BoatsThom Cat 23

Thom Cat 23

Gaff head Cat · Keel/centreboard · 2006–2010

A 23-foot keel-centerboard cruiser featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive handling

Designed by Menger & Sweisguth, built by Thompson Boatworks.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draughtDraws 0.76 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a beamy beam gives 22 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 22
CoastalBluewater

2.15 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.15
LightHeavy

299 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 299
EasygoingPowered-up

20.0 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 20.0

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Heavier than ~97% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~80% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~98% of boats her size on file

Compared with 621 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Gaff head Cat
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.0
Displacement / length
299.0
Comfort ratio
21.6
Capsize screening
2.15
Hull speed
6.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
762
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
2006–2010
Designer
Menger, Sweisguth
Builder
Thompson Boatworks

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Paceship Yachts Westwind 247.29 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Ted Hood-designed masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, built for versatility in shoal waters
Potential Sailboat Restoration: Bringing a Classic Back to Life?6:18from BoatworksToday
Redline 25 (C&C)7.49 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA 1969 keel-centerboard cruiser designed by C&C, offering shoal-draft versatility in a compact 7.49-metre hull
This Is Why Sailing Costs Less Than Rent (Seriously) - Ep 356 Lady K Sailing5:26from Lady K Sailing
Phobos 196.30 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited daysailing
Until What Age Can You Live on a Sailboat? | #SAL #33123:54from Hashtag Sal
O'day 257.57 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA successful decade-long production run defines this 25-foot masthead sloop, built with a versatile keel-centreboard
What if your office was a sailboat? | #SAL #3252:50from Hashtag Sal
Herreshoff 157.47 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA classic gaff-rigged keel-centerboarder from 1902, later updated with a modernized rig by Sidney Herreshoff
Herreshoff 14 repair - Caulking seams with cotton and TIPS Season 2 Announcement0:01from Tips from a Shipwright
RS 216.40 mSame hull family0.5 m shorter
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Thom Cat 19A 19-foot keel-centerboard catboat that offers an optional inboard diesel for extended cruising rangeThom Cat 15A Menger-designed gaff-rigged daysailer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performanceMenger Boatworks Cat 23A gaff-rigged keel-centreboard cruiser that evolved from the Menger 23 into the later Thompson-built Thom Cat 23Menger Boatworks Cat 19A gaff-rigged catboat with a keel-centreboard configuration, designed for shoal-water versatility and classic appealMenger Boatworks Cat 15A gaff-rigged daysailer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, later produced as the Thom Cat 15Menger Boatworks Cat 17A gaff-rigged catboat with an optional inboard diesel, now a rare find after her original molds were lost to fire

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Thom Cat 23

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