If a 46-footer (14-meter) seems a little large for a tender, remember that megayachts are now measuring more than 10 times that LOA. Although Wooden Boats cannot reveal which megayacht builder will put its latest tender, the WB14 limo tender, onboard a client’s yacht, it can give some insight into who designed the project and what the owner wanted.
Wooden Boats is an extension of the Studio Arnaboldi design firm, which dates back to 1984. Its designs include military and commercial boats, as well as tenders. Marco Arnaboldi, the studio’s principal, established Wooden Boats in 2012, 20 years after he and his father had established AB Yachts. (AB Yachts is now part of the Fipa Group.) Since then, Wooden Boats has sent 18 custom tenders to customers of Baglietto, Benetti, Rossinavi, Sanlorenzo, and others. Furthermore, it has collaborated with designers like Guido de Groot and Achille Salvagni.
Just as AB Yachts focused on lightweight, fast yachts with waterjet propulsion, Wooden Boats employs carbon-composite and all-composite construction, plus performance. In fact, the WB14 limo tender, featuring carbon fiber, should hit a 40-knot maximum speed with twin 370-hp Yanmar outboards. Additionally, she should cruise at 34 knots.
With a beam of 11’6” (3.53 meters), the tender features styling and interior design by Giorgio Cassetta. Outside, a big cockpit can welcome the owners’ party, separate from the crew at the helm. Fourteen people can enjoy the settees outside or head inside for a climate-controlled ambience. Even when seated on the leather settees, the guests can enjoy unobstructed views, since the ports are positioned accordingly. Between mood lighting from LEDs and a large skylight, the WB14 limo tender provides additional visual enjoyment.
For the crew’s convenience, the WB14 limo tender incorporates a patented launch and retrieval system. Specifically, it employs two self-winding winches aft and one forward. “All the crew have to do is hook on the crane cables and then use the synced remote controls to safely winch the tender up to the right height,” Arnaboldi explains. The superstructure lowers, too, for limited-height tender garages. Finally, the WB14 has a built-in ozone-sanitation system, which the crew can activate after each trip.
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