For the first four months of its existence Loose Cannon had no way for subscribers to pay whatsover. Once for-pay subscriptions became an option, a paywall was applied to certain few stories until I concluded that I didn’t like trying to compel readers to send money.
Random paywalls didn’t feel like the right tool for the job. Too “Mickey Mouse,” as my father’s generation used to say. Instead, trust readers to get there on their own.
Now, paywalls are back, but only in two, limited ways.
Ya Mon & Archives
Regular readers will have noticed Loose Cannon’s persistent coverage of Ya Mon Expeditions vs. IYBA, a lawsuit that seeks to upend the American way of selling boats. For maximum insight, we’ve teamed up with fellow Substacker Phil Frieman, an expert on the mischief that occurs at the nexus of builders, brokers and buyers.
Except for the initial story breaking the news about the this ambitious legal attack on the broker establishment, Ya Mon articles are all behind a paywall with only the first several paragraphs left visible as teasers.
The reason for this change of policy was simple: The principal audience for this specific court coverage is composed of yacht brokers, lawyers and other commercial players in that ecosystem. As we’ve written before, the litigation is going to play out not over months, but years. Loose Cannon is striving to supply this money-making collective with timely intelligence, so why shouldn’t we ask for a buck or two from the big pile of dinero?
Another (admittedly minor) incentive to upgrade to paid is archive access. All stories, except Ya Mon, are free for the first couple weeks after posting, then the paywall for each pops up like that little white button on the turkey. I’m always looking for ways to provide extra value to the folks who have chosen pay (besides my standing offer to walk their dogs if they come to Green Cove Springs, Florida).
Story Gets Results
Loose Cannon recently caught five popular five popular YouTube sailing channels hawking an online therapy mill called BetterHelp, which had been selling client medical and financial information without permission. “Caught” may be a bit too strong a word. My assumption was that the YouTubers were likely innocent, having been unaware of the company’s sleazy practices before the story.
Together, these channels—Sailing La Vagabonde, Gone With the Wynns, Acorn to Arabella, Sailing Fair Isle and Sailing Uma—account for 3.2 million subscribers. None replied to Loose Cannon’s inquiries in March, but most now seem to have quit promoting BetterHelp.
Only Sailing La Vagabonde appears to have persisted in peddling the California company’s mental health services, as shown by this screen capture from a recent episode, featuring Elayna Carausu making her pitch:
Coming Soon
Stand by over the coming weeks for a new collection of stories ranging from oh-so serious (details on technology to save whales from boat strikes), to informative (the best next-gen cruising guide), to just plain goofy (the world’s most famous cement boat.)
And you never know when someone will steal another catamaran. It seems to be a thing nowadays.
And don’t forget, people. Loose Cannon is also a Facebook page that features daily posts about boats, boating and waterways from the regular news media and other sources, as curated by me.
Keep up the good work Pete.