A small power catamaran gives you noticeably more usable deck space and far better stability than a monohull of the same length, because twin hulls carry their beam right forward instead of narrowing to a point. In practical terms a 5m powercat fishes much like a 6.5m monohull — which is why, at the smaller end of the range, a cat is often the more boat for the money.
Kingfisher builds plate aluminium powercats from 3.9m to 5.7m, all single-engine, all built to order in Tauranga.
Why size works differently on a catamaran
On a monohull, the front third of the boat tapers away to the bow. You lose it as usable space. A catamaran carries full beam most of the way forward, which is where the flat casting platform comes from — the single most noticeable difference the first time you step aboard.
The practical effect at this size: three people can fish a 5.1m powercat without working around each other. That’s unusual in a boat you can tow behind an ordinary vehicle.
Stability, and why it matters more on a small boat
Stability at rest is where twin hulls earn their keep, and the smaller the boat, the bigger the difference. A small monohull rolls when someone moves; a small powercat barely notices. You can stand on the gunwale, land a fish over the side, or get a diver back aboard without the boat lurching.
For anyone prone to seasickness, or fishing with kids aboard, that single characteristic tends to decide the purchase.
The honest trade-offs
- Single engine. Kingfisher powercats under 6m run one outboard, so you don’t get the get-home redundancy of a twin-engine cat. For inshore and coastal use that’s rarely an issue; for serious offshore work it’s a reason to look at the 670 or above.
- Wider on the trailer. A catamaran is beamier than a monohull of the same length. Our small powercats all tow within standard 2.5m road width limits.
Which size suits you
| 390 | 450 | 510 | 570 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 3.9m | 4.5m | 5.1m | 5.7m |
| Best for | Lakes, rivers, harbours | Inshore and close coastal | Coastal, moderate offshore | Offshore |
| Typical crew | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Engine | 25–40hp, tiller | 30-70hp | 115-150hp | 130–150hp |
| Beam | 1.85m | 2.08m | 2.234m | 2.274m |
| Tow weight (Approx.) | 460 kg | 800 kg | from 1100 kg | from 1,250kg |
The 390 is the outlier — a tiller-steer cat that behaves like a dinghy on steroids, with 4mm plate and a 250mm draft with the motor up. The 450 and 510 are the volume sellers, available as centre console, side console, tiller or cuddy. The 570 is as much boat as you can get before stepping up to a hard top.
What’s different about a Kingfisher small powercat
Every Kingfisher powercat under 6m is fitted with a Wave Breaker — a feature that delivers clean, undisturbed water to the outboard by reducing the turbulence between the hulls. Less cavitation, better fuel economy, quieter running. It matters specifically on single-engine cats, which is why it’s standard below 6m and unnecessary above it.
Everything is plate aluminium, built to order, and configured with your dealer around how you actually use the boat.
