About this tender
The JT 18 RB is the SOLAS-rated rescue boat version of the JT 18, sized at 5.68m LOA and built to MED Type Approval standards. This is the boat we put forward as the rescue craft on motoryachts above 500 GT operating under LY3 rules, where the regulatory requirement specifies a SOLAS rescue boat. The same hull, build standard and Volvo Penta D3-170 driveline as the standard JT 18, with the addition of Castoldi's RI.SE.R. self-righting system in the stern peak.
Six-passenger plus crew SOLAS certification is the working capacity. Visually the 18 RB looks essentially the same as the non-SOLAS JT 18, which means the boat doubles credibly as a guest tender alongside its rescue role. For owners and captains looking to satisfy the rescue-boat compliance requirement without dedicating a garage slot to a single-purpose craft, this is the practical answer.
Highlights
The four details we'd point out first to a captain who hasn't seen one on the water yet.
MED Type Approval Certificate covers the rescue-boat regulatory requirement on yachts over 500 GT under LY3 code. This is the operational reason to specify the RB variant: it ticks the SOLAS box that the standard JT 18 does not, while keeping the same hull form and operating envelope.
Castoldi's patented recessed inflatable self-righting system is housed in a dedicated stern peak. It meets the SOLAS self-righting requirement without the bulky external apparatus that conventional rescue boats carry. The aesthetic and functional result is a boat that meets the rule and still looks like a Castoldi tender.
Same Volvo Penta D3-170 marine diesel and Castoldi waterjet driveline as the standard JT 18. Service support and parts availability are global. The driveline is sized appropriately for the hull weight including the additional rescue-boat equipment.
On a motoryacht where a separate dedicated rescue boat would consume a garage slot, the 18 RB doubles credibly as a guest tender. The boat retains the deck layout and finish of the standard 18, which means it does not look out of place on the mothership stern when in use as a guest shuttle.
Gallery
The full specification
Specifications, prices, availability, and performance figures are supplied for guidance only and remain subject to confirmation by the yard, seller, broker, survey, contract, and final specification.
Questions, answered
Last call · Available
Castoldi · Albairate, Italy
Tell us about your yacht, your programme, and the missions 18 RB/ SOLAS needs to handle. We come back within 48 hours with a written assessment - fit for the brief, lead time, and trade-offs against alternatives in the same band.
Prefer to talk? +44 (0) 77180 88055 · other ways to reach us
From the library
