The mini megayacht

Of the many tenders to have come from Vaudrey Miller, a New Zealand yard that went into liquidation in November 2011, are a pair built for motoryacht A. The high quality finish of the limo and open tender caught the eye of Sergei Dobroserdov, director of Monaco-based Nakhimov, who later commissioned the yard to build a 7.5m tender for Heesen Yachts’ 55m Quinta Essentia, launched in March 2011.
 

“Our role on this build was to project manage,” says Dobroserdov. “The owner's wish was to have a limo-tender on board with the same design features as the mothership. So I approached Vripack in Holland with the proposal for the tender. We also asked Italian interior designer Michela Reverberi to create an interior with the same style and materials as that on board Quinta Essentia.”

With a clear brief, Vripack set out to incorporate the distinctive oval-shaped balconies on either side of the vessel into the exterior of the tender. Lead designer of the project Bart Bouwhuis and designer Pim Dijksman managed to achieve this by creating a window for the cabin that cut into the hull as well as the superstructure. This feature allows guests to look down at the sea and out at the horizon, while clearly identifying it with Quinta Essentia. 

The link between the two is further strengthened by the choice of colour of the hull and the design of exterior elements, which were created by Dobroserdov Design.

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“Considering it is a full custom tender...I have not had any significant reliability issues." – Captain Rob Williamson

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Unlike most limo tenders, the cockpit is located aft of the boat, dedicating the front two-thirds to guests and ensuring better views out to sea. This provides space forward of the cabin for a U-shape bench to allow guests to enjoy uninterrupted views.

“It’s basically a mini megayacht and quite comparable to a car in size,” explains Bouwhuis. “Initially our idea for the cockpit was very like the driver’s seat in a car. However, it was scaled down during the development of the design and engineering, but originally it was two cockpits with a fold-up seat. It had all the instruments you would expect in a car but this became too fancy.”


The project took just under a year to complete and cost approximately 700,000 euros. The fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) construction is fitted with an inboard Volvo engine producing 300hp, and can achieve a maximum speed of 34.7 knots, exceeding expectations by five per cent.

“In choppy conditions guests stay dry and comfortable inside the cabin while still having plenty of light and reasonable visibility through all the glass,” explains Rob Williamson, captain of Quinta Essentia. “As a beach tender it has plenty of deck space, boarding ladders and fold down bow entry. It has been used regularly for extended trips both for exploring, swimming and just lounging around.”

Other features of the tender include air-conditioning, a sound system, fridge and a retractable roof to allow guests to walk upright through the cabin. An automatically operated anchor is concealed at the bow and can be used for towing, while also providing space for diving equipment.

“The tender is an excellent and versatile boat,” concludes Williamson. “Considering it is a full custom tender and that we have had no effective after sales support, due to the manufacturer going out of business, I have not had any significant reliability issues. I have generally found the construction to be very good especially given the level of complexity and kit on board.”

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