For the past several years, Younique Yachts has been restoring classic yachts, alongside building custom tenders. Some of those tenders have been all-aluminum boats, while others have employed carbon fiber and composite construction. For now on, Younique Yachts solely will produce aluminum tenders, in an effort to be more environmentally minded. The limo and open models illustrated above are the first ones available, too, ready for production.
The company says its customers often request carbon composite boats, due to them being lightweight. However, it points out, since the boats are custom, it uses each mold just once. Additionally, more waste material results from this construction method than aluminum. This, and the minimal weight difference between a carbon composite hull and an aluminum hull, convinced the company to make the switch. Furthermore, “Aluminum tenders feel more comfortable, stronger, stiffer, and they produce less noise,” says Egbert Wattel, Younique Yachts’ co-owner.
Rather than just announce the materials change, the shipyard has looked into using the same aluminum hull platform for different tender types. It did so on behalf of a customer, too. The proof of the concept is a 31-foot (9.5-meter) tender available as an open tender or a limo tender, as seen at top. Each has a displacement of 9,921 pounds (4,500 kilograms) and reportedly can hit a top speed upwards of 40 knots. Plus, both designs accommodate 12 passengers, with boarding either aft or forward. Since the models are custom, luxe interior seating, along with other requests, are all possible. Interiors and exterior areas for the tenders will continue to use teak wood, though. Younique Yachts further continues to plant new trees every year.
Younique Yachts younique-yachts.com
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