Tender
A yacht tender is the smaller boat carried aboard a superyacht, used to transfer guests between the mothership and shore, run beach-club outings, support watersports and handle provisioning. Tenders range from compact jet RIBs of three metres to enclosed limousine tenders above ten, matched to the parent yacht's garage, davit or swim-platform launch system.
What is a yacht tender?
A yacht tender is the smaller working boat that lives aboard a superyacht and handles every movement between the mothership and the world around her. Tenders shuttle guests from shore to yacht when she is at anchor, run beach-club picnics and dinner-ashore transfers, tow waterskiers and wakeboarders, carry dive and fishing gear, support charter operations, and make the daily provisioning runs that keep a yacht stocked away from a marina berth.
Four formats dominate. RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) are open, fast and unsinkable thanks to their tube collars; jet-driven examples from Williams and Castoldi are the default sport and utility tender on yachts from 25 metres upward. Limousine tenders are enclosed-cabin craft with climate control, leather seating and full glass, built by Pascoe International, Wajer, Hodgdon and Vikal for all-weather, full-dress guest transfers. Sport tenders are the open day-boat format. Custom open tenders cover everything from beachlanders with bow-loading ramps to chase boats and SOLAS rescue craft.
Sizing tracks the parent yacht. A 40-50 metre yacht typically carries a 6-9 metre primary tender plus a smaller jet RIB or PWC. Yachts above 60 metres host 10-metre-plus limousine tenders, often paired with a second open chase boat and a beachlander.
Why it matters for yacht owners
The tender is the most-used moving part on your yacht. Every shore trip, every beach club, every dinner ashore and every guest arrival at anchor runs through it, and a poorly chosen tender turns a flagship cruising programme into a logistics problem.
Three points carry commercial weight. Fitment first: a tender's length, beam, draft and weight must match the garage door, beam crane or swim-platform lift specified at build. Brand and finish: a Pascoe, Wajer or Hodgdon limousine reads instantly to a charter market that ranks tenders alongside the yacht herself. Charter operations: on the charter market a credible tender fleet (limousine, sport RIB, beachlander) is now table-stakes above 50 metres.
Key facts
- A 40-50 metre yacht typically carries a 6-9 metre primary tender plus a smaller jet RIB or PWC per industry fitment guidance.
- Yachts above 60 metres typically host a 10-metre-plus limousine tender, often paired with a separate open chase boat or beachlander.
- Four dominant formats: RIB, limousine, sport tender, and custom open (beachlander, chase, SOLAS).
- Leading limousine builders: Pascoe International, Wajer, Hodgdon Yachts, Vikal.
- Leading jet-RIB and sport-tender builders: Williams Jet Tenders, Castoldi, Pascoe.
- Williams Jet Tenders publishes a range from the 2.79m MiniJet 280 up to the 7.1m EvoJet 70, the latter designed for parent yachts of 40m and above.
- Launch routes: tender garage, davit, hydraulic swim platform, and floodable garage on flagship designs.
- Pascoe International cites 270-plus tenders in active service across the world's largest superyachts.
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View moreFAQ
What is a tender on a yacht?
A tender is the smaller boat carried aboard a yacht for trips between the mothership and shore, watersports, provisioning and charter operations. On a superyacht the term covers a fleet: typically a primary limousine or open tender for guest transfers, a fast jet RIB for sport, and on larger yachts a beachlander or chase boat.
What is the difference between a limousine tender and a RIB?
A limousine tender is an enclosed-cabin craft with climate control, leather seating and full glass, designed for all-weather guest transfers and built by Pascoe, Wajer, Hodgdon and Vikal. A RIB is an open, fast craft with inflatable tube collars on a rigid hull, used for sport and watersports.
What size tender does a superyacht need?
A 40-50 metre yacht typically carries a 6-9 metre primary tender plus a smaller jet RIB. Yachts above 60 metres host 10-metre-plus limousine tenders alongside a second open boat and often a beachlander. The garage door, beam crane or swim-platform load rating sets the upper bound.
Who are the leading yacht tender builders?
Pascoe International, Wajer, Hodgdon Yachts and Vikal lead the limousine and custom segment. Williams Jet Tenders and Castoldi dominate the jet-RIB and sport-tender market; Williams alone publishes a fitment range from the 2.79m MiniJet 280 up to the 7.1m EvoJet 70.
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