SOLAS Tender Builders

Pascoe, Cobra, Whitmarsh, SOLAS Marine and where coded RIBs cross over with rescue duty.

Published

SOLAS-coded tender briefs come from a narrow part of the market and end up on a short builder list. Five yards build the bulk of the SOLAS rescue tenders on commercial superyachts; the right one for any given brief depends on whether the boat is a single-purpose rescue craft or a dual-purpose rescue plus working tender.

Pascoe International (UK)

The dominant builder in the dual-purpose SOLAS plus working-tender bracket. Pascoe's strength is building one boat that meets SOLAS coding and also serves as a normal guest or crew tender, with a finish quality that does not look out of place against the rest of the yacht's tenders.

Range: 7 to 12m typical, with some larger custom builds. Multiple flag-state certifications (MCA, Cayman, Marshall Islands, Bermuda, Malta) held in-house.

Best for: programmes that want a single tender slot in the garage to cover both rescue duty and working use. The cost premium over a single-purpose SOLAS RIB is real but lower than buying two separate boats.

Models we see most: SY 8500 SOLAS, SY 9500 dual-purpose.

Cobra Ribs (UK)

UK-based RIB specialist with strong SOLAS pedigree. Cobra builds SOLAS-coded craft from 5.5m to 9m, focused on the pure-rescue end rather than the dual-purpose end.

Range: 5.5 to 9m. SOLAS coding standard across most of the line.

Best for: programmes where the SOLAS brief is the primary use and a separate working tender lives elsewhere in the garage.

Whitmarsh Marine (UK)

Long-standing SOLAS specialist; well represented across smaller commercial yachts where the rescue tender is a dedicated boat with no other duties. Whitmarsh's competitive edge is build cost; the boats are functional rather than fashionable, but they hold up in service.

Range: 4 to 7m predominantly.

Best for: budget-constrained commercial programmes that need certified rescue capability without paying premium-builder pricing.

Williams Jet Tenders (UK)

Williams offers SOLAS variants of its DieselJet 565 and 625 platforms. The format is the same as the standard guest RIB but with the SOLAS coding package, equipment fit, and certified lifting points.

Best for: programmes already standardised on Williams for the rest of the tender fleet, where keeping consistent maintenance, parts, and crew familiarity across the garage matters more than optimising the SOLAS-specific build.

Models we see most: DieselJet 565 SOLAS, DieselJet 625 SOLAS.

SOLAS Marine (UK and Saudi Arabia)

Specialist builder; the company name is the category name. Less commonly seen on the upper-end yacht-tender brief because the build aesthetic and finish do not always match high-spec yacht expectations, but a credible option for the pure-rescue brief on commercial vessels where regulatory compliance is the only consideration.

Range: 5 to 9m.

Best for: commercial yachts where the SOLAS tender is a regulatory requirement to be ticked off rather than a guest-facing asset.

How to shortlist

The brief variables that drive the right yard:

  1. Use mix. Pure rescue: Cobra, Whitmarsh, SOLAS Marine. Dual-purpose rescue plus working: Pascoe, Williams. Premium dual-purpose: Pascoe.
  2. Yacht-side standardisation. If the rest of the tender fleet is Williams, the SOLAS Williams variant simplifies operations. If the fleet is mixed and the SOLAS boat is a one-off, Pascoe or Cobra are usually the right answer.
  3. Budget envelope. Cost per metre runs roughly Whitmarsh < SOLAS Marine < Cobra < Williams < Pascoe.
  4. Flag-state familiarity. Pascoe and Williams hold the most flag certifications in-house; smaller builders may need third-party certification work.

See also

Sources

  1. Cobra official site — Cobra
Which yard should we ask for a tender that covers both rescue duty and working use?
Pascoe International is the build we ask for when one boat has to carry both roles. Pascoe dominates the dual-purpose SOLAS plus working-tender bracket, building craft that meet SOLAS coding while still serving as a normal guest or crew tender, with finish quality that sits comfortably alongside the rest of the fleet. Typical range is 7 to 12m, with some larger custom builds. The cost premium over a single-purpose SOLAS RIB is real, but lower than buying two separate boats. Williams is the other dual-purpose option, via its DieselJet 565 and 625 SOLAS variants.
We only need a dedicated rescue boat, nothing else. Who builds those?
For the pure-rescue brief, the shortlist is Cobra Ribs, Whitmarsh Marine and SOLAS Marine. Cobra builds SOLAS-coded craft from 5.5 to 9m, with coding standard across most of the line, and sits at the pure-rescue rather than dual-purpose end. Whitmarsh works predominantly in the 4 to 7m band and competes on build cost; the boats are functional rather than fashionable but hold up in service. SOLAS Marine covers 5 to 9m and suits programmes where compliance is the only consideration rather than a guest-facing asset.
How do the builders compare on cost?
Cost per metre runs roughly Whitmarsh below SOLAS Marine, then Cobra, then Williams, with Pascoe at the top. Whitmarsh is the answer for budget-constrained commercial programmes that need certified rescue capability without premium-builder pricing. Pascoe carries a genuine premium, justified where one hull has to cover rescue duty and working use in a single garage slot. Where the SOLAS boat is purely a regulatory requirement to be ticked off, the lower end of that order is usually where the brief lands.
Does it make sense to buy the SOLAS variant of the tender brand we already run?
Yes, if the rest of your tender fleet is Williams. The DieselJet 565 SOLAS and 625 SOLAS keep the same format as the standard guest RIB, with the SOLAS coding package, equipment fit and certified lifting points added, so maintenance, parts and crew familiarity stay consistent across the garage. Where the fleet is mixed and the SOLAS boat is a one-off, Pascoe or Cobra are usually the right answer, because there is no standardisation benefit to protect.
Which builders can handle flag-state certification in-house?
Pascoe and Williams hold the most flag certifications in-house. Pascoe carries MCA, Cayman, Marshall Islands, Bermuda and Malta coding internally, which removes a layer of project risk when the brief has to satisfy a specific flag. Smaller builders may need third-party certification work, so that cost and programme time belongs in your budget from the outset. Flag-state familiarity is one of four variables that drive the choice of yard, alongside use mix, yacht-side standardisation and the budget envelope.

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