Sail with New Freebooters

I need a few pennies to cover the costs of running this blog, but I’m not happy about the way I’ve tried to earn them so far.

I started off with a standard theme that incorporates Google Adsense context-sensitive ads, but I can’t see the justification for some of the ads that have been showing. What has a Ukrainian dating site got to do with sailing boats? Or a pile of flashing smileys? Or software?

It will take a while, but I’m searching for genuine boating industry affiliate partners, particularly ones whose offerings I can select and advertise separately. My goal is to get rid of the frequently irrelevant and inappropriate Adsense ads - they irritate me, so I’m sure they irritate you, too. Besides, they make the site look unprofessional.

Over the next month or so, I plan to change to a mode where there are no ads automatically inserted. I’ll write a post, and if I have an appropriate affiliate ad I’ll show it - if I don’t, I won’t show any ad on that post.

I’d appreciate input from you, my readers. Tell me what you are likely to be interested in - and what annoys you, too. Use the comments field for this post.

So far, I’ve found one yacht charter broker with world-wide coverage (currently, we are investigating a technical problem with their enquiry form when displayed in Internet Explorer, but the ordinary banner ads work.  UPDATE 06 Feb 2009: Problem solved. The enquiry form now works in Internet Explorer - so give it a go. It won’t commit you to anything.). Since they offer to hunt the rest of the world to fulfil your requirements if they can’t do so from their own books, I see no point in looking for any more charter brokers.

I’m negotiating with a couple of UK yachting equipment stores that do a lot of mail order, and I’ll try to do the same in the USA. I’d be interested to hear from you about what equipment you might buy by mail rather than from your local marina shop. (For instance, I can’t imagine anyone ordering  a £2,500 stainless steel superyacht anchor by mail via New Freebooters - if you buy that kind of thing, you probably have an account, and possibly a dedicated account rep at  the chandlery).

Over to you. Help me make New Freebooters a place you really enjoy visiting.

While you’re at it, tell me what you always have a hard time finding - particularly if it’s accurate information or good teaching about anything, from basic to advanced levels.

I’ve got the time, the inclination and the skills to research, validate, and present anything related to boating (with a heavy bias towards sailing, although I’m not totally dumb about power boats - just don’t ask me about any kind of fishing other than using a hand line out of a rowing dinghy).

Go on. The comments field is just below. Or if you prefer, send me e-mail.