Ship to shore, silently: electric RIBs and tenders

A tender's life is short trips. Out to the mooring, in to the jetty, a run to the beach bar, back again. Lots of stops, little distance, and often a mother ship with power on board.

That makes RIBs and tenders one of the best fits for electric anywhere on the water. Quiet at anchor, no fuel cans on deck, no fumes near swimmers.

We compared the electric RIBs and tenders sold in Europe. These are published figures, not our own tests.

The line-up: electric RIBs and tenders

Sources: Plugboats, float, RS Electric Boats, Plugboats.

RS Pulse 63: the range set wave

The British RS Pulse 63 is the standout for range. RS Electric Boats rates it for (RS Electric Boats):

It is used as a coach boat, workboat, tender and leisure RIB. It carries a 63 kWh battery and is powered by the RAD40 outboard, which RAD says needs mainly an annual anode change for routine service (MBY).

Superyacht tenders: Williams EvoJet 70e

Williams Jet Tenders from the UK builds jet-driven tenders for yachts. Its EvoJet 70e has a 58.5 kWh battery and a single axial flux motor. Williams says it matches the top speed of the combustion version, with an estimated 58 minutes on the throttle (Plugboats).

A jet drive has no exposed propeller, which matters around swimmers at anchor.

Small yacht tenders: the compact quiver

Zodiac Nautic from France sells the eOPEN in 3.1 m and 3.4 m sizes, delivered with a complete Torqeedo drive, battery and charger. Zodiac planned them for about 12 knots cruising and around 50 minutes of autonomy at that speed (Plugboats).

Amare from Italy builds the AMY 330e, a 3.3 m electric tender with a Mitek Revolve 20 motor and 21 knots top speed (float).

Silent-Tenders, from Silent Group, builds electric tenders from 4 m to go with its solar yachts (Yachting Pages).

Repower your own RIB: another way in

You do not need a new boat. Many small RIBs can take an electric outboard. A 1 to 6 kW outboard suits most small tenders, and 40 kW motors such as the RAD40 or ePropulsion X40 suit larger RIBs. See what size electric outboard do I need? and electric outboards for sailboats and tenders.

Charging at anchor: the mother ship advantage

A tender usually lives next to a power source: the yacht or the jetty. That makes charging easy. Check that the yacht's generator or shore power can supply the charger, and follow the maker's charging rules for lithium batteries. See battery safety.

Many yachts carry electric toys alongside the tender, from sea scooters to electric jet skis. See electric yacht toys.

Our verdict: the tender is where electric makes most sense

So, should your tender be electric? For most people, yes. The trips are short, charging is close, and silence at anchor is worth a lot.

For range, the RS Pulse 63. For superyachts, the Williams EvoJet 70e. For a small yacht tender, Zodiac's eOPEN or the Amare AMY 330e. Browse every brand in RIBs and tenders.