Why launch and recovery deserves more attention than it gets
A tender that lifts cleanly in flat water does not necessarily lift cleanly in a 1.5m swell with a charter party watching. Most tender damage on a working yacht happens in launch or recovery, not under way. Hull strikes against the topsides, dropped boats, parted strops, and crane operator error account for the majority of tender insurance claims short of grounding. The geometry of the lift, the design of the lifting points, and the crew procedure all matter at least as much as the tender's running characteristics.
This page covers the equipment, the procedure, and the failure modes. For the geometry of where the tender lives, see tender garage sizing. For the regulatory frame around lifting equipment, see classification rules.
Lift methods, in order of dominance
Three live methods on modern superyachts:
- Knuckle-boom or telescopic crane with a single overhead lift point or two-point bridle on the tender. Standard for in-garage stowage on yachts above 50m
- Davit (single, double, or A-frame): simpler, lighter, faster to deploy. Standard for SOLAS rescue tenders and on smaller yachts
- Wet stow and float-out through a transom door or beach-club opening. Used on yachts with integrated swim platforms and on dedicated shadow vessels
A small number of yachts use side-loading rails or hydraulic ramps for shallow-draft tenders, but these are bespoke and not the dominant solution.
Crane lift: the standard procedure
A clean crane recovery follows the same sequence every time. Variation is what causes incidents.
- Tender approaches the mothership at slow speed, on the leeward side, into the swell direction
- Coxswain holds station parallel to the topsides, 2-3m off
- Bowman passes the painter to the deckhand on the mothership
- Crane swings out over the tender; lift bridle is lowered
- Bowman shackles the bridle to the tender's load-rated lifting points
- Coxswain reduces engine to idle, signals ready
- Crane takes the slack, then lifts clear of the water in one continuous motion
- Tender is swung inboard with crew controlling fore and aft tag lines to prevent rotation
- Tender is set down on cradle or chocks, bridle is slacked, lifting strops removed
A competent crew runs this in 4-6 minutes flat water. In 1m chop the figure becomes 8-12 minutes and the risk profile changes substantially.
Davit launch: where it earns its place
Davits are slower to design around but faster to operate. They sit permanently rigged with the boat in the deployed lift position. For SOLAS rescue duty the 5-minute launch requirement is much easier to meet with a davit than with a crane. The trade-off is that davit-stowed tenders sit exposed on deck and accumulate weather damage over time.
Two-point davit with self-tensioning falls is the gold standard for rescue applications. Single-point davits exist for very small tenders but are limited.
Wet stow and float-out
Yachts with integrated beach clubs increasingly stow tenders wet, with the boat floating in a flooded compartment behind a transom door. Recovery means driving the tender into the compartment under power and securing it. Launch is the reverse: the door opens, the boat backs out under power.
Wet-stow advantages:
- No lifting equipment failure points
- Faster launch, no crane sequencing
- Lower deck-loading on the upper decks
Wet-stow disadvantages:
- The tender lives wet, accelerating corrosion and biofouling (more frequent maintenance)
- Sea-state dependent: opening a transom door in heavy weather is not safe
- Tender displacement subtracted from beach-club volume
- Engineering complexity in the watertight integrity of the door system
Wet stow has become more common on yachts above 70m where deck space and beach-club integration support it. It is rare on smaller yachts.
Lifting points and bridles
The tender side of the lift system has to be designed in, not bolted on. Critical features:
- Load-rated lifting eyes, structural to the hull at frame stations or moulded reinforcement
- Proof-test certificates, kept aboard the tender for life
- Two-point bridle for tenders up to 10m, four-point for larger boats
- Quick-release shackles or pelican hooks for SOLAS rescue applications, allowing rapid disengagement
The bridle itself is a wear item. Replace based on the manufacturer's life-cycle, typically 3-5 years for synthetic strops or after any visible damage. A parted strop with a 4-tonne tender suspended is the worst tender accident scenario.
For used tender purchases, inspect the lifting points and bridle history as part of the survey. Repaired lift points are a serious flag.
Crane SWL and tender weight
The crane SWL must exceed the tender's lift weight at all conditions. Lift weight includes:
- Tender dry weight
- Fuel (full or partial; full tank can add 200-400kg)
- Water tanks if fitted
- Gear, water-toys, kit aboard
- Lifting bridle and any attachments
Plan SWL at 1.25x the tender's full-load weight as a working margin. For a 9m sport tender at 3,200kg dry and 600kg fuel/water/gear, that means 3,800kg lift weight and 4,750kg SWL. The crane data plate is the binding figure; the operator's manual is not optional reading.
The lifting equipment is required to be load-tested annually and certificated. See classification rules for the regulatory framework.
Sea-state limits
Working sea-state limits for tender operations vary by mothership and equipment. Typical published limits:
- Crane lift in/out of garage: up to Sea State 3-4 (wave height roughly 1.25-2.5m) for routine operation, with limits set lower for guests aboard
- Davit launch SOLAS rescue: required to operate to higher sea state under emergency
- Wet-stow float-out: Sea State 2-3 maximum for transom-door operations
These are not regulatory hard limits; they are the captain's judgement calls. Charter yachts often publish lower limits as a guest-comfort measure than the boat's actual capability would allow.
Common failure modes
What goes wrong, ranked by frequency:
- Hull strike against topsides during lift-in: caused by tag line slip, wind, or operator pacing. Damages tender topsides and yacht paintwork
- Bridle snag on tender hardware (radar arch, bimini, antennas): caused by inattention to clearance during boom-out
- Operator error in crane sequence: lifting before bridle is fully shackled, or lowering with strop still on a rail
- Weather window misjudgement: launching in conditions that recover badly when the boat returns
- Lifting point failure: rare in modern boats with proper engineering; common in DIY-modified used tenders
- Crane hydraulic failure mid-lift: the boat is left suspended, requiring secondary lift
- Painter or bow line fouling in the mothership's underwater appendages
Crew procedure and weather judgement prevent most of these. Mechanical failures are the minority.
Crew complement and procedure
A safe lift requires a minimum of three crew:
- Crane operator (qualified, often the bosun or a designated deck crew member)
- Tender bowman (handles painter and forward bridle attachment)
- Tender coxswain (drives the boat, manages engine)
Plus typically a fourth crew member managing aft tag line and watching for swing. On larger yachts with heavier tenders, five-crew procedures are standard.
Crew familiarisation training with the specific crane and tender is mandatory under flag-state codes. New crew members do not lift until checked off by the captain or bosun.
Maintenance and inspection
The lifting system is on a structured inspection cycle:
- Daily visual inspection before each operation: bridle condition, shackles, attachment points, crane hydraulics oil level
- Weekly functional check: full extension and retraction, load-test with a representative weight
- Annual thorough examination by a competent person: certificated, documented, kept aboard
- 5-yearly major overhaul of crane hydraulics and structural components
The crane is part of the yacht's safety equipment, not just a convenience. Insurance policies usually require current load-test certificates; lapsed certification can void cover after a drop.
When the standard procedure fails
Captains develop alternative procedures for specific failure scenarios:
- Tender stuck out of the garage with hydraulic crane failure: emergency hand-pump launch to water
- Lifting point failure mid-lift: spare bridle and immediate secondary attachment
- Crane jammed with tender suspended over deck: gently lower onto deck with cribbing if extension is partial; emergency boom-out and water lower if not
- Tender adrift after parted painter during attachment: chase boat or RIB recovery
Drill these scenarios before the season starts. Crew that has only ever seen the standard sequence are slow to react when it deviates.
Where we sit
We do not operate yacht crews, but we brief and source tenders with launch and recovery in mind. Lift-point engineering, bridle compatibility, and crane SWL are non-negotiable spec items at our brief stage. For a programme where launch and recovery has been a recurring problem, send us the setup and we will work through the geometry with you.