What actually separates a tender from a chase boat?

Stowage and independence. A tender lives on the mothership, launching from the garage or davits to move guests, crew, supplies or rescue duty over short distances, typically 4m to 16m, with a range of 30 to 100 nm. A chase boat follows on its own keel, runs 150 to 400 nm independently, and carries toys, dispatches guests faster than the mothership can, or extends the programme's reach. Chase hulls typically run 8m to 20m at 40 to 70 knots, against 30 to 50 knots for a tender.

Can one boat serve as both tender and chase platform?

Yes, and the dual-role hull is most common in the 11m to 14m band. A Wajer 38 or Vanquish VQ40 can sit on davits as the daily tender and run independently as a chase platform on dispatch days. The trade-off is real: pure-tender platforms integrate better with the mothership, pure-chase platforms have better range and offshore behaviour, and a dual-role boat compromises on both axes. The role definition shapes the spec, not the boat itself.

How much capital should I budget for each?

Tenders run EUR 100k to EUR 4m depending on category and size; chase boats sit in a EUR 0.5m to EUR 3m plus band. Operating cost separates them as clearly as capital does. A tender's opex is negligible against the mothership's, since it is launched and recovered by the yacht's own crew with a captain on call. A chase boat carries meaningful but contained opex, largely because it runs on its own bottom with one to two dedicated crew.

At what yacht size does a chase boat start to make sense?

Usually once the programme stretches the mothership's speed envelope, which in practice means the 50m to 80m band. For yachts up to 50m, most owners need one good tender sized to the garage, and chase comes later, often on the next yacht. Between 50m and 80m, owners typically run two tenders, a limousine plus a working RIB, and then add a separate chase boat. Above 80m the question is rarely either-or: a tender fleet and a chase boat run alongside each other.

Which tender category should I be looking at if the brief is not chase?

If the boat will spend most of its life launched and recovered from the mothership, used for guest transfers and short-hop runs, and operated by the mothership's crew, you are in tender territory. The categories to work through are limousine, open, RIB, SOLAS tender, jet and beach lander. Crewing follows the same logic: a tender runs with a captain on call, while a chase boat needs one to two dedicated crew because it operates independently for hours or days at a time.

Tender vs Chase Boat: How to Tell Them Apart

The two terms get used loosely. They describe different roles, different sizes, and different operating patterns. This page draws the line, with a side-by-side comparison to make the call easy when you are framing a brief.

The short version

A tender lives on the mothership, launches from the garage or davits, and carries guests, crew, supplies, or rescue duty over short distances. Typical size: 4m to 16m. Operates within minutes of the mothership.

A chase boat is a separate-hulled small craft that follows the mothership on its own keel. It carries toys, extends range, dispatches guests at higher speeds than the mothership can, or supports operations that the tender cannot. Typical size: 8m to 20m. Operates independently for hours or days at a time.

A boat can be both: a 12m hull can serve as the daily limousine tender and double as a chase platform on dispatch runs. The role definition shapes the spec, not the boat itself.

Side-by-side

Dimension	Tender	Chase boat
Typical size	4m to 16m	8m to 20m
Stowage	On mothership (garage / davit)	On its own keel
Range	30 to 100 nm	150 to 400 nm
Top speed	30 to 50 knots	40 to 70 knots
Crew	Captain on call	One to two dedicated crew
Primary role	Guest transfer, rescue, water-toys	Toy capacity, dispatch, range extension
Typical opex	Negligible vs mothership	Meaningful but contained
Capital range	EUR 100k to EUR 4m	EUR 0.5m to EUR 3m+

When the brief is "tender"

If the boat will spend most of its life launched and recovered from the mothership, used for guest transfers and short-hop runs, and operated by the mothership's crew, you are in tender territory. Pick from limousine, open, RIB, SOLAS, jet, or beach lander categories.

When the brief is "chase"

If the boat will follow the mothership on its own bottom, run for hours independently, carry toys or guests at higher speeds than the mothership, or sleep its own crew, you are in chase territory. The superyacht chase boats overview covers the category in depth.

When it is "both"

The dual-role hull is most common in the 11m to 14m band. A Wajer 38 or Vanquish VQ40 can sit on davits as the daily tender and run independently as a chase platform on dispatch days. The trade-off: pure-tender platforms have better mothership integration; pure-chase platforms have better range and offshore behaviour. A dual-role boat is a compromise on both axes.

How the conversation usually goes

For yachts up to 50m, most owners need one good tender, sized to the garage. Chase comes later, often on the next yacht.

For yachts 50m to 80m, most owners run two tenders (limousine plus working RIB) and then a separate chase boat once the cruising programme stretches the mothership's speed envelope.

For yachts above 80m, the question is rarely either-or. Owners run a tender fleet (limousine, RIB, beach lander, SOLAS) and a chase boat alongside.