The diesel option

Many one-off bespoke tenders incorporate automotive styling or snazzy features that would grab the attention of most owners. Chic car inspired elements can also be found on certain production tenders, but the latest range to come from English boat builder Williams Performance Tenders, focuses more on practicality and operation than aesthetics. Design editor, Andrew Johansson went to Lymington Yacht Haven on the south coast of England to give one of the new models a test drive, and it didn’t disappoint.


Based on the successful Turbojet range, the new Dieseljet series was launched in September 2011, in response to the demand by owners and shipyards for a tender that would run on the same fuel as superyachts. The Oxfordshire-based manufacturer has produced four new diesel-run models aimed at the 30m plus market — the 445, 505, 565, and the 625. The Dieseljet 625 is due to be launched in April 2013, with the first pre-order going to a 40m Princess yacht.

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Rising smoothly to the plane, the hull cut through the water without trouble and performed well when cornering.

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“We are delighted with the early success of the Dieseljet range,” says joint MD at Williams, Mathew Hornsby. “The huge success of the Turbojet 505D, which at the time of launch was the lightest, most compact and fully-equipped diesel yacht tender available, has created a demand amongst our customers for a wider range of diesel tenders.” Since its launch, 12 of the 5.65m Dieseljet 565 boats have been sold and delivered including one for 37.2m Souraya, a Benetti Classic 120 and a Benetti Crystal 140.


So what is it about this range, and in particular the 565, that is getting owners’ attention? Besides the obvious benefits of using the same fuel type in the tender as that used in the running of superyachts, diesel engines have come a long way in terms of noise production and performance. Williams claim to be the first to have designed and developed the world’s first four-stoke jet and turbojet range of tenders, giving them more experience than most with this technology. Each tender is built by hand and combines the safety and sea-keeping of a RIB and the power of a jet drive.


When testing the boat on the Solent — between Lymington harbour and Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight — the 565 delivered all it had promised. Offering a comfortable ride in moderate wave conditions for a boat this size, the tender was capable of reaching its top speed of 36 knots easily from its Yanmar 150hp diesel engine. Rising smoothly to the plane, the hull cut through the water without trouble and performed well when cornering — ideal for water skiing.

Although not as quiet in comparison to a petrol-run engine when traveling at slower speeds, the noise levels from the diesel engine are relatively low. The manoeuvrability of the jet drive, although superior to a traditional prop propulsion system, is a little tricky to master at first, and is not as controllable when little or no throttle is applied.


According to sales representative for Williams, Ben Nice, a Dieseljet 565 fitted with all the extra options, is just below 88,400 euros. To get a chance to see the 565 in person, make sure you make it to the 2012 Cannes Boat Show, which will also be the world premiere of the Dieseljet 445.

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