How do you monitor the safety of your superyacht tenders? If you’re a Captain, Yacht Manager, or Tender Manufacturer, maybe its it time to re-evaluate your tender security, can you afford a costly loss?
With over 200 tenders lost this year alone, the risk has moved faster than traditional security.
The industry shift is here:
Insurers demand more:
Underwriters are moving from loss reporting to loss prevention and now require Advanced Tow Protection. This means continuous monitoring, real-time separation data, and health alerts.
The real cost is operational: Meeting minimum insurance requirements is essential, but preventing the loss avoids massive disruption to charter schedules, guest experience, and reputation. We all know someone who has lost their tender and the impact that has had.
Continuous monitoring is critical: Tenders are at risk even when not being towed.
Have you thought about the cost against loss ratio of protecting your high-value operational assets?
With a fully transferable , plug-and-play system that enhances crew efficiency and represents (on average) less than 1% of the tender’s cost, the return on investment (ROI) for avoiding disruption is clear. Isn’t now the time to upgrade?
Read the full article below for the questions answered .
Tender security, tracking, monitoring, and tow protection are no longer niche concerns. As tenders become larger, faster, and more valuable, real-time tender monitoring must happen at all times — when towing, when stored, and also when the tender is in use. And with over 200 tenders lost this year alone, it’s becoming necessary.
Insurance requirements are evolving, but operational risk is moving even faster.
So what questions should captains, yacht managers, and tender manufacturers be asking now?
Is a GPS tracker really enough for tender security?
A basic GPS tracker only shows where a tender was. It does not provide real-time tender monitoring, tow protection, or system health alerts.
Many trackers:
- Update every 15–30 minutes
- Rely on cellular networks
- Do not monitor bilge or battery systems
- Provide no separation data between yacht and tender
A tender can take on water and sink in minutes — long before a delayed position update appears or a crew member noticed anything happening.
What do insurers now expect from tender monitoring systems?
Insurers are increasingly asking for Advanced Tow Protection, not passive tracking.
This includes:
- Continuous monitoring during towing
- Real-time distance monitoring between mothership and tender
- Bilge monitoring and battery health monitoring
- Immediate bridge alerts
- Online global tracking data to support insurance claims
- Global coverage away from shore
The focus has shifted from loss reporting to loss prevention.
Why does separation monitoring matter for tow protection?
True tow protection requires GPS on both the tender and the mothership.
Without live separation data, systems cannot reliably detect:
- Towline failure
- Rapid changes in distance
- Heavy-weather separation
- Operational errors during night towing
Measuring real distance — not estimated position — is now a key requirement in modern tender monitoring.
How does Yacht Trace deliver real-time tender monitoring?
The Yacht Trace Tender Monitoring System was developed specifically for professional yacht operations.
It provides:
- Two-way RF communication so that crew do not have to step onto the tender for set up
- Dynamic geofence based on real separation distance
- Instant alerts for bilge ingress, battery failure, or distance breaches with pitch yaw and other systems as an extra
- Iridium satellite backup for emergency events
Monitoring continues when towing, when the tender is in use, and when it is temporarily deployed.
What about installation on refits, new builds, and production tenders?
Tender manufacturers, yards, and captains all face the same challenge: installation time.
Yacht Trace is designed to be:
- Fast to install
- Non-invasive
- No cutting into the bridge
- No hard wiring runs
- Plug-and-play on the mothership
- Fully transferable between vessels (sustainable)
This makes it suitable for refits, charter fleets, and production tenders and chase boats without redesigning electrical systems.
Why RF tender monitoring instead of cellular or AIS alone?
RF tender monitoring offers:
- Near-instant updates (every 5 seconds)
- Extended operational range offshore and in remote areas
- No reliance on cellular networks
- No subscription costs
AIS can remain active during towing and has its place, but AIS alone does not provide bilge monitoring, battery monitoring, geofence or active tow protection.
Are tenders at risk when not being towed?
Yes — and often overlooked.
Tender losses have occurred:
- While in use by guests or crew
- When temporarily deployed from garages
- When moored alongside
- Due to rope failure or opportunistic theft
That’s why continuous tender monitoring during use is critical. The geofence can be set so there is an alarm on movement.
Is this about insurance compliance or operational protection?
Both — but the real cost is operational.
Tender loss impacts:
- Charter schedules
- Guest experience
- Crew workload
- Recovery logistics
- Yacht reputation
- And loss of Asset
Meeting minimum insurance requirements may tick a box. Preventing the loss avoids the disruption entirely.
Are cheaper tender trackers a false economy?
When you compare:
- Recovery costs
- Replacement costs
- Charter disruption
- Lost time and reputation
Against the cost of a proper tender monitoring system, the answer is often clear.
Saving a small amount upfront can result in a much larger loss later.
The bottom line
Tenders are high-value operational assets. Protecting them requires continuous tender monitoring, active tow protection, and real-time alerts — not just passive tracking.
As underwriters tighten requirements, systems that monitor tenders during towing, during use, and during storage will become the standard.
If you’re a captain, yacht manager, or tender manufacturer, now is the time to review how your tenders are monitored.
Ask yourself:
- Can you see tender separation in real time?
- Are bilge and battery systems monitored continuously?
- Will you receive an alert in time to act?
If the answer isn’t a clear yes, it may be time to look closer.
Learn more about the Yacht Trace Tender Monitoring System @ Yacht Trace Built for professional operations. Designed to work alongside insurers. Engineered for fast, non-invasive installation. Sustainable and priced fairly and transparently.
Now with additional modular add ons for extra protection: Prop-shaft monitoring, Depth sensors, Jet Ski, N2K chart plotter integrations, Multi-tender monitoring, And more…. Conditioning monitoring superyachts, tenders, chase boats.