Tender rules for yachts: distance from the mother ship, speed, fees and permits in the Med and Caribbean
How far a tender may go from the yacht, how fast near the coast, and which fees and permits apply in Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Croatia and the Caribbean.
Only Croatia limits how far a tender may go from its yacht: 500 metres, unless it is carrying people or goods to the nearest landing. Italy relaxes the equipment rules for tenders within one mile, the BVI waive a separate cruising permit, and the Bahamas charge $500 for every tender over 25 feet. Otherwise, the coastal speed limits apply.
Most destinations have no rulebook for tenders of their own. What exists is spread across navigation decrees, harbour rules and park regulations; this guide collects it. Every point links to the official source; the wider rules are in our guides for the Balearics, the Côte d'Azur and Monaco, Italy, Croatia and the Caribbean.
How far may a tender go from the yacht?
- Croatia: a tender registered or marked as equipment of the yacht may go only within 500 metres of it, except when taking people and goods to the nearest landing or between the anchorage and its harbour (NN 52/2025, Art. 49(9)). A boat carried on board but registered in its own right may go anywhere within its approved navigation area (Art. 49(10)).
- Italy: a tender or jet ski registered under the mother ship's identifier needs no safety equipment other than personal life-saving gear within one nautical mile of the coast or of the yacht (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 56(1)).
- Spain, France, Monaco and the Caribbean: we found no distance limit for tenders.
How fast may a tender go near the coast?
| Destination | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 3 knots within 200 metres of beaches and 50 metres of the rest of the coast where no buoys mark the bathing strip | Real Decreto 876/2014, Art. 73 |
| France | 5 knots within 300 metres of the shore; motor vessels, motorised tenders included, may not enter, anchor or stop in zones closed to motor craft (ZIEM) | Prémar arrêté 109/2024, Art. 2.1 and 9.5.1.2 |
| Italy | 8 knots within 500 metres of the coast, 3 knots in harbours and in bays with boats at anchor | D.M. 146/2008, Art. 91-bis |
| Croatia | 8 knots within 300 metres of the coast; under 5 knots in the port of Rovinj | NN 52/2025, Art. 50(1), Rovinj harbour rules, Art. 70(2) |
| Bahamas, Exuma Park | idle speed in all mooring fields and anchorages, tenders and jet skis included | Bahamas National Trust |
| Antigua and Barbuda | speedboats go slowly within 200 yards of the shore and keep clear of swimmers; harbour speed limits apply to tenders too | Port Authority regulations, reg. 99 |
Where may a tender land or be left?
- France: non-motorised tenders may not use the access channels to the shore (Prémar arrêté 109/2024, Art. 9.5.1.1). In the Villefranche roadstead, the permanent no-anchoring zones beyond the 300-metre strip apply to yachts and their tenders alike (Prémar arrêté 252/2022, Art. 3.1.2).
- Monaco: tenders may not be stored on or under the pontoons, nor moored between vessels or to the berth holder, without approval from the port operator (Règlement général des ports, Art. 25).
- Sardinia: the 5-metre strip at the waterline must stay clear, including of boats pulled up on the beach (regional bathing order 2026, Art. 3(d)).
- Barbuda: tenders and dinghies may not be dragged over sandbanks, reefs or seagrass (Barbuda Coastal Zoning and Management Regulations 2014, reg. 10(5)).
- Saint-Martin, Marigot mooring field: a yacht's motorised tender may be used, at the user's own risk (ZMEL regulation, Art. 18).
Which permits and fees apply to tenders?
| Destination | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | $500 for every tender over 25 feet, since 1 July 2025 | Port Department, Notice to Boaters |
| British Virgin Islands | a genuine tender of a yacht with a valid cruising permit needs no permit of its own | Act No. 14 of 2025, s. 4 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | tenders of foreign yachts share the mother ship's cruising permit limits | ADOMS FAQ |
| Antigua and Barbuda | tenders of megayachts carry the same safety equipment as local small craft | ADOMS, Visiting Vessels |
| Antigua and Barbuda | operating a dinghy inside the national park needs the Park Commissioner's permission | National Parks Regulations 2012, reg. 6(4) |
| Croatia | liability insurance for every boat over 15 kW, Croatian or foreign | NN 13/2020, Art. 8 |
What did we not find?
- A distance limit for tenders in Spain, France, Monaco or the Caribbean.
- Tender rules inside Italian harbours; these sit in the ordinances of the Capitanerie di Porto, which could not be read.
- How tenders of foreign yachts are registered or marked for Croatia's 500-metre rule.
- Which licence a tender driver needs; this depends on the flag and the destination. For electric tenders and their standards, see our guide to electric yacht tenders and yacht tenders explained.
Sources
All rules come from official texts used in our regional guides, checked on 4 October 2026 (Balearics, Côte d'Azur, Monaco, Italy) and 7 October 2026 (Croatia, Caribbean), and are linked at each point above.
Sources and image rights
- Images
- Toys & Crew
- Checked
- 7 October 2026 by Andreas Lakeberg
Disclaimer. We research every article carefully and to the best of our knowledge. Salaries, prices, rules and port regulations change, and we cannot guarantee that all information is complete, current or correct. Please check anything important with the original source or the responsible authority before you rely on it. To the extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for errors or omissions.