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Compass Tenders - Bespoke Superyacht Tenders

Compass Tenders have been building custom tenders since 2004, however, it was an order from Madame Gu, the 99m Feadship, in 2011 that saw the boat building and design team reach international acclaim. This superyacht and her duo of custom tenders, both replicating the design and styling of her mothership, have remained one of the most iconic superyachts of the last 10 years.


Other tenders particularly notable amongst Compass’ extensive portfolio of past constructions are an 11.6m limousine tender for Lurssen’s 91m Lady Lara, a 10.9m limousine and 10.4m open tender for Oceanco’s 90m DreAMBoat, four custom tenders for Lurssen’s 123m Al Lusail – including two 11.2m limousines – and two 10m limousine tenders for the 110m Feadship, Anna.


Recent deliveries include an 11.6m chase boat for Feadship’s 99m Moonrise, a pair of matching tenders for the 68m Soaring (Abeking & Rasmussen) and a 12m limousine for the 68m superyacht support vessel, Wayfinder.


Company Founder and CEO, Richard Faulkner, attributes the company’s success to its ability, and indeed flexibility, when it comes to working with other exterior designers and the exacting standards of their clients.


“We often work with the exterior stylist of the mother ship on the design of the tender. Ensuring that design characteristics of the larger superyacht are echoed in the tender, the result is a completely unique vessel that, quite literally, operates in perfect partnership. We pride ourselves in our versatility and capability to fulfill an owner’s requirements. In some cases, it’s a small fleet of tenders required to match various requirements, but our approach is the same – create a united aesthetic whilst ensuring optimum performance and usability.”


Trends in superyacht tender design have pointed towards tenders needing to become more versatile, able to serve a number of different uses as owners choose to spend longer periods aboard and travel to more adventurous locations. As a result, Compass have opted to develop a catamaran tender series, ranging in size from 10m to 13.5m. This type of craft is perfect for multipurpose use with features such as adaptable seating arrangements, a spacious foredeck for carrying sports equipment or supplies and a wide bow door for beach landings and unloading.


Compass encourages owners, captains and project managers to start thinking about their tender requirements at the earlier stages of the design process. By identifying in advance what space is available and type of craft that is going to be required, bespoke designs can be developed that can be stowed aboard with space optimiZed down to the millimeter, and be delivered without delay; ready to serve the owner on their first ventures out to sea.


Throughout the process, Compass work closely with the project manager to identify the necessary design elements and features, and will also liaise with the client’s yard team to ensure continuity of finish, quality and integration within the tender garages.


“Following the client’s initial enquiry, our highly skilled and experienced design team assesses the client’s requirements to identify the best starting point for design and styling.


The first decision to be made is to see if we can offer one of Compass Tenders’ existing ‘platform packages’ from our Latitude range or if we should develop a custom solution.


Once an overall design is achieved and modeled to our satisfaction for performance ability and fit-out, it goes to the client for review and comment, ready to move forward to the contract design stage.


We then consider the engineering package and overall specification at this stage. At Compass Tenders, we work exceptionally hard to not just meet the requirements but exceed them - it is always better to over-deliver!”


Upon delivery, Compass provide their clients with a thorough handover procedure and full training is offered to the crew. The company also boasts a robust aftercare service, attending to any warranty requirements and supporting the Captain with an on-going maintenance program with technological and performance enhancements when appropriate.


The Compass Tenders shipyard and design offices are located on the River Hamble in the UK - perfectly positioned for sea trials on the Solent - and the workshops span an excess of 36,000 square feet, enabling the construction of several vessels side by side.

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