powerboat reviews.
Our association with the magazine has given us the privilege of experiencing some truly special places alongside some equally special people. Sadly, not all of them are still with us, including our own Barry Thompson, who passed away in 2024 after a very short period of semi-retirement. Barry was a co-founder of the business and my business partner for 26 of our 30 years, and his contribution continues to be deeply felt.
Over the years, we have been fortunate to share many memorable experiences, including:
• Stewart Island • Lake Hauroko • A Taieri Mouth bar crossing near Milton • Queenstown and Lake Benmore • Milford Sound – New Zealand’s own Jurassic Park • Jet boating on the Waimakariri River • The Marlborough Sounds and French Pass • Naiad jet boating on the Waihou River (Thames) • A White Island crater visit (not recommended or allowed) • Fishing and diving at Great Barrier Island • PWC circumnavigation of Waiheke Island • PWC adventures at Stradbroke Island • Pacific destinations including Rarotonga, Niue and Fiji • Our most distant journey took us to Spain for the global release of Volvo Penta’s IPS.
We have also been grateful to attend a wide range of international boat shows alongside fellow members of the marine industry, including Fort Lauderdale, Singapore, Taiwan, Perth, Sanctuary Cove, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as many shows throughout New Zealand.
Looking back, I feel genuinely fortunate to have had the responsibility, and opportunity to research, experience and share some of the very best in powerboats and powerboating technologies from around the world.
We would like to sincerely thank the industry for their support, which has allowed us to spread the powerboating story while showcasing some of the finest and most innovative products in the world. To our readers and subscribers, both in print and digital, thank you for your continued support and belief in us, it is truly appreciated.
We look forward to maintaining and growing our relationships with both the industry and our readers in the years to come, who knows what exciting adventures lie just around the corner.
