Superyacht tender garages

The ever-growing pressure for guest space, means the positioning of the tender garage is often overlooked.

Having designed, specified and selected boats to be mounted in a wide array of garages, there is a wide ranging of opinions on what will work best. We have seen some relatively shocking options over the years, with spaces compromised.

One area this has been a concern is on the SOLAS tenders which inhibit the rapid launching and recovery required. Having worked with many shipyards, we are now employed to consult on garage space, from concept with some of the main builders, and are advising for increased and functionally sized garages in the right locations.

Functionality could be interpreted to mean more space around the tender so it does not crash against the walls/ceiling/floor when launched and recovered, or perhaps just to have enough space so the crew can open the engine hatch and service on board. Far too often, these spaces are compromised as yacht builders, designers and owners seek maximum guest spaces; after all, every department is seeking more space.

A typical garage we are regularly having to provide tender options for is one that is only 1.2m in height and has millimetre tolerances for tenders. Many builders will specify a set of tenders for their boat from concept, and this is a fair starting point. But they fail to think that the owner may want to have some choices so they can identify a tender to meet their needs. This may be from experience or that the yacht is going to travel off the beaten track.

The 1.2m height example which we come across far too often limits the client to only a few tenders, none which are particularly seaworthy or feature a 'deep V' hull, which means the client must compromise and have what is often a ‘wet’ boat due to the reduced freeboard height.

With the tender being such an important part of the guest experience, getting to and from shore dry, safe and comfortably should not be too big an ask.