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Yacht Tender Garages... Smart or Dumb?

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by karo1776, Nov 2, 2012.

  1. karo1776, Nov 2, 2012
    #1
    karo1776

    karo1776 Senior Member

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    I have been wondering what others have thought about the trend for ever increasing number and size of garages built into yachts.

    Personally it is the dumbest idea in naval architecture.
    Why:
    It takes up valuable interior volume best applied to accommodation...
    It makes boats hard to get at in any kind of sea...
    It seems to make for a messy catch all area... just like house garages now-a-days...

    What you the rest of you think... its popular surely but I cannot see why.
  2. Marmot, Nov 2, 2012
    #2
    Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    Wrong on almost every count for reasons that would take too long to explain tonight.
  3. K1W1, Nov 3, 2012
    #3
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    I can think of some design features than are much closer to this description than a Tender Garage.

    What would you suggest is used to house the Tenders which can easily cost $1 million these days and retain the overall pleasing look of the rest of the vessel?
  4. Pascal, Nov 3, 2012
    #4
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Not sure what size boats you are referring too. On smaller boats (under 70/80') it comes down bring a compromise and personal preference. Yes they take space, often in the the ER or laz but at the same time they free up the swim platform

    Personally I find the worst spot for tender storage to be the swim platform/stern lift. The tender is always in the way making the platform unusable. It also makes line handling much harder and often prevent crossing stern lines

    I also find it a lot harder to launch and retrieve especially in a chop. A you often have to get your feet wet which can be a pita in cold climate

    I ll take a FB stored tender any day... Yes you loose FB space and are putting extra weight up high but it s a lot faster to haul the tender up (in decent weather obviously)

    It s all about compromise and ranking your priorities
  5. wscott52, Nov 3, 2012
    #5
    wscott52

    wscott52 Senior Member

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    The opinion that valuable interior space is better utilized for accomodations is yours and not shared by many. I'll give you that in yachts much under 100' the tender garage may require a compromise between living space and utility. Many owners and designers willing give up the space to provide a safe and secure storage for what today may be a very expensive piece of equipment. It also lets maintenance, at least some, on the tender be done out of the elements.

    Any kind of sea makes tenders hard to get to no matter where they're stored.


    This is simply discipline and priority.


    I'm sure those here working on large yachts can add more but this is just off the top of my head.
  6. karo1776, Nov 3, 2012
    #6
    karo1776

    karo1776 Senior Member

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    True...
    Tenders are as expensive and the whole yacht used to be (in my lifetime).
    Makes one think being the tender business might be smarter than being in the yacht building business.

    True...
    A tender stowed on deck can be in the way and look ugly and the deploying mechanism (the crane) is exposed to the elements and therefore can add maintenance. I have seen, not experienced, tenders stowed on deck in a permeant built-in cover housing... but this just seems added bother to deal with and if carried to extreme its extreme is like a naval helicopter hanger (god awful ugly)

    True...
    A big enough boat or designing the boat for adequate accommodation AND adding a tender garage... what's that going to hurt excepting the pocketbook as yachts tend to cost something like the length to the 4th power... a steep geometric progression of cost to length... for a garage.

    True... the garage platform, particularly at the side (no experience with that) makes a nice egress point and a very nice dock at anchor... and solves the problem of lady guests and boarding at the gang plank directly from the tender. I know of more than one who has refused such operation and wants to be taken back to the dock!

    But...
    I am still not liking a mess to be the first thing people see at the dock... when stern to. Maybe this is a design and crew administration issue but it is an issue with ME. And, really that is how most of the time guests and family see the boat... a first impression. Looking at the Feadship F45 that looks pretty good solution... but I don't have $40 million to spend... and if I did would I buy a "stock boat"... likely not.

    But...
    This safety issue that bugs me is that usual Platform at the stern... some deployable on access to the garage... OK in my opinion... maybe if you don't consider a big hole in the hull near the waterline not a safety issue... even with a watertight access door... which tends to be left open too much.
    But even with gates you can go down on the platform underway... even with railing makes me nervous (not for myself) but for guests, and it is enticing. I should note I am squeamish as almost 40 years ago I slipped of the deck messing around in the Channel off French Coast near Guernsey AT NIGHT... and nearly did not live though it... if not a real good swimmer (Navy Drivers Training in my youth)... and very very lucky I would have been with Davy Jones. Don't tell me kids especially are always wanting to go down there and hang their feet off in the wake... stupid as that is... even, I have thought about it myself more than once.

    But... taking the tender on in any kind of 'chop' or wave action going on doesn't seem to feasible with most garage systems. At least with the crane you can payout more cable than needed get hook up and winch the tender up straight out of the chop.

    But this is just me... .