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Menger Cat 15
Development
Designer	Bill and Andrew Menger
Location	United States
Year	2001
Builder(s)	Menger Boatworks; Thompson Boatworks
Role	Sailing dinghy
Name	Menger Cat 15
Boat
Displacement	700 lb (318 kg)
Draft	3.50 ft (1.07 m) with centerboard down
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	15.00 ft (4.57 m)
LWL	15.00 ft (4.57 m)
Beam	7.00 ft (2.13 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	centerboard
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Gaff rigged catboat
Mast length	18.00 ft (5.49 m)
Sails
Sailplan	catboat
Mainsail area	145.00 sq ft (13.471 m2)
Total sail area	145.00 sq ft (13.471 m2)
	[edit on Wikidata]

The Menger Cat 15, also called the Menger Cat Daysailer and the Thom Cat 15 Daysailer, is an American sailing dinghy that was designed by Bill Menger and Andrew Menger as a daysailer and first built in 2001.^[1]^[2]

Production

The design was built by Menger Boatworks in the United States from 2001 until 2004, when the company went out of business. The design was acquired by Thompson Boatworks and remains in production.^[1]^[3]

Design

The Menger Cat 15 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of hand laid-up fiberglass, with teak wooden trim. It is a gaff rigged catboat, with aluminum spars. The hull has a plumb stem, an angled transom, a transom-hung, kick-up rudder controlled by a varnished mahogany tiller and a centerboard. The boat displaces 700 lb (318 kg) and carries no ballast. A white dacron mainsail is standard equipment and an Egyptian cotton sail is optional. Foam flotation is included to make the boat unsinkable. There is also a storage compartment under the foredeck.^[1]^[2]

The boat has a draft of 3.50 ft (1.07 m) with the centerboard extended and 7 in (18 cm) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.^[1]

The boat may be optionally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.^[1]^[4]

Operational history

In a 2000 review naval architect Bob Perry wrote, "the Menger 15 is designed in the style of the old sandbaggers. It is light and beamy with a beautiful hollow entry. The 145 square foot main will give you a sense of power without requiring sandbags to keep the boat on its feet. Coordination between the main and tiller is sometimes required to keep a catboat balanced and this provides a very convenient way to learn about the fine points of rig balance. The long boom will also help you learn the correct way to gybe in a breeze."^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Menger Cat 15 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
^ ^a ^b Thompson Boatworks (16 June 2010). "Thom Cat 15 Daysailer". thompsonboatworks.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Menger Boatworks (USA) 1976 - 2004". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
^ ^a ^b Perry, Bob (15 August 2021). "Perry Design Review: Menger 15 and 19". boats.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2021.