Tenders spend more time stored than they do running. How they are stored, where, and how they move between locations all matter for hull life, finish quality, drivetrain reliability, and the cost line on the annual operating budget. This page covers the practical decisions on both.
On-board storage
For tenders that live on the mothership most of the year, three configurations dominate:
- Garage stowage. Internal tender garage opening to the side or stern. The tender sits on chocks, secured with cradles or strapping. Climate-controlled to varying degrees; the better-engineered yachts maintain dehumidification and ventilation in the garage. The boat is launched and recovered through a side door, a tilting transom, or a floodable bay.
- Side-launch. Larger tenders that do not fit a garage are stored on deck cradles at the side, launched and recovered by an A-frame or hydraulic davit. Fully exposed to weather; needs storm covers and proper UV protection.
- Stern-launch. Common on chase platforms above 12m. The tender lives on a transom platform or in a flooded stern bay. Easy launch and recovery; more exposure than internal stowage.
The choice is set by the mothership's geometry; you do not retrofit a garage into a yacht that does not have one.
Off-season storage
When the mothership lays up for winter or the tender comes off for refit, four storage options:
- Yacht refit yard. The tender stays alongside the mothership through the refit. Convenient if the timing aligns; adds yard cost on the tender's account.
- Specialist tender storage. Indoor heated storage at a specialist marine warehouse. The right answer for premium tenders that need climate control and security. Common in Antibes, Palma, Genoa, the Solent, and South Florida.
- Trailer storage. For tenders under ~9m that can be road-trailered, owner-controlled or yard-controlled trailer storage works well and is cheaper than indoor wet storage.
- Hard-stand outdoor storage. Cheapest; suitable for working tenders and RIBs that tolerate UV exposure. Cover well if you go this route.
For premium limousine and chase tenders, indoor heated storage is the default specification.
Transport between locations
Three movement methods, in order of cost:
- Trailered road transport. The cheapest option for tenders under 12m and 14 tonnes. Standard yacht-transport trailers handle both flat-decked and custom cradles. Cross-Europe road moves (Antibes to the Solent, Palma to Northern Italy) are routine.
- Yacht transport ship (dock-to-dock). DYT, Sevenstar, Peters & May. The standard route for moving between cruising grounds (Med to Caribbean, Caribbean to US east coast). Tenders ride on deck or in the hold; insurance is standard cargo terms.
- On the mothership's deck. Free, in the sense that the yacht is moving anyway. Limited by the mothership's lift and stowage capacity; works for the tenders that already live there.
Long-distance container shipping is occasionally used for very small tenders (RIBs under 5m, jet tenders) but is not the standard solution above that size.
Practical operational notes
A short list of things that recur:
- Fuel storage. Diesel tenders can sit fuelled through winter without issue (with a stabiliser in long lay-ups). Petrol tenders should be drained or run dry before extended storage; phase separation in ethanol-blended pump fuel is the silent killer of outboard fuel systems.
- Battery management. Disconnect or float-charge through any layover longer than two weeks.
- Hull treatment. Antifoul as needed; full hull wax before any extended dry storage.
- Drivetrain flush. Jet tenders and outboards should be freshwater-flushed before any layover longer than a week.
- Insurance. Storage and transit usually need separate riders on the standard yacht-tender insurance. Confirm before the boat moves.
How we help
We coordinate transport bookings, indoor storage placements, and seasonal moves alongside the standard tender management work. The starting point is the contact page.