These superyacht tenders are capable sportboats in their own right.
There are three things you realy need to know before you cast off and drive jet boats such as the Williams 445 and 565 Dieselijet RIBs. The first is that the steering lock is just a quarter oa turn in either direction, so like amotorbike they can go from full loto full lock almost instantaneously.
The second is that while runningthe engine pumps water throughthe jet constantly.
In order tomanage Newton’s Third Law abouequal but opposite forces, whenastern is engaged via the throttlelever, a scoop lowers over thenozzle, deflecting the jet of waterforwards instead of aft.
Want neutral?
Then select it in thusual way and the scoop deploys equal fore and aft jet, so that theboat stands still (more or less).Freakishly, however, even though its stationary it still steers.
And the third thing you need to know is that Williams RIBs steerconventionally going forwards butunconventionally going astern.
For example, put the helm over to portgoing forward and the bow willswing to port normally. Keep thehelm over to port and engageastern, however, and that scoopeverse system will cause the tendero do the exact opposite of whatyou expect, the bow swinging toport, rotating anti-clockwise.
So, in order to turn a normal boatn its own length in a narrow fairwayyou would have to swing the wheel rom lock to lock as you switch fromorward to astern. On the Williams,ou simply leave the helm hard oveone way and shift between forwardnd astern to rotate the boat. Right-hand down swivels you clockwiserrespective of direction of thrust, and vice versa.
Pros
- Capable and well spec'd, more than just yacht tenders.
Cons
- It's all most will ever be used for.
Verdict
Superyacht owners can rest assured at their tender's potential.
Details
Beam: 6ft 8in (2.20m)
Engines: Yanmar 4JH4 110P Dieselijet drive
