Best practices to protect your investment
Buying a boat is rarely an impulse purchase. For many owners, it’s the result of years of hard work, careful planning and countless hours researching the right boat for their lifestyle. Whether it’s weekends with the family, exploring new anchorages or making the most of retirement, that investment deserves to be protected. Then come the toys and accessories, with so much choice on today’s market the options are endless. For many owners, it’s the tender or jetski that becomes the most valuable addition onboard. It opens up opportunities to explore hidden coves, reach the shore with ease and make the most of every anchorage, so why do we often see expensive tenders secured with makeshift solutions?
When so much time and research goes into finding the right tender, it’s important to choose the right deck equipment to help protect it whenever you’re on the water. Avoid loose straps, tenders that move excessively on the bathing platform or chocks that provide little or no support to the hull. These can all lead to unnecessary wear, damage and a less enjoyable boating experience.
We’ve put together the best practices for how to secure your tender or jetski safely:
Support the hull – The right chocks should do more than simply stop a tender from moving. They should spread the load evenly across the bathing platform, support the hull correctly and minimise movement in rougher conditions. Our Universal Chocks self-adjust to the hull shape, so when you are finished having fun on the water, the bathing platform can be lowered, and the tender can be easily docked. The chocks are also fully removable, so when the tender has been lowered, you are left with a clean, hazard free platform to enjoy.
Secure the tender properly – It’s easy to overlook the importance of quality tie-down straps, but they’re one of the hardest-working pieces of equipment on the bathing platform. Depending on the weight of the tender or jetski, it is common for 3 or 4 straps to be used to secure the tender to the bathing platform from the bow & stern. We recommend 4 straps even for lightweight tenders so if you upgrade to a bigger tender later down the line, you will have the right attachment points already.
Safe attachment points – Typically boats have eyebolts, however these can become an obstacle when moving around the platform. These can be easily swapped out for our flush or low profile padeyes for a sleek, hazard free attachment point. You can find our fitting guide here.
Top tip: After securing your tender, give it a firm push in each direction. If there’s noticeable movement, check the tension in the straps before setting off.
A well-secured tender doesn’t just protect your investment. It protects the time you’ve spent planning your adventures, gives confidence when you’re underway and helps ensure every trip starts and ends safely. Whether you’re fitting out a new yacht or upgrading an existing setup, investing in the right securing system today can help protect your boating lifestyle for years to come.
A tender should move when you’re exploring the coastline and not when it’s secured on your bathing platform.
