RIB and Tender Charter

REQUEST VIP coordinates RIB and tender charter enquiries for harbour transfers, beach access, yacht support and focused days on the water. Share the route, dates, passenger mix, luggage, sea access and intended activity. Named craft, licensed operator, capacity, safety equipment, weather limits, availability and price require written confirmation before travel.

Key Facts

• A RIB has a rigid hull with inflatable tubes; “tender” describes a support role and can cover several craft types.
• Passenger capacity and maximum load are craft-specific, not calculated from free seats.
• Jet, outboard and inboard propulsion behave differently near swimmers, beaches and debris.
• The skipper decides whether conditions, landing and loading permit the trip.

Choose by job, not by label

A RIB can be an agile open platform, while a tender may be a small RIB, jet tender, enclosed limousine tender or another support boat. The request should state the job: marina-to-yacht transfer, shore landing, restaurant run, coastal sightseeing, watersports support or standby transport. Those uses demand different seating, shelter, freeboard, storage, boarding hardware and crew.

Do not assume an auxiliary tender is licensed for a separate commercial excursion. Confirm ownership or operator, registration, commercial certification where applicable, insurance, skipper credentials and authorised operating area. The EU Recreational Craft Directive defines design and manufacturer requirements for relevant craft placed on that market, including a maximum recommended load; it does not by itself answer whether a particular charter operation is permitted in a coastal state.

For a full-size hosted day, compare the day yacht charter page. The main yacht charter service covers contracts involving a primary yacht rather than a standalone transfer craft.

Destinations

Build the route as embarkation point, water leg, landing method and fallback. A sheltered harbour crossing is not equivalent to an exposed headland or an offshore run. Check local traffic, speed and wash restrictions, exclusion zones, harbour permission, beaching rules, protected areas, night navigation and whether a legal commercial pickup is possible at both ends.

Weather affects more than cancellation. Wind direction, wave period, tide, visibility, spray, heat and darkness change ride comfort and safe boarding. A quay may need fenders and a step; a beach may require wet feet; a yacht transfer may involve moving platforms. .

Sizes

Record length, beam, tube layout, hull form, draught, propulsion, seating arrangement, handholds, deck clearance, canopy and storage. A longer craft does not automatically offer a drier ride or easier step. Weight distribution and seating position can matter as much as nominal dimensions, especially for children, older travellers or passengers with limited mobility.

For a yacht-carried tender, garage dimensions, lifting points, dry weight and launch system are operational constraints. Official Williams guidance, for example, treats towing, recovery and jet-unit care as model-specific procedures. That supports a general rule: use the exact owner's manual and crew method, never a generic assumption about how a tender can be launched, towed or beached.

Guest Capacity

Use the builder's plate or documented maximum load together with commercial certification and the operator's lower operating limit. People, fuel, water, luggage and equipment contribute to load. The Williams DieselJet manual expressly warns against exceeding passenger capacity and calls for even weight distribution; its figures apply to the relevant models, not all RIBs.

Send adult and child numbers, approximate luggage volume, mobility needs and any equipment cases. The manifest should identify the skipper and any additional crew. If the transfer connects to a superyacht charter, reconcile the tender count with the primary yacht's manifest rather than maintaining two conflicting lists.

Amenities

Prioritise safety and functional equipment before upholstery. Confirm correctly sized personal flotation devices, communications, navigation lights when required, first-aid and fire equipment, kill-cord policy, bilge arrangements, anchor, boarding ladder or pole, grab points and weather protection. Then verify seating, shade, towels, water, dry storage, charging and audio only if relevant.

Watersports add a second risk file: instructor or observer, approved towing point, participant equipment, operating zone and recovery method. Official Williams operating guidance calls for an observer during towing activities and for the driver to keep attention on the water ahead. The actual operator's manual and local rules control the booked craft.

Charter Duration

Price useful time rather than an abstract half-day or day. Include skipper briefing, loading, slow harbour sectors, refuelling, cleaning and return deadline. A sequence of short transfers may be more demanding than one continuous ride because guests, luggage and berth positions change repeatedly.

The written offer needs exact report and finish points, hours, craft and skipper, passenger/load assumptions, fuel, taxes, delivery or launch, waiting, overtime, weather decision, cancellation and missed-connection treatment. An onboard yacht concierge brief may coordinate shoreside timings, but it cannot direct the skipper. .

Boarding and comfort check

Before payment, ask for current photographs or a boarding diagram showing step height, tube or gunwale crossing, handholds and seating. Decide whether luggage stays dry, whether shoes must come off, and who physically handles bags. Guests prone to back or neck discomfort should disclose the concern and discuss whether a slower, enclosed or larger alternative is appropriate.

IMO COLREG principles include proper lookout and safe speed for vessels on applicable waters. That means an advertised top speed is not a promised transfer speed. The skipper adapts or stops the run according to traffic, visibility, sea state and the craft.

How It Works

1. State each water leg, date, passengers, luggage, mobility needs, activity, timing and comfort threshold.
2. Receive with named craft, operator, boarding arrangement and comparable cost assumptions.
3. Check certification, load, equipment, pickup rights, fuel, waiting, weather rule and alternative transport.
4. Confirm written terms, then issue the passenger list, meeting point, contact chain and skipper-approved plan.

CTA

Tell REQUEST VIP the exact water legs, people, baggage, activity and timing. Receive for named RIBs or tenders, subject to operator availability, local permissions, conditions and skipper authority.

Speak to the concierge