New Tenders

A new tender is a fresh-from-yard build: production, semi-custom, or full custom. Production delivers in 4 to 9 months and full custom in 18 to 24, but a new boat drops 15 to 25 percent in resale value in the first year.

Published

A new tender is a fresh-from-yard build, either to a published production specification, a semi-custom configuration, or a fully custom brief. This page covers what "new" actually means in the superyacht-tender market right now, what the lead-time picture looks like, and how to decide whether a new build is the right answer versus a pre-owned tender or a refit.

What "new" means at the three price points

The category splits cleanly:

  • Production new builds. Axopar 28 / 37 / 45 range, Frauscher 1212, Saxdor 320, Wajer 38, Williams DieselJet line. Production-platform boats with limited optioning, predictable lead times (typically 4 to 9 months), and price points from EUR 150k (small Williams) up to EUR 1.5m (top-spec Wajer 38).
  • Semi-custom new builds. Pascoe Open and DT range, Compass Limousine, Cockwells production-line work, the larger Vanquish hulls. Semi-custom means the hull and the layout family is fixed; trim, equipment, engine package, and finish details are owner choices. 9 to 15 months from order. EUR 0.8m to EUR 3m.
  • Full custom new builds. Pascoe SL Limousine, Hodgdon, Vikal, Cockwells custom work. Hull, layout, and all spec defined by the brief. 18 to 24 months from order, sometimes longer. EUR 1.5m to EUR 5m+.

Why owners specify new

Three reasons drive most new-build decisions:

  1. Specification fit. The mothership has a specific garage shape, davit class, or operational role that a stock pre-owned tender will not match. New build shapes the boat to the slot.
  2. Warranty and predictable maintenance. A new build comes with manufacturer warranty (typically 2 years hull, 3 years drivetrain), a clean service history, and predictable maintenance for the first 5 years.
  3. Owner colour-match and finish. Mothership livery, owner-specified hull paint, custom upholstery, branded inventory. New build is the practical route.

Where new builds underperform

The main risk: lead-time slip. A custom yard quoting 18 months can deliver at 22; a production yard quoting 6 months can deliver at 9 if engine package supply is constrained. Build a tender plan around the worst-case date and validate the yard's recent track record on similar specs.

The second risk: depreciation. A new tender drops 15 to 25 percent in resale value in the first year, and 30 to 40 percent by year three. If the owner is likely to sell the mothership before the 5-year mark, a pre-owned tender usually returns more capital.

How we run a new-build engagement

The standard sequence:

  1. Brief shaping. Mothership, programme, role, budget, target delivery date. Written intake.
  2. Category and yard shortlist. Three to five yards that match the brief, with current lead times and recent reference projects.
  3. Spec drafting. Detailed spec sheet, sometimes with naval-architect input on hull or lifting points. Fixed-price quotation from each shortlisted yard.
  4. Yard selection and contract. Build contract, payment milestones, deliverables.
  5. Build oversight. Periodic site visits, milestone reports, change-order management.
  6. Sea trial and delivery. Acceptance testing against the spec; punch-list resolution; handover to the mothership.

Where to start

The contact page if you have a brief; the services / build management page if you want to see the engagement shape first.

See also

Sources

  1. Wajer 38 S official — Wajer (retrieved May 2026)
  2. Williams official site — Williams
How long will I wait for a new tender from order to delivery?
Between 4 and 24 months, depending on where the build sits. Production platforms such as the Axopar range, Frauscher 1212, Saxdor 320, Wajer 38 and the Williams DieselJet line typically run 4 to 9 months. Semi-custom work, including Pascoe Open and DT, Compass Limousine, Cockwells production-line builds and the larger Vanquish hulls, runs 9 to 15 months. Full custom is 18 to 24 months and sometimes longer. Plan around the worst-case date: a yard quoting 18 months can deliver at 22, and a production yard quoting 6 can deliver at 9 if the engine package supply is constrained.
What does a new build actually cost at each level?
Production new builds run from EUR 150k for a small Williams up to EUR 1.5m for a top-spec Wajer 38, with limited optioning. Semi-custom sits at EUR 0.8m to EUR 3m, where the hull and layout family are fixed and trim, equipment, engine package and finish details are owner choices. Full custom, where hull, layout and all specification come from the brief, runs EUR 1.5m to EUR 5m and above. Yards in that bracket include Pascoe SL Limousine, Hodgdon, Vikal and Cockwells custom work.
How much value does a new tender lose in the first few years?
A new tender drops 15 to 25 percent in resale value in the first year, and 30 to 40 percent by year three. That is the second material risk alongside lead-time slip. If the owner is likely to sell the mothership before the 5-year mark, a pre-owned tender usually returns more capital. Where the boat will stay with the programme longer, the warranty position and predictable maintenance profile carry more weight against the depreciation curve.
When is a new build the right answer rather than buying pre-owned?
Three reasons drive most new-build decisions. First, specification fit: the mothership has a particular garage shape, davit class or operational role that a stock pre-owned boat will not match, and a new build shapes the boat to the slot. Second, warranty and predictable maintenance, typically 2 years hull and 3 years drivetrain, with a clean service history and predictable maintenance across the first 5 years. Third, owner colour-match and finish, including mothership livery, owner-specified hull paint, custom upholstery and branded inventory.
What does a new-build engagement involve from your side?
Six stages. Brief shaping first, covering mothership, programme, role, budget and target delivery date as a written intake. Then a category and yard shortlist of three to five yards matching the brief, with current lead times and recent reference projects. Spec drafting follows, sometimes with naval-architect input on hull or lifting points, and a fixed-price quotation from each shortlisted yard. Then yard selection and contract with payment milestones and deliverables; build oversight through site visits, milestone reports and change-order management; and finally sea trial, acceptance testing against the spec, punch-list resolution and handover.

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