Villmann and the Caledon Boatworks team - the small, family-run business includes Villmann's wife, Rebecca, and his father, Richard Villmann Sr. - use fiberglass construction and PVC foam coring to build the semidisplacement pocket trawler. The hull and deck are glassed together from the inside for one-piece construction, according to the company, and solid half-inch fiberglass is used on the boat's bottom, fore-deck and around the cleats.

"It seemed indestructible," says Heintz, 59, who has run Summertime in seas up to 8 feet. "It seems like it can swim through anything. It tracks well and keeps the bow up."

The Caledon draws just 24 inches with the outboards down. "You can take the thing anywhere," says Heintz. It also has great ventilation and cedar woodwork for a nice aroma, according to Heintz.

Heintz estimatest that he spent 100 nights aboard the boat. He and his wife, Amy, often spent two or three days at a time in the bay off Napatree Point, R.I., and even slept three or four people on the 24-foot, 10-inch cruiser.

He recently sold his Caledon because he needed a larger boat that could sleep more people. "I've always got it in the back of my mind that when my grandchildren get big enough I'll ask Richard [Villmann] to build me another one," says Heintz. He says he enjoyed the small company's hands-on, personal approach to boat building.

Villmann says most customers opt for twin 50-hp outboards ($83,000 base price) rather than the standard twin 40s($79,000). A 2-foot hull extension also is available, which lets the Caledon accomodate twin 90-hp outboards.

LOA 24 feet, 10 inchces BEAM 8 feet, 6 inches HULL DRAFT 20 inches DISPLACEMENT 4,600 pounds (dry) HULL TYPE semidisplacement FUEL 36 gallons WATER 15 gallons SPEED 17 mph top, 11 mph cruise (twin 40-hp 4-strokes) BASE PRICE $79,000. Caledon Boatworks, RR No.1 Alton, ON, L0N 1A0. Phone: (519)940-4493. www.caledonboatworks.com