A superyacht without its tender and toy complement is, in the most practical sense, incomplete. The vessel’s ability to deliver the charter or private ownership experience it promises depends substantially on the equipment it carries — on water, on decks, and in garages that on the largest yachts qualify as dedicated equipment halls. The tender and toys market has evolved from functional necessity into a serious design and engineering sector in its own right.
The Tender: Essential Infrastructure
Every superyacht carries at least one tender, and larger vessels often carry three or more: a primary guest tender for transfers between yacht and shore, a crew workboat for operational tasks, and — on expedition and charter-focused vessels — a specialist dive tender or high-speed chase boat.
The primary guest tender is the yacht’s ambassador. It is typically the first vessel that charter guests board when they arrive, and it makes their first impression of the operation and attention to detail before they set foot aboard the mother ship. Leading yards for tender construction include Williams Tenders (UK), Scorpion (UK), and Pascoe (UK) at the mid-size level, while custom tender builders including Hodgdon, Frauscher, and specialist Italian builders produce vessels that are miniature superyachts in their own right.
A quality primary tender for a 50-metre superyacht — 6 to 8 metres in length, finished to match the mother ship’s aesthetic, with integrated seating, navigation electronics, and a professional outboard or inboard installation — represents a capital investment of €80,000 to €250,000. This is before any customisation or the commissioning of a wholly bespoke vessel whose design echoes the mother ship.
The garage that stores the tender is an architectural element of the superyacht’s design. On motor yachts, the stern garage — accessed by opening the transom — has become a defining design feature, with several builders including Benetti and Sanlorenzo integrating sophisticated hydraulic systems that allow tenders to be launched and recovered efficiently.
Jet Skis and Personal Watercraft
Jet skis remain among the most popular water toys on charter yachts, offering immediate, skill-accessible fun for guests with varying maritime experience. Sea-Doo and Yamaha produce the market-dominant platforms; both are available in performance variants capable of 70+ km/h.
Many vessels carry two or three jet skis to allow simultaneous use by multiple guests. Storage is the primary design consideration — well-designed tender garages accommodate jet skis on dedicated cradles alongside the primary tender.
Foiling and Electric Water Sports
The past five years have witnessed a transformation in the water sports available aboard superyachts, driven primarily by the development of viable electric hydrofoil technology. eFoils — electrically powered hydrofoil boards that lift the rider above the water surface — have become the defining new toy category. Lift Foils and Fliteboard are the market leaders, with products ranging from learner-accessible platforms to performance boards capable of 40+ km/h. The learning curve is steeper than marketing suggests but shorter than traditional surfing or windsurfing; most guests with reasonable physical coordination are riding independently within a session.
Electric surfboards from makers including Awake, Lampuga, and Onean extend the category with different riding geometries. Electric jetboards add outboard propulsion jets for guests who prefer a boat-driving sensibility to the surfing posture of an eFoil.
Seabobs — handheld underwater propulsion devices made by Cayago — have established themselves as near-ubiquitous on quality charter yachts. Their accessibility (no learning required, suitable for all ages and fitness levels) and the quality of the underwater experience they deliver makes them consistently among the highest-rated toys in post-charter feedback.
Rigid Inflatable Boats and Limousine Tenders
The distinction between a working RIB and a limousine tender defines two ends of a spectrum. Working RIBs are operational vessels — fast, robust, stable in chop — used for crew transfers, dive support, and weather-appropriate runs to shore when the primary tender would be uncomfortable. Limousine tenders are the opposite: slow, impeccably appointed, designed to transport guests to and from social events in maximum comfort and aesthetic distinction.
Some of the most photographed vessels in the superyacht world are limousine tenders — custom-built to complement their mother ships, carrying guests in cushioned comfort, occasionally equipped with their own entertainment systems and refrigeration. The Pascoe Custom 9.5m Limousine Tender and bespoke commissions from Frauscher represent the category at its finest.
Kayaks, Paddleboards, and Non-Motorised Equipment
Alongside powered toys, a comprehensive superyacht inventory includes non-motorised equipment: kayaks (typically two to four), stand-up paddleboards, snorkelling equipment, diving equipment including compressors, underwater cameras, and freediving fins. Sailing dinghies — Optimists for children, Lasers for performance-oriented guests — add a dimension of pure sailing pleasure that motor yacht guests might otherwise miss.
Fishing equipment, properly maintained and stowed, is increasingly requested by charter guests. A superyacht in the right cruising area — the Azores, the Florida Keys, the Maldives — can provide extraordinary sport fishing experiences if the equipment and crew knowledge are in place.
Deck Equipment and Social Infrastructure
The transition from water sports to onboard social life happens on the swim platform and the beach club — areas that have received sustained design investment from virtually every major superyacht builder in the past decade. Hydraulic swim platforms that descend from the stern to water level, creating a seamless connection between the vessel and the sea, are now standard on any serious charter motor yacht.
Inflatable floating islands — Funair is the dominant supplier — have become the social centrepiece of many summer charters: enormous inflatable platforms anchored in a bay, equipped with slides, sun loungers, and occasionally full bar setups, providing a private island experience at anchor.
The Charter Market Impact
The quality and comprehensiveness of a yacht’s tender and toy inventory has a measurable impact on its charter appeal and therefore its booking rate and rate premium. Charter brokers report consistently that guests — particularly families with children and groups seeking active experiences — prioritise toy inventory alongside vessel size and crew quality.
The investment in a comprehensive, well-maintained toy package is among the most commercially rational expenditures an owner can make on a commercial charter yacht. The cost of maintaining and insuring a full toy inventory is modest relative to the charter revenue it enables.
The sea is the attraction. The toys are how you meet it.
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