Go on shore leave with a guarantee from SOLAS
by Andreas Kling 23 Sep 2018 18:01 AEST
SOLAS-Tender animation © beiderbeck designs
Many mega yachts that take on board more than twelve paying guests have a logistical dinghy problem. On the one hand, they are obligated to provide two lifeboats to comply with SOLAS regulations. At the same time, onboard guests should also be able to enjoy a comfortable tender that takes them from the anchorage point to the harbour or an inshore cocktails and bathing trip. The exceptional limousine tender by beiderbeck designs in Bremen-Vegesack, Germany now meets both needs with one solution. The eleven-meter-long and 3.25-meter-wide boat is only 2.40 meters high and fits in every tender garage. Two units are already under construction at Knierim Yachtbau shipyard in Kiel.
The motto is true - 'Some things you need, the rest is what you can have', the prestigious creative studio with a second branch in the southern French town of Antibes fulfills the wish list for an exquisite tender. A bar with frozen margherita fridge space comes just as standard as a comfortable wet room. Two Volvo Penta D4-300 engines, also SOLAS certified, accelerate the limousine to a top speed of more than 30 knots. With a range of 200 nautical miles, it is perfect for those who like to water ski or wakeboard on the stern wave.
Even the outer, rounded shape has nothing in common with a classic lifeboat. Beiderbeck's design with a white structure and dark-tinted, seemingly frameless hemispheric windows embodies a modern tender. The cleverly minimised height emphasises the sleek impression and disappears in the blink of an eye - as usual - into the belly of the luxurious mothership. And rightly so, after all, this dinghy should be used for pleasure at every possibility.
Due to the very compact dimensions (11 x 3.25 x 2.40 metres) this limousine tender is nowhere near only suitable for the construction of a super yacht. In the case of a refit, it can replace most common dinghies without significant alterations to the mothership and even possibly create additional space by replacing the old superfluous lifeboats.
In tender mode, it can carry 15 people on board and 38 in case of emergency. The stringent SOLAS safety compliance is certified by the GL Germanischer Lloyd signature on the steering wheel. Among other things, this guarantees fire resistance, which defies a major fire on the mothership. For larger yachts, a 13-metre rescue tender is in the planning, which will be able to bring 50 people to safety and will also be built at Knierim.