The boy, me and the cat

by Henry Merrihew Plummer

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

PUBLISHERS’ PROLOGUE

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.

The Publishers

DEDICATION

To my companion, Henry M. Plummer, Jr., who, with unfailing patience bore with my fretful exactions, and was ever ready to lend a willing hand; who joined me in love for Scotty, and in grief at her death. To this boy who is my joy and my pride, the log is lovingly dedicated by his father.

PREFACE

(to First Edition)

First Subscription Edition—Limited 700 Copies

The stencil sheets from which this edition was printed have been destroyed by the author.

This cruise was undertaken on my part as rest for a set of frazzled nerves and tired eyes and to limber up a back slowly recovering from an oldtime injury. Henry and Scotty went just naturally cause they had to.

With the passing of the sailing ship much of the language of the sea will also pass away and so in writing this log I have used all the nautical terms I could think of and some I couldn’t think of.

I am indebted to Alice H. Plummer for pictorial conception of “Scotty” on the following pages and to A. M. Lofgren for her successful struggle with my language on a typewriter.

The delay in completing this home made, hand turned bit of mission furniture has been due to the constant quarrels between those engaged in its production. The author and editor came to blows over the gender of “mimi,” the illustrator claimed it impossible to give artistic expression to poetic thought by pecking a sheet of waxed paper with a meat skewer and as a climax to this fiasco the captain of the Mascot informed the publisher that he, together with all the subscription moneys, had left for some faraway land with which this country has no extradition treaty.

With many apologies for many faults and with a solemn promise to never do so any more, I sign myself for the last time

The Author
The Illustrator
The Editor
The Publisher
The Printer
The Binder
and
The Captain of the Mascot.

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NOTE

The letters beside the page numbers refer to sketch maps at end of the book. Continuous line, southern course; broken line, northern course.