Four years ago, Black Pepper bought the French brand Bahama Boat, vintage motorboats inspired by the American "utility boats" of the 1930s. The Orvault shipyard, in Loire-Atlantique, now presents a new model - the Tender 24 - directly inspired by the Bahama 24. The boat is larger, since it is 24 feet long (compared to 22.9 feet for the old model) and modifications have been made, notably to the structure and layout of the cockpit.
This boat, 7 m long, has been lightened in order to limit the motorization. Carbon has been used for the structure of the ropes, which makes the boat very stiff and lighter than a fibreglass boat. The deck and cockpit are made of teak, as well as the interior fittings. A large windscreen surrounds the cockpit.
"The Tender 24 is a runabout inspired by the old Chris-Craft models." explains Michel de Franssu, manager of the Black Pepper shipyard. It is characterized by its two cockpits - one at the front, behind the windscreen with two pilot and co-pilot seats and a guest cockpit with two other seats facing the sea and a rear bench seat. In the standard version, it is inboard to benefit from a large sunbathing area at the stern. "An outboard version is available as an option, but the result will be less flattering", says Michel de Franssu.
On the motor side, the Tender 24 is offered as standard with a Mecruiser inboard 135 HP for a maximum speed of 30/35 knots. As an option, a 250 HP Mercruiser can reach a speed of 40 knots.
"The objective of this motorboat is not speed, but rather the ride. The idea of offering more motorization is interesting for water sports " details Michel de Franssu.
The Tender 24 is delivered with all the options, one of the characteristics of the yard: deck shower, retractable cleat, electronics, fittings, swim ladder and safety equipment. Finally, the owner can customize his hull and upholstery color.
The first one is already in the water on the Ile de Ré, and will soon be joined by a 2 e model. On the 3rd e copy will reach Saint-Tropez. It will be necessary to wait for Boot Dusseldorf to discover the model on land. Black Pepper is also working on a bigger model, a 30-footer, which will be presented next year.
Price: 65,000 euros HT in basic version, registered, with a 135 HP engine.
