Catana 411 electric repower: motor, battery and cable sizing
The Catana 411 is a 12.5 m multihull with a 12.33 m waterline and 4,536 kg displacement. From those figures, the configurator's sizing model puts an electric conversion at 4 kW and 13 kWh on a 48 V system.
Boat data: sailboatdata.com — Catana 411, checked 23 October 2026
Motor power
4 kW
3.8 kW needed at 6.5 kn
Battery pack
13 kWh
2 h at full rating, with reserve
DC design current
139 A @ 48 V
cabling burden: easy
Range on that pack
13 nm
at 6.5 kn
The boat
- Length
- 12.5 m
- Waterline length
- 12.33 m
- Beam
- 6.5 m
- Displacement
- 4,536 kg
- Hull
- Catamaran, twin daggerboards
- Designer
- Lock Crowther / C. Barreau
- Builder
- Catana (France)
- Built
- 1994–1998
- Original engine
- Yanmar (model and power not listed)
Power needed by speed
| Speed | Shaft power |
|---|---|
| 3 kn | 0.6 kW |
| 4 kn | 1.1 kW |
| 5 kn | 1.9 kW |
| 6 kn | 3 kW |
| 6.5 kncruise target | 3.8 kW |
| 7 kn | 4.7 kW |
| 8 kn | 7.2 kW |
| 8.5 knhull speed | 8.9 kW |
The configurator's power-per-tonne heuristic, not a tank test — real boats vary by about ±25% with hull form, fouling, sea state and propeller. Near hull speed the power climbs steeply.
48 V or 96 V
48 V systemconfigurator's choice
139 A
design DC current · cabling burden easy · 35 mm² for a short run
96 V system
77 A
design DC current · cabling burden easy · 16 mm² for a short run
Motor lines that cover 4 kW at 48 V
From our motor comparison, matched by power and system voltage only — check drive type and fit with the maker.
What these numbers assume
- The published displacement. Your boat loaded for cruising is heavier — use your own figure in the configurator.
- Cruise target of 6.5 kn, which is 75% of the 8.5 kn hull speed.
- A shaft drive (assumed — the source doesn't say; a saildrive adds about 4%).
- A pack sized for 2 hours at the motor's full rating, 15% reserve and 80% usable depth of discharge.
Catana 411
Common questions
How many kW does a Catana 411 need for electric propulsion?+
About 3.8 kW to hold 6.5 knots — 75% of its 8.5-knot hull speed — so the configurator suggests a 4 kW motor. Power rises steeply above that: about 8.9 kW at hull speed. These are estimates from the boat's published waterline length and displacement; real boats vary by roughly ±25%.
What size battery does a Catana 411 need?+
The configurator sizes about 13 kWh of LiFePO4 for 2 hours at the motor's full 4 kW rating, with a 15% reserve and 80% usable depth of discharge — about 13 nautical miles at 6.5 knots. Cruising below full power stretches that.
Should a Catana 411 use 48 V or 96 V?+
At 4 kW the design DC current is about 139 A at 48 V (cabling burden: easy) and about 77 A at 96 V (easy). The configurator picks 48 V for this boat: it stays on 48 V unless the 48 V current reaches its "very heavy" level.
More on this size of boat
40-foot catamaran electric propulsion