How to Choose a Superyacht Tender

Start from the brief, not the boat. The mothership, the cruising programme, and the role mix set the envelope before any preference matters, and most yachts above 50m carry two or three tenders rather than one boat doing everything.

Published

The single most useful piece of advice on choosing a superyacht tender: start from the brief, not from the boat. Most disappointing tenders are the result of falling in love with a beautiful platform that turned out not to suit the mothership, the cruising programme, or the people who would actually use it. This page walks through the framework we use when shaping a brief.

Step 1: Understand the constraints

Three constraints set the envelope before any preference matters:

  • The mothership. Garage dimensions (length, beam, headroom), davit class and lifting capacity, swim-platform geometry. The tender must fit, lift, and pair with what already exists.
  • The cruising programme. Med season, Caribbean season, expedition, transatlantic. The cruising ground dictates the sea-state envelope, the regulatory environment (SOLAS or not), and the typical operating distances.
  • The role mix. What jobs does this tender need to do? Guest transfer, beach landing, water-toy support, chase, SOLAS rescue, crew shuttle. Most yachts above 50m carry two or three tenders rather than asking one boat to do everything.

If you can write these three things down on one page, the shortlist follows quickly.

Step 2: Pick the category

Once the constraints are written, the category usually shapes itself. The superyacht tenders overview lists every category with the briefs each one fits. Most owners end up in one of these four:

Step 3: Set the size band

Tender size is bounded by the mothership; chose at the upper end of what the garage and davit will hold. Common bands:

  • Mothership 30m to 50m. Tender 4m to 7m. Compact jet drives or small RIBs.
  • Mothership 50m to 70m. Tender 6m to 11m. Mid-size limousines, working RIBs, SOLAS-coded craft.
  • Mothership 70m to 90m. Tender 9m to 14m. Larger limousines, chase platforms, SOLAS rescue.
  • Mothership 90m+. Multiple tenders, often including a 14m+ limousine and a chase boat.

The tender garage sizing page covers the lifting and stowage envelope in more detail.

Step 4: Set the budget envelope

Tender budgets correlate roughly with category and size:

The cost guide covers the breakdown.

Step 5: Decide new vs pre-owned vs custom

A short framework:

  • Pre-owned if the yacht delivery is fixed and tight, or if depreciation tolerance is low. The used-tenders page covers the framework.
  • Production new build if the brief is generic and lead time matters. Axopar, Frauscher, Saxdor, Williams.
  • Semi-custom if the brief needs spec adjustments but the hull is fine. Most yacht briefs.
  • Full custom if the spec is highly specific and the budget supports it. Limousine yards, expedition platforms.

Step 6: Shortlist three boats, see them

Two boats is too few; five is too many to evaluate well. Three lets you compare substance against substance. Sea-trial each one in conditions that match the cruising ground; do not just sit at the dock with the brochure.

Where to start

The contact page is the start. We will work the brief shape with you, propose the shortlist, and run the sea trials end-to-end.

See also

What size tender suits my mothership?
Size is bounded by the mothership, and we would take the upper end of what the garage and davit will hold. For a 30m to 50m yacht that means a 4m to 7m tender, typically compact jet drives or small RIBs. A 50m to 70m mothership sits in the 6m to 11m band, covering mid-size limousines, working RIBs and SOLAS-coded craft. From 70m to 90m the band is 9m to 14m, and above 90m owners usually run multiple tenders, often a 14m plus limousine alongside a chase boat.
How much should I budget for a superyacht tender?
Budgets track category and size. A compact jet under 7m runs EUR 100k to 400k. An open guest tender of 8m to 12m sits at EUR 400k to 1.2m. A limousine tender of 10m to 16m is EUR 1m to 4m. A chase boat of 10m to 20m falls between EUR 0.6m and 3m plus, and a SOLAS rescue tender of 5m to 8m is EUR 250k to 1m. Set the envelope after the constraints and the category are written down, not before.
Do I really need more than one tender?
Most yachts above 50m carry two or three tenders rather than asking one boat to do everything. The deciding factor is the role mix: guest transfer, beach landing, water-toy support, chase, SOLAS rescue and crew shuttling all pull the brief in different directions. A limousine covers guest transfers in any weather with arrival presence, a RIB works as the water-toy and crew shuttle platform, and a SOLAS rescue tender is required if the yacht's regulatory class demands it.
Should I buy new, pre-owned, semi-custom or full custom?
Pre-owned if the yacht delivery is fixed and tight, or if depreciation tolerance is low. Production new build if the brief is generic and lead time matters, which is where Axopar, Frauscher, Saxdor and Williams sit. Semi-custom if the brief needs spec adjustments but the hull is fine, and that covers most yacht briefs. Full custom if the spec is highly specific and the budget supports it, typically limousine yards and expedition platforms.
How many boats should I shortlist before deciding?
Three. Two is too few to give you a real comparison and five is too many to evaluate properly, so three lets you compare substance against substance. Sea-trial each one in conditions that match the intended cruising ground rather than sitting at the dock with the brochure. That shortlist falls out quickly once the three constraints are written down: the mothership's garage, davit and swim-platform geometry, the cruising programme, and the role mix.

Choose your cookies

Strictly necessary cookies are always on because the site cannot work without them. Everything else is your choice, and you can change it whenever you like.