The Best Tender Boat Brands
If you need a tender for your boat or yacht these top 10 brands will shuttle you to and from the dock in style.
Whether you have a trawler on a mooring, a sailing cruiser you take to distant ports, or a mega yacht at anchor in the bay, you’ll need a tender to get back and forth from the dock. Tenders come in all shapes and sizes but the one thing they share in common is their mission to transport captain, crew, and visitors when the mothership can’t pull up to a pier. Like any genre of boat, however, all tenders are not created equally. If you’re searching for the one that will fit your needs best, consider one of these top brands.
AB Inflatables
This AB Inflatable diesel jet tender will prove ideal for many boaters. Photo via AB Inflatables.
There are literally dozens of different models in the AB Inflatables lineup, ranging from eight-foot inflatable dinghies to 28’ rigid inflatable boats (RIBs). All of these will serve well as tenders, and in their model line there are also diesel jet models designed specifically as luxury tenders for large boats and yachts. Diesel power is often preferred by long-distance travelers, since it allows the use of a single fuel for both the mothership and its tender. AB Inflatables has been building inflatables and RIBs for over five decades, and uses topnotch materials and fittings like Axalta coatings, Sunbrella fabrics, and Attwood and Perko components. Tubes are made from ORCA CSM fabrics.
See all AB Inflatables boats for sale on boats.com.
Argos Nautic
Argos Nautic tenders are known for unique styling and a high luxury level. Photo via Argos Nautic.
The Argos Nautic brand is known for creating finely styled, high-end luxury tenders on a semi-custom basis. Used for yachts, super yachts, and mega yachts, these top-of-heap RIB tenders offer high performance and snazzy looks. They can be customized to some degree to match specific yachts, built to your own specifications. The lineup includes an outboard-powered GT series (available in 11’ and 14’), a jet-powered JET series (9’6” and 11”), and a diesel series (15’6” and 17’8”). Many can be fitted with luxury touches like freshwater systems, underwater lighting, and multiple seating arrangements.
See Argos Nautic boats for sale on boats.com.
Brig
RIBs from Brig will make excellent tender boats for a wide variety of needs. Photo via Brig.
Brig, based in Kharkiv, Ukraine, was well on their way to establishing a solid reputation as a topnotch builder of RIB boats and tenders when the war in Ukraine forced an unintended shutdown—thanks to a direct hit on their factory by Russian artillery in 2022. The company’s worldwide distributor network formed the Brig Family Foundation to help financially support employees through the difficult times and fortunately, after about a year the company got back into production. Today they offer four model lines including 19 different boats from 11’ to 34’ including everything from basic tenders to luxury models. Many are available with amenities not commonly seen on tenders, like livewells for fishing, sundecks for lounging, and head compartments in the console.
See Brig boats for sale on boats.com.
Highfield
You'll find plenty of Highfield tenders in use wherever you might cruise. Photo via Highfield.
Highfield is one of the top-volume RIB tender builders on the market today, with a focus on performance and seaworthiness. They’re very popular as support boats and have been used in major events such as the Vendee Globe, Pan Am Games, ORC Championships, and more. Rigid hulls are crafted from aluminum, and tubes are either Valmex PVC or ORCA Hypalon. Models include Sport, Classic Console, Classic, and Roll Up lines, as well as a commercial Patrol lineup. There’s a huge range in sizes including models that can be used as day-boats to those that can be easily stowed aboard larger craft, from a 29-footer to a six-foot roll-up that will fit in a fishbox.
See Highfield boats for sale on boats.com.
Iguana
When it comes to uniqueness, the Iguana is a hands-down winner. Photo via Iguana.
The Iguana brand builds some of the most unique and unusual tenders on the water, and has been doing so since 2008 in Normandy, France. These are amphibious craft, fitted with a pair of drop-down legs which have tank-like treads that can “walk” the boat along on dry land. In the water these boats are capable of speeds up to over 50 mph, they can go through waves up to four feet while coming ashore, and an Iguana can convert from boat to land vehicle in around eight seconds. Speeds over sand, mud, or gravel are up to four mph, making these ideal tenders for people who want to drive their tender from their yacht directly to inland accommodations. The line includes RIBs, center consoles (including a fishing model), a bowrider, a cabin boat, and even an electric foiler.
See Iguana boats for sale on boats.com.
Novurania
Novurania is a builder of dedicated tenders ranging from 11’ to 38’, and has been a leading brand in the inflatable boat market since it began producing them in the 1960s. Each model is designed to maximize luxury and performance, these boats can be built to order and semi-customized, and the offerings are quite varied including both V-hull and RIBs in stern drive diesel and outboard models. Setting them even farther apart from the crowd, this is also one of the few builders to offer catamaran hull RIBs (from 20’ to 28’). These are designed to be “beach landers” with hydraulic-actuated drop-down bows and large open spaces that can accommodate cargo such as kayaks, bikes, and SUPs.
See Novurania boats for sale on boats.com.
Ribcraft
The Ribcraft fleet spans a wide range, going all the way from 15’7” up to a massive 41’. The company is known for building professional-grade RIBs, many of which are in commercial or governmental service. In fact, they have a dedicated military line as well as recreational and commercial vessels. The deep-V hulls are fiberglass and tubes are multi-chambered heavy-duty Hypalon with pressure relief valves. Decks are mostly kept uncluttered and open, although they do offer many models with extensive seating including some with huge crew capacities. Ribcraft also offers a line of easily stowable inflatables with inflatable hulls and keels and aluminum “roll out” decks.
See Ribcraft boats for sale on boats.com.
Walker Bay
Walker Bay boats are RIB tenders, including several model lines that have hulls built with what the company calls its “DuraTech” system, a Resin Transfer Molding process that’s 40-percent more durable and 30-percent lighter than traditionally laid fiberglass. Some other lines incorporate the company’s “Spider” stringer grid system, which is designed to increase floatation and absorb wave impact. The offerings span from 10’5” to 22’ and the brand is exceptionally well known, currently being used in over 50 countries worldwide.
See Walker Bay boats for sale on boats.com
Williams
Building RIB tenders since 2004, Williams is unique in that their lineup consists of jet-powered tenders. Ranging from the diminutive 9’2” MiniJet 280 to the 23’3” EvoJet, these boats are powered by Rotax jet engines or Yanmar diesels blasting water through a jet drive. That means they have superb handling, sporty performance, minimal draft, and are more easily stowed aboard a yacht or superyacht since there’s no outboard taking up additional space. In fact, Williams works in partnership with many yacht builders and their tenders are thus commonly seen as standard or optional equipment aboard many different yacht models, which are often designed with garages or similar stowage areas specific to a Williams jet tender.
See Williams boats for sale on boats.com.
Zodiac
When it comes to inflatable tenders, no one could possibly argue against Zodiac being named a classic. The classic, actually, as Zodiacs are probably the most well-known inflatable and RIB boat brand on the water. Their lineup is extensive, too, including six different model lines with a mix of inflatables and RIBS ranging from simple, small Cadets all the way down to 6’7”, to the 32’9” XCC, a twin outboard RIB with a twin-stepped hull, a cabin with berth, a galley, and a top-end in excess of 60 knots. The dedicated Tender line will be of the most interest in this roundup, of course, and Zodiac offers inflatable and RIB tender models with aluminum hulls.
See Zodiac boats for sale on boats.com.
Search the market and you’ll find many other options which may prove ideal for you and your needs. No matter what type of mothership you have, however, these 10 contenders are certainly worth a look. Because when it comes to finding the best tender boats on the market these 10 top brands are all standouts.
See all tender boats for sale on boats.com.
