In the winter of 1993 Conway and his family purchased the 24-foot Buckrammer , an almost 100-year-old leak- and rust-plugged, repair-hungry wooden boat. They then set about restoring the old bucket into the family yacht . Catboat Summers chronicles a decade’s worth of adventures in New England waters through a series of short tales, each recounting one of the Conways’ many extraordinary experiences aboard their hand-crafted vessel. From the hilariously ill-fated participation of a fleet of catboats in Boston Harbour’s Sail Parade to a chilling phenomenal encounter amidst fog and darkness. A useful and instructive appendix reveals the technical details of the ongoing restoration process, including the tools involved, the best source of materials, and plans for some of the more challenging and rewarding additions such as the binnacle, skylight and fireplace.