The boy, me and the cat

The Boy, Me and the Cat Cruise of the Mascot, 1912-1913 Henry M. Plummer The Cyrus Chandler Company Rye, New Hampshire
Copyright 1961 by The Cyrus Chandler Company Fourth Printing, 1986 Printed in the United States of America by Commonwealth Press, Worcester, Massachusetts
We first heard about The Boy, Me and the Cat when asked if we had read it. When we said we hadn’t, our interrogator shook his head with pity, and then made the flat statement, “It is the greatest cruising story ever written.” As you can imagine, our curiosity was piqued and even more so as we began to dig into the matter.
We learned that the book was originally published by the author in a paper covered, fish-line bound, mimeographed edition of 700 copies. Where those 700 copies have all gone to no one seems to know. There are a few in the hands of a small group who prize them rather highly. As William Taylor, Managing Editor of Yachting described it, “Borrowing one is about as simple as borrowing a man’s favorite wife.” We don’t know about that, inasmuch as we aren’t married and have yet to borrow a wife, but we do know that we had a terrible time trying to get a copy.
It soon appeared that the easiest way to read the book was to publish it, and so we set out. And that is the why of this second edition. Now that we have read it, we agree, this is the greatest cruising story ever written. We hope that you will think so, too.
In the meanwhile we would be neglecting all courtesy and obligation if we did not tell you that the credit for this second edition really belongs to David C. McIntosh, boat-builder, of Dover Point, New Hampshire, who started us on the trail of the Mascot; William Taylor of Yachting , who encouraged us with his enthusiasm; Oliver Prescott of New Bedford, who generously lent us his prized copy of the original; Waldo Howland of the Concordia Yacht Company, who counselled us; Maggie McIntosh of Smith College, who gave up her vacation to lovingly copy every dot and line of the drawings; Barbara Smith of Worcester, who has read and reread every word; Norman Wood of Commonwealth Press, whose constant advice and suggestions have done so much to design our book; Henry M. Plummer, Jr., who wrote his recollections for us in a hospital bed; and of course, the author, who once did it all by himself.