Barnacle Bill Magazine March 2016 issue 3 | Page 10

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Editorial
Issue 3 and we are well and truly in the routine of monthly magazine production now. As the magazine becomes more widely known you will start to see some adverts appearing. With a limited subscription pool we
need to generate revenue to ensure the magazine survives. We’re keeping the adverts relevant to the content.
Another impact wider exposure has had is in the volume of 3rd party content we are now carrying. I wrote
about 70% of issue 1 and 60% of issue 2, this is now well under the 50% mark for issue 3, and that is good news
for our long suffering readers.
Other developments, we have implemented a new content management system you will now be able to access
individual articles without having to download the whole magazine. This will still be an option but this will
make it considerably easier to read and also to find online. There is a huge dichotomy in magazine publishing
at the moment; printed magazines making the transition to digital are struggling to secure readers and, more
importantly subscribers. The culture of the internet is not to pay for creative content, however this is beginning
to change as the huge amount of static on the web makes people more inclined to nail their colours to sites and
on line publications that deliver their special area. If you read the magazine and enjoy it then please, please,
please consider subscribing, it is only £19.99 for 12 issues a year.

Value Added Tax (UK)

Last month we had some queries concerning the addition of VAT to UK subscribers. In the UK printed media
in the form of books and magazines has been VAT free for many years now. When buying Barnacle Bill subscriptions subscribers were surprised to see that VAT had been added to their bill.
Unfortunately, digital magazines and boos ARE subject to VAT in the UK and the likelihood is that eventually
the EU will demand that all printed books and magazines sold in the UK are sold with VAT added, the general
consensus is that days of VAT free printed media in the UK are numbered.

Lack of financial support whilst training creates a skills shortage in traditional boatbuilding.

It is time for larger yards and owners of classic yachts to realise that trainee and apprentice boat builders need
support if their skills are to be available in the future.
We’ve had an interesting time over the last month speaking to boat building colleges on both sides of ‘the pond’.
We have also noticed that there appears to be a skills shortage of boat-builders and shipwrights with the skills
to work on classic yachts. Boat building courses can be completed at several places including the International
Boatbuilding Training College at Lowestoft. Larger boatyards need these skills especially when restoring or
building classic yachts, often owned by some very wealthy individuals. Unfortunately, all too often these yards
expect trainees or students to come and work for them as free intern labour. When asked if they would consider
assisting the funding of a bursary to secure such labour, the reply from the yards is almost always a resounding
‘no’. This is a remarkably short term approach to an increasing problem and unless the big yard employers in
the south of England and Mediterranean and classic yacht owners work with colleges to attract young apprentice boat builders with viable career paths that allow them to live while they study then the supply of labour is
going to become increasingly tight. Perhaps the traditional boat building sector could take a leaf from other
sectors where highly skilled artisans are required. The British Horological Institute structures its training programmes to allow trainee clock and watchmakers to learn some of their skills on the job after they have reached
a basic level of confidence. That level can typically be reached within a year, much like boat building, before the
apprentice enters work with an employer. Employers, especially the larger jeweller chains recognise that the
sort of apprenticeship and training required takes several years, work with the BHI to attract new watchmakers
by arranging bursary sponsorship and levels of paid apprenticeship. In high value luxury goods like watches
and clocks that require these skills, it is reasonable to pass cost onto the customer who is ultimately benefitting
from those skills both now and in the future.
Several years ago the editor was involved in the restoration of a beautiful 100 year old 100 foot gaff ketch. This
wonderful boat was owned by a high net worth individual that doted on her. When I quoted for work I was
surprised to be told by the yard that it was far too expensive. Our process required a good deal of raw materi-