best yacht tender

The Best Tenders for Yachts in 2024

Tenders in a nutshell

A tender is a boat that services a larger vessel (referred to as the mothership ). It can take many forms and deliver a wide range of conveniences.

Historically called ‘ship’s boats, ‘ tenders have supported large vessels for centuries. They have been used for guest transfers, refuge boats, landing crafts, stowed on deck or towed astern—little has changed! 

Whilst the vast majority of tenders employed by smaller yachts are typically rigid inflatable boats, the modern-day superyacht considers a multitude of vessels indispensable.

Hull categories

We’ve been specialising in building boat tenders for over a decade, yet with such a degree of cross-over and with a seemingly endless request for custom configurations, categorising tenders remains a challenge.

Nonetheless, at the top-most level, we categorise all tenders under one of the following three hull types:

Fully Inflatable A lightweight vessel relying solely on inflation for buoyancy. 

Rigid Inflatable A vessel with a hull constructed from rigid materials such as aluminium or fibreglass, supported with an inflatable or foam collar for added buoyancy in high seas. 

Rigid   A fully rigid hull without a buoyancy collar of any type.

Tender sub-categories

In addition to hull type, we can identify most yacht tenders under the following sub-categories:

⌾ Open ⌾ Chase ⌾ Classic ⌾ Foil ⌾ Catamaran ⌾ Dive

What is an open tender?

An open tender is principally a single-deck boat with no enclosed cabin. Chiefly a guest transfer boat with ample seating both forward and aft, open tenders are day boats without accommodation above or below deck.

While we see many open tenders dedicated to guest transfers, by their very nature, they can also incorporate centre console boats, some dive boats, landing crafts, and even limousines.

What is a chase tender?

As the name suggests, a chase tender—which can also be an open tender—follows the mothership.

Chase boats can take on many guises since their main attribute is size. As a result, they are generally not stored on board but instead towed astern.

Often very angular in design, with excellent seaworthiness, chase boats need to be able to withstand the rigours of being towed by the mothership. Whilst a lot of large chase tenders can be operated entirely independently, towing very long distances (such as transatlantic) is not advised.

What is a classic tender?

Tenders with the hallmark of classic design are styled with an exquisite, continuous line from the head to the heel.

Echoing the lacquered freeboards of a Riva Ariston or the flawless veneers of a Hinckley picnic boat, a modern classic from the likes of J Craft or Wajer will feature a gracefully tapered form, avoiding right angles altogether.

What is a foiling tender?

Combining thrust with lift (as an aeroplane does), high-speed tenders have the opportunity also to become airborne.

Less drag, higher speeds and lower energy consumption are the key advantages, although from a guest comfort perspective, being elevated above a big swell scores very highly.

What is a catamaran tender?

Largely associated with utility boats, catamaran tenders (not to be confused with catamaran sailboats) present superyacht owners with a number of major advantages over their mono-hulled counterparts.

Favoured as a utility vessel, a twin-hulled catamaran can be built much wider than an equivalent-length vessel with a mono hull. It offers increased stability and, therefore, a more comfortable ride in bigger seas. Thanks to a smaller surface area, there’s also less drag, which results in faster speeds and higher efficiency.

What is a dive tender?

We build tenders optimised specifically for scuba diving, however, given the range of crossover in the market, the likes of amphibious boats, beachlanders, some centre consoles, landing crafts, open tenders, RIBs and utility boats can also work perfectly well for diving.

Storage, floor space and, most importantly, the convenience of easy access to the water are key attributes of a versatile dive boat tender.

The right tender for the job

So far we’ve categorised our tenders — now to define which tender is best suited to which scenario.

Amphibious Tender

✓ Rigid ✓ Rigid Inflatable ✓ Open ✓ Chase ✓ Tow or stow

Sharp stones, steep drop-offs, inclement weather, and changing tides needn’t worry your crew when you have the luxury of an amphibious tender. Visit almost any secluded cove or spit with virtually no risk of becoming stranded or beached.

Go where other boats simply wouldn’t dare, landing on shorelines in rough breaks and on rugged terrain. Be sure to do your homework, though, as most beaches and marinas will require permission to stroll out the sea on an amphibious tender.

Beachlander Tender

We are all about time spent on the water, but the sensation of stepping off a tender onto the warm sand is in itself a joy to behold. We don’t mean clambering over the side of a rib and bouncing awkwardly into the shallows. We mean stepping from a dry boat onto dry sand.

Whether you intend to spend the day in your swimmers or are off for an island excursion, getting wet feet before you begin should be a choice. 

We offer a beachlander option on all of our aluminium rigid inflatable boats .

Classic Daysailer

✓ Rigid ✓ Open ✓ Classic ✓ Stow

Strip back the layers of modernity that clothe large motor yachts and delve into a tactile sailing experience with a classic daysailer.   Built a short distance upriver from SYTT, the Spirit R30 is a daysailer that marries cinematic elegance with unparalleled craftsmanship.    Born from the same yard that graced the silver screen in iconic Bond films such as Casino Royale  and No Time To Die , this 9.2m yacht epitomises timelessness with its exquisite wooden construction.    Small sailing boats like the R30 can be de-rigged and stowed, nestled within a yacht’s garage or gracefully perched on deck.

Center Console

✓ Rigid ✓ Open ✓ Chase ✓ Tow or stow

Synonymous with the Florida Keys, the traditional centre console (or center console in the US), is typically a single-deck boat with the helm in the middle.

Geared towards recreational fishing, the centre console maximises the floor space while, crucially, allowing for full access around all sides of the boat. On smaller boats, seating is often sacrificed for floor space, while larger centre consoles fitted with cabins creep into the Sports Fisher sector.

Not intended to be an especially dry boat, both crew and guests are often exposed to the elements. The upshot is that centre consoles and, more so, sports fishers, tend to offer huge power, which is especially useful for long day trips from the mainland.

High-performance

‘Go-fast’ boats, as the name suggests, are built exclusively for speed. More commonly known as ‘cigarette boats’ due to their shape, go-fast boats are not for the faint-hearted. 

A craze immortalised by the Cigarette Racing Team, modern-day cigar boats can achieve speeds of over 100 knots. Largely impractical as a conventional superyacht tender, the range of high-performance boats have thankfully branched more into Centre Consoles. In turn, this presents superyacht owners with a high-performance chase boat of an almost unimaginable spec.

Landing Craft

✓ Rigid ✓ Rigid Inflatable ✓ Inflatable ✓ Open ✓ Chase ✓ Catamaran ✓ Dive ✓ Tow or stow

A vessel with a very military feel, a landing craft tender is designed to carry everything, including vehicles, from yacht to shore. 

With our ROAM Landing Craft, a button-operated super-strength bow ramp enables drive-on, drive-off capabilities, ideal for disembarking heavy items where lifting facilities are not available at shore.

Our landing crafts are built with a catamaran hull for enhanced stability. We also manufacture high-quality fold-up motorised boats.

Limousine Tender

✓ Rigid ✓ Open ✓ Classic ✓ Foil ✓ Stow

Surely the ultimate statement of sophistication — the limousine tender is the pinnacle mode of guest transfer.

A range of 6-14m and accommodating up to eighteen guests in consummate luxury, a fully enclosed guest cabin will often mirror the furnishings of the mothership.

Picnic Boat

✓ Rigid ✓ Chase ✓ Classic ✓ Stow

If leisure cruising and lunching were your only pursuit, you’d surely have a picnic boat. The quintessential day cruiser, a picnic boat is unequivocally designed for rest and relaxation on the water.

Inspired by the lobster boats of Maine, where the sloping rails from bow to stern made it easier for lobstermen to haul in their traps, the symbolic Picnic Boat represents everything exciting and romantic about a day out on the water.

Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB)

✓ Rigid Inflatable ✓ Open ✓ Dive ✓ Tow or stow

The workhorse tender of any yacht is the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). Robust, versatile, and highly manoeuvrable, RIBs typically offer speed, buoyancy, and good handling on high seas. 

A foam or inflatable collar provides extra buoyancy in the event of taking on water, while in the case of RIB boats—which have a high deadrise—also acts as a spray rail for keeping the deck dry. Popular with superyachts, RIBs can be towed or stowed and used for a wide range of purposes.

✓ Rigid ✓ Open ✓ Dive ✓ Stow

Nothing allows us to explore an affinity with water quite like the experience of wakeboarding, wake surfing and water skiing.

We specialise in wake boat customisation, supplying specifically to superyachts.

SOLAS Rescue Tender

✓ Rigid Inflatable ✓ Inflatable ✓ Stow

In accordance with the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), all ships over 500GT (typically 50m+) must carry at least one fully compliant SOLAS Rescue Vessel (and a complement of life rafts). The rescue vessel must be stowed onboard and cannot be towed astern or located on a support vessel.

SOLAS Rescue Vessels must be able to carry five seated persons and a person lying on a stretcher. They must also have an automatic self-righting capability and the engine must be restartable following a capsize. Stable in a seaway (and deployable when the mothership is doing 5 knots), rescue boats may be either rigid or inflated and need to be operable in water that is 1-30°C. They also need to be able to start in -30°C air temperature.

First adopted in 1914, the SOLAS Convention was initiated as a direct response to the Titanic disaster. The Convention in use today is often referred to as the “SOLAS, 1974, as amended”. 

For any help and advice relating to SOLAS requirements, contact our team who have a depth of knowledge on the subject.

SOLAS Lifeboats

✓ Rigid ✓ Stow Unlike a SOLAS Rescue Vessel that can be inflatable or rigid hull, a lifeboat must have the latter.

Painted bright orange—or Pantone 144—a lifeboat can have a LOA no less than 7.3m.

Sports Fisher

✓ Rigid ✓ Tow

A close relative of both the Central Console and High-performance categories, a Sports Fisher is a dedicated recreational fishing boat. Despite the wide range of boats within this category, the Flybridge Sports Fisher is the most synonymous with the name. 

Large boats, often up to 25m, the archetypal fisher is perfectly suited to lengthy, deep-sea fishing trips. Typically built with berths, heads, a galley and a tower (perhaps even a live bait tank, too), a Sports Fsher is for serious big game fishing enthusiasts.

It’s quite a commitment for a superyacht when a large open or utility tender with rod holders would probably be just as effective if big game fishing was less of a priority.

Utility Tender

✓ Rigid Inflatable ✓ Inflatable ✓ Open ✓ Chase ✓ Catamaran ✓ Dive ✓ Tow or stow

A utility tender is the most versatile boat on the list. Ticking almost every box, a utility boat is somewhat open to interpretation. As much an entire category as it is an individual tender, a utility boat could easily take the form of a landing craft or open RIB.

Both promote an open deck space and satisfy the needs of crew in all manner of tasks, including the general movement of equipment and vehicles, refuge and provision runs, and guest and crew transfers.

Enquire now

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• BOAT Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

14 of the best new tenders, chase boats and limousines afloat

Fill your garage with the finest and fastest new superyacht tenders and dayboats to hit the water. Kate Lardy selects the best boats designed to supplement your superyacht, encompassing everything from military-grade chase boats to tender-carrying tenders...

11.4-metre limousine

One of the most recent launches from the tender arm of America’s oldest boatbuilder is a gorgeous aft helm limo penned by Michael Peters . The award-winning design accommodates up to 15 guests in fore and aft outside seating with a wet bar and a climate-controlled interior with custom upholstery and detailing. The T-top lowers for stowing the tender on board, and the gyrostabilisation will be appreciated by anyone who’s ever had to step onto a rolly tender at a rough anchorage.

The Maine builder has also revealed a new design for a 12-metre Beachlander with two deck configurations: the elegant Sip for cocktails and entertaining; and the more rugged Sport for watersports or hauling gear to the beach. Both can accommodate either electric or diesel propulsion and have guest capacity of 14.

LOA: 11.4m Beam: 3.15m Displacement: 7,200kg Power: 2 x Volvo D4-320 Speed: 35+ knots Passengers: 15

Cantiere delle Marche ’s Flexplorer 146 has a big aft deck designed to carry tenders and toys, but with a 44.3-metre LOA, there’s a limit to how much can be hauled. So the Italian shipyard came up with an ingenious solution: a tender on deck that carries a smaller tender itself. Instead of stowing these side-by-side on the mothership, stacking them frees up valuable real estate. Called Iceman, the explorer tender is being designed by Valerio Rivellini, and follows his philosophy of combining structural strength and light weight, with an aluminium hull and a carbon-fibre superstructure.

LOA: 9.55m Beam: 3m Displacement: 4 tonnes Engine: 370hp Yanmar Speed: 35 knots Passengers: 10

Ny24 limonerea yacht ny24 limo.

With its modern form and clean lines, the first NY24 Limo model fits right in with the artful aesthetic of this Italian builder, which collaborates with design firm ideaeITALIA . The low profile and high-end finishes allow it to fit in any superyacht garage with ease, and the model itself is quite customisable. The owner of hull No 1, ordered for a 63-metre yacht that will cruise in Croatia, chose to install a bimini for shade underway without spoiling the lines, and synthetic teak for reduced maintenance and environmental impact.

LOA: 7.35m Beam: 2.5m Displacement (unladen): 2.2 tons Power: 1 x Yanmar HP 250Z inboard Speed: 35 knots Passengers: 14 (12+2)

Custom 10m limousine and open.

January 2024 saw Falcon ’s first deliveries to a client with a stunning pair of matching 10-metre tenders, one open sports tender and one closed limousine. The custom designs were developed exclusively for the (confidential) client. The hull, deck and mouldings are constructed with green epoxy composites, utilising foam sandwich construction, giving a stiff, lightweight structure, but it’s the high-gloss all-white finish with mirrored glass that makes the bigger impression.

Project KD will follow in March, delivered to a Sanlorenzo . Stay tuned for more from this high-end builder later in 2024 with a new concept in SOLAS tenders and a revolutionary design of a 10-metre explorer yacht tender.

LOA: 10m Beam: 3m Weight (unladen): 4,750kg (limo)/4,550kg (open) Power: 2 x Yanmar 4LV 250 Speed: 35 knots (limo)/ 40 knots (open) Passengers: 14 (12+2)

This foiling tender is designed to fly, not swim. It takes off at 18 knots and soars 1.5 metres above the water. Based on Enata’s 10-metre Foiler platform, Vatoz is a new limited- edition series that will produce just eight boats. Designed in collaboration with Timur Bozca, its organic, aerodynamic shape was inspired by its namesake, the Turkish word for stingray. The side wings are designed to provide easy access to the bow while also keeping those in the cockpit dry and hiding storage space for water toys such as surfboards.

LOA: 9.8m Beam: 3.3m Displacement: 5 tonnes Power: 2 x 370hp V8 diesel Speed: 40 knots when foiling Passengers: 8

Silverline open limo.

Bold in bright blue livery, Yachtwerft Meyer’s 8.1-metre open limo is as eye-catching in colour as it is in form. It’s a new addition to the semi-custom Silverline series, the builder’s most successful tender range, which offers a pre-engineered platform with a choice of deck layouts. The first owner chose a seating arrangement that maximises the number of passengers. When the weather doesn’t co-operate, a hidden custom bimini transforms it into a closed limousine.

LOA: 8.1m Beam: 2.8m Displacement (fully loaded): 3.9 tonnes Power: 2 x Volvo D3-170 Sterndrive Speed: 30+ knots Passengers: 12 (10+2)

Silent tenders.

The latest development from solar-powered catamaran builder Silent Yachts is a new series of tenders that are – you guessed it – silent, being fully electric. The range encompasses 400, 450 and 520 models between four and 5.2 metres with a carbon fibre prepreg hull and waterjet drive, able to be charged via the mothership Silent yacht or in port. The 40kW of power and lightweight construction allow a top speed over 20 knots. The first 400 is now in production.

520 LOA: 5.2m Beam: 2m Weight (empty): 520kg Power: 40kW Speed: 20 knots Passengers: 8

13m limousine tender.

Custom builder Cockwells has created some stunningly beautiful superyacht tenders. The latest, part of a quartet of custom tenders for the new 112-metre Renaissance , is this 13-metre limousine. It features a luxurious interior influenced by the design of the client’s private jet, while its semi-displacement hull, twin 8LV engines and gyro-stabiliser provide guests with the ultimate balance of speed and comfort.

LOA: 12.7m Beam: 3.6m Displacement (lightship): 8,728kg Engines: 2 x 370hp Yanmar 8LV Speed: 32 knots Passengers: 12

Wallypower50.

Introduced at the last Cannes show, the baby of the wallypowers blends the features of Wally ’s tender and power ranges. This is no accident; the concept is all about bridging the open wallytender48 and the wallypower58, and the result is a model that can be specced for anything from chase boat to dayboat. The sharp lines, deep-V hull and double chine profile are undoubtedly Wally, as the design comes from the brand’s forward-thinking founder, Luca Bassani , who says the model is “perhaps the purest and most essential in form yet to earn the ‘power’ epithet”. Both inboard and outboard propulsion is offered.

LOA: 14.6m Beam: 4.3m Displacement (unladen): 12.9 tonnes Power: 2 x Volvo Penta IPS650 Speed: 36 knots Passengers: 12

Jet tender 28.

At the top end of Castoldi’s range of jet tenders is this new 8.6-metre model that accommodates 16. The multi-functional boat is well-tailored to its market, coming with all the fun stuff superyachts need: ski poles, hooks for towing inflatables, dive tank lockers and fishing rod holders. A bow ramp provides steps down to the beach, too. Castoldi tenders are designed to be stored in yacht garages, so all components that exceed the height of the bow can be folded (console, awnings, carbon-fibre T-top) or removed (cushions and backrests). Below the waterline is a deep-V hull built in tough Kevlar.

LOA: 8.6m Beam: 3m Weight (fully loaded): 2,728kg Power: 370hp Yanmar 8LV diesel Waterjet: Castoldi Turbodrive 284 HCT Speed: 38 knots Passengers: 16

Take a hardy RIB and mix in military DNA and you’ve got a chase boat with serious superpowers. So serious, in fact, that the CZ12 was the first RIB to make it through the Northwest Passage. With Zodiac Milpro’s recent acquisition of superyacht specialists Yachtwerft Meyer, these adventure boats are now offered as superyacht tenders. The 60-plus-knot boat has a patented high-performance MACHII hull, which special forces use for intervention and rescue in extreme conditions, and comes with shock-mitigating seats.

LOA: 11.7m Beam: 3.1m Weight: approx. 6.5 tonnes Power: 2 or 3 x outboards, 700-1,200hp Speed: 60+ knots Passengers: 12

Beachlander range.

High demand for the beachlander led Whitmarsh to design a new range of mid-size luxury superyacht tenders. The three models of 6.25, 7.25 and 8.25 metres have the same dimensions as some of the British builder’s existing tenders, but they boast a completely new hull design that carries more weight and improves performance with less power. The half-circle “D” tube design gives a lot of internal space and offers storage built into the cockpit sides. Engine options include diesel inboard jet drive, stern drive or outboard, and SOLAS versions are available for every model. The first two 725s are sold for a mid 2024 delivery.

ST 825 LOA: 8.25m Beam: 2.95m Weight (lightship): 2,750kg Speed: 30-36 knots Passengers: 12

This new catamaran has a neat trick below the waterline: foils. These aren’t to lift it out of the water America’s Cup-style though, but to help with longitudinal stability. A centre foil creates lift that reduces drag and improves fuel efficiency (by at least 30 per cent, claims the builder), while the aft foils provide downforce, working with the centre foil to reduce pitching. A folding carbon fibre bimini and low-profile hull allow it to be stowed on board. The first Linx30 is in service as a tender to 65-metre Lürssen Polar Star , and the second one is currently in build, commissioned by a client in the Middle East.

LOA: 9.5m Beam: 3.1m Displacement (fully loaded): 4,000kg Power: inboard or outboard Speed: 40 knots Passengers: 12

Beachlander.

Recently delivered to a private mothership, Compass ’s largest beachlander to date, at 11.5 metres, is a jack of all trades. The full-custom craft was designed to serve as luxurious guest conveyance, able to facilitate extended excursions on expedition cruises, as well as a utility boat. There’s a rack for dive tanks, two wet lockers and six fishing-rod sockets. The extra-large loading bay can take up to six euro pallets, which are easily loaded and unloaded via the hydraulic bow door. The full guest complement of 12 is accommodated on board, with passengers enjoying an aft seating/sunlounger arrangement with adaptable positioning, a 135-litre integrated cool box and a head with shower concealed in the console.

LOA: 11.5m Beam: 3.55m Displacement: 6,750kg Power: 2 x 440hp Volvo D6 diesel inboards Waterjets: 2 x Hamilton HJX29 Top speed: 42 knots Passengers: 14 (12+2)

Sponsored listings.