Definition
Length overall (LOA) is the maximum length of a vessel measured from the foremost point of the bow to the aftermost point of the stern, including any permanently fitted extensions such as bow rollers, bathing platforms, swim steps, and pulpit rails. It is the single figure that most often decides whether a tender can be carried, berthed, or transported.
Background and use
LOA is the first of the three primary hull dimensions a buyer checks, alongside beam and draft. For superyacht tenders it is rarely about the water and almost always about the box the boat has to live in. Garage openings, davit cradles, foredeck chocks, and transom garages are all built to a stated internal length plus a handling clearance, and a tender that is 200mm too long simply does not stow, however good it is. A 6.5m limousine that fits a mothership's aft garage is a different purchase from a 7.2m one that does not.
The figure is also where specifications get slippery. Builders quote LOA inconsistently: some include the outboard or sterndrive in its trimmed-up position, some include a bow sprit or anchor roller, and some quote the hull length (LH) and let the buyer assume it is the same number. It is not. A boat advertised at "7m" can present anywhere from 6.8m of hull to 7.4m over the drive legs and bathing platform. Always confirm whether a quoted LOA is measured with the engines down, trimmed, or removed, and whether it includes the platform — the difference routinely runs 300–500mm on a tender, which is the exact margin that decides a garage fit.
LOA carries downstream cost too. Marina berth pricing, hardstand storage, road-transport permits, and shipping cradle dimensions are all banded by overall length, so a small saving in LOA can move a boat into a cheaper berth band or under a transport width-and-length threshold. For owners specifying a new tender against an existing mothership garage, LOA is the constraint to lock first and design the rest of the boat around.
Related considerations
- Confirm whether a quoted LOA includes the bathing platform and the drive legs; on tenders this is the most common source of a garage-fit failure.
- Distinguish LOA from waterline length (LWL), which governs hull speed and motion, and from hull length (LH), the figure used for many regulatory length bands.
- Garage and davit specifications quote an internal length; subtract the builder's handling clearance (typically 150–300mm) before comparing it to a tender's LOA.
- Length bands drive marina, storage, and transport pricing, so a marginal LOA reduction can produce a disproportionate cost saving.
- When sourcing against a fixed garage, set the maximum LOA as a hard filter before assessing layout, power, or finish.