Chase boats live in a clear length band. The category runs from roughly 9 to 21 metres at the extremes, with most current orders concentrated between 12 and 18 metres. This page covers what each size band gives you, what it costs you in operating complexity, and how the choice maps to the mothership.
For the broader category definition see what is a chase boat. For the comparable tender size discussion see tender garage sizing.
The four working size bands
We split the market into four bands. The names are ours, the numbers are what current builders and the brokerage market actually deliver.
| Band | Length | Day capacity | Overnight | Cruise speed | Range | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact | 9 to 11 m | 8 to 12 | None | 30 to 40 kn | 200 to 350 nm | Day boat, small mothership support |
| Mid | 12 to 14 m | 12 to 16 | Day-head only | 32 to 38 kn | 350 to 500 nm | Most common new build |
| Large | 15 to 17 m | 14 to 18 | One cabin | 30 to 35 kn | 450 to 700 nm | Sport-fishing, charter overflow |
| Flagship | 18 to 21 m | 16 to 20 | One to two cabins | 28 to 35 kn | 600 to 850 nm | Standalone day yacht, expedition support |
Compact: 9 to 11 metres
This is the band where chase boat and large tender overlap. A Wajer 38 S, a Pascoe 11m sport tender, an Axopar 37 Cross Cabin all sit here. The boat fits a 70-metre-plus mothership's larger garage if needed, but more often runs from a separate berth.
You get a real day platform with seating for 10 to 12, room for a small head and a galley unit, twin sterndrive or outboard power, and a fuel load that gets you 200 to 350 nautical miles at cruise. You do not get a private cabin, real sea-keeping in heavy weather, or the towing capacity for serious toys.
A compact chase boat is the right call when budget caps below 1.5 million, when the mothership is below 50 metres, or when berth availability is tight. We see them most often in the West Mediterranean charter fleet and in the Bahamas day-boat market.
Mid: 12 to 14 metres
The current default. Roughly half the chase boats we trade sit here. The hulls scale to a real cabin or generous day-head, fuel loads of 1,200 to 1,800 litres support 350 to 500 nautical miles at cruise, and twin diesel sterndrives or shaft drives deliver 32 to 38 knots reliably.
Builders dominant in the band include Wajer (the 55 platform), Pascoe (12m Open Sport), Hodgdon (the Custom 12 series), and Vikal (the 12.5 platforms). Production options from Cobra Navis, Axopar 45, and Windy SR44 sit a tier below in price but still present in the bracket.
Day capacity of 12 to 16 makes this the natural charter overflow boat. Galley and head onboard mean a full day off the mothership without compromise. We cover the sourcing trade-offs at chase boat builders.
Large: 15 to 17 metres
The serious-purpose band. Pascoe 15m, Wajer 77, Hodgdon 16m, and the new Vandal 50 Chase live here. Hulls in this length carry one usable cabin, a proper galley, two heads, and stowage for sport-fishing or dive equipment.
Range moves to 450 to 700 nautical miles, which means real coastal redeployment without bunkering. Top speed comes off slightly versus the mid band because hulls get heavier, but the operating profile is more capable in weather above force four.
This is the band most sport-fishing programmes target. Tower, outriggers, transom door, fighting chair, live wells. Coverage at sport-fishing chase boats and expedition chase boats.
Flagship: 18 to 21 metres
The current ceiling. Vandal 60 Chase at 19.7 metres, the Windy SLR60 at 18 metres, and the Extra X70 Shadow at 21 metres define the band. These hulls are large enough to function as standalone day yachts on their own. They carry one to two cabins, full galley, occasionally a small flybridge, and fuel loads above 4,000 litres for ranges around 850 nautical miles.
Owners specifying flagship hulls tend to use them as standalone day yachts more than as supporting platforms. They are berthed independently for the season, run with two or three crew, and host the principal for day trips while the mothership stays at anchor.
Above 21 metres we leave the chase-boat category and enter shadow yacht and expedition support yacht territory. The dividing line is loose but the operating model changes: shadow yachts run at 12 to 16 knots and carry helicopters and submarines. Flagship chase boats run at 28 to 35 knots and carry day kit only.
Mapping size to the mothership
A rough rule we use with clients.
- Mothership 30 to 50 m: compact or low-mid chase boat (9 to 13 m). Berth and budget usually constrain the upper end.
- Mothership 50 to 70 m: mid-band chase boat (12 to 15 m) is the sweet spot.
- Mothership 70 to 100 m: large or flagship chase boat (15 to 19 m). Owners at this scale rarely accept the compromise of a smaller hull.
- Mothership 100 m plus: flagship chase boat plus a shadow yacht. The chase covers the day, the shadow covers the deep brief.
What size does to operating cost
Bigger is not just more expensive to buy. It is more expensive to run on a per-metre basis. Berth costs scale roughly with length squared because of beam allowances. Fuel scales with displacement. Crew cost steps up at roughly 14 metres (need for a full-time captain) and again at 18 metres (need for a second crew member).
The full breakdown lives at chase boat cost. For specification work that follows the size decision, go to chase boat specifications and chase boat range.