Cockwells’ Cornwall-built tender hides a secret champagne cabinet

Press a button aboard this boat and a hidden panel slides back to reveal chilled glasses and a bottle of champagne, already set for eight guests. It is one of several surprises built into a 9.8m tender that most people would assume exists purely to ferry passengers from superyacht to shore.

📷The 9.8m Limousine by Cockwells. Credit: Cockwells

A tender fit for a floating hotel

Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding is giving visitors to this year’s Monaco Yacht Show an exclusive look at the 9.8m Limousine Tender it has built for Four Seasons Yachts, the ultra-luxury brand bringing the Four Seasons hotel experience out onto the water.

The tender is one of a pair commissioned by the brand. It goes on display in the Principality’s annual showcase for the superyacht industry, in the setting of Port Hercule, from Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 September.

With rich afromosia timber, hand-finished internal carpentry, the sweeping curve of an expansive glass roof and a spacious aft deck, the tender is designed to match the timeless styling of its mothership. There is room aboard for eight guests to relax in comfort.

📷Hidden champagne cabinet aboard the 9.8m Limousine Tender for Four Seasons Yachts. Credit: Cockwells

Champagne at the push of a button

The cabin is climate-controlled and lined with leather seating, and a full-width sunroof with sliding centre sections opens the whole space to the sky. Inside there is an integrated audio system, a touchscreen chart plotter, a minibar and a fridge with an ice facility.

The showstopper is the champagne service. At the push of a button, a hidden cabinet opens to reveal glasses and a bottle, ready to serve.

📷The 9.8m Limousine Tender was built for Four Seasons Yachts by Cockwells. Credit: Cockwells

Built for 35 knots and a smooth ride

Under the deck sit twin Yanmar 4LV engines, each producing 250hp, coupled to a joystick control for precise manoeuvring around a mothership or into a tight berth. A Seakeeper gyroscopic stabiliser adds stability at rest and underway, and the tender is said to reach speeds of up to 35 knots, with a cruising speed of 28 knots.

Custom-cast stainless-steel detailing, ambient lighting and a self-launching anchoring system round out the practical touches.

Principal dimensions (approximate)

• Length overall: 9.8m
• Beam: 2.87m
• Displacement: 5 tonnes
• Engines: twin 250hp Yanmar 4LV
• Maximum speed: 35 knots
• Cruising speed: 28 knots
• Fuel capacity: 400 litres
• Water capacity: 60 litres
• Passengers: 8
• Crew: 2

📷The luxurious interior of the 9.8m Limousine Tender. Credit: Cockwells

Spectacle and surprise, by design

Henry Ward, Cockwells’ Head of Design & Sales, said working with the client’s team was an honour, adding that the finished design combines understated elegance with cutting-edge technology and remarkable performance, to reach the level of quality that Four Seasons Yachts’ clientele expects.

Henry said limousine tenders have traditionally been seen as utilitarian shuttle boats, tasked with ferrying guests from superyacht to shore. Four Seasons Yachts asked for something with spectacle and surprise instead. The result, he said, is a pair of tenders built to open up sheltered harbours and secluded coves in some of the most idyllic locations in the world.

📷The 9.8m Limousine created by Cockwells for Four Seasons Yachts. Credit: Cockwells

A Cornish yard used to the superyacht world

Cockwells is based at Mylor Creek Boatyard, near Falmouth in Cornwall. As well as custom new builds, the yard carries out tender refits, among them a recent total transformation of the tender for the 73m superyacht Nautilus.

The company is also behind the Duchy Motor Launch range, semi-production launches from 25ft to 60ft, and has built Hardy Marine’s motor yachts to their original specifications since acquiring the brand’s assets in 2020. An environmentally-friendly headquarters at Mylor, together with the acquisition of the Southwest Shipyard at Ponsharden, allows Cockwells to build more of its larger vessels and offer clients a wider range of boatyard services.

On show at Port Hercule

Cockwells will be showing the Limousine Tender on Stand QJ8, within the Tender Show at Monaco.

“Our dedicated team bring their renowned expertise and meticulous precision to every project, whether you require a custom new build or the refit of a much-loved vessel,” Henry said, “so we look forward to welcoming you to Stand QJ8 within the Tender Show at Monaco to discuss your unique requirements and bring your ideas to life.”

Further information is available on the Cockwells superyacht tenders and tender refit pages.

📷Side profile view of the 9.8m Limousine Tender. Credit: Cockwells