About this tender
The Whitmarsh 8.6m is the British yard's mid-size bespoke tender, sized for parent yachts where the 6.2m platform is too small but a Limo build at twelve metres is more than the brief requires. At 8.6m on a 3.0m beam she carries up to twelve guests with a 200L diesel tank, with the lamination quality and bespoke detailing that define the Whitmarsh range across the rest of the platform list.
We point owners at the 8.6m when the brief is a credible chase-adjacent tender that can also serve as a beach-lander or as a guest-shuttle in moderate weather. The deep-V stepped hull form delivers offshore performance and sea-keeping behaviour that the smaller 6.2m platform cannot match; the longer waterline supports useful range and a more comfortable ride at chase speeds.
Build philosophy is unchanged across the Whitmarsh range: hand-laid GRP with E-glass CSM and bi-axial cloth, reinforced with high-density Divinycell foam sandwich, all built at Northshore Shipyard in Chichester Harbour. Detailing is bespoke per commission and matched to the parent yacht. After-sales service is the long-term differentiator that brings British owners back to the yard on subsequent builds.
Highlights
The four details we'd point out first to a captain who hasn't seen one on the water yet.
Deep-V stepped hull form for offshore performance, sea-keeping and stability. The step geometry trims wetted area at chase speeds without compromising the hull's behaviour at displacement speeds, which matters on a tender that may operate at both extremes within a single working day. The 3.0m beam supports working deck space without losing hull efficiency.
Available in beach-lander spec for parent yachts whose use case includes routine beach landings: shallower deadrise forward, reinforced bow and forefoot, shallow-water propeller protection. The variant is built on the same hull mould with detail changes; we recommend the spec for any Caribbean-based parent or any owner whose itinerary includes Greek beach destinations regularly.
Coastal day capacity is twelve guests with crew. The configuration supports parent-yacht-to-shore transfer on most charter itineraries; for larger guest groups owners typically run two trips rather than upsizing the tender. The deck plan is detailed per commission: console placement, seating layout and stowage are matched to the parent yacht's operational profile.
Each commission is detailed bespoke at the yard. Upholstery materials, hardware finishes, paint match, console layout and stowage layout are tailored to the parent yacht. Whitmarsh maintain tooling for the platform but treat every hull as a one-off interior fit; the result is a tender that genuinely reads as part of the parent yacht's design language rather than a generic appliance.
Gallery
The full specification
Specifications, prices, availability, and performance figures are supplied for guidance only and remain subject to confirmation by the yard, seller, broker, survey, contract, and final specification.
Questions, answered
Last call · Available
Whitmarsh · Chichester, UK
Tell us about your yacht, your programme, and the missions 8.6m needs to handle. We come back within 48 hours with a written assessment - fit for the brief, lead time, and trade-offs against alternatives in the same band.
Prefer to talk? +44 (0) 77180 88055 · other ways to reach us
From the library
