Market monopoly: Trialling the Wajer 38 S chase boat in Miami

Wajer Yachts expands its line-up with outboard propulsion as it claims an ever-larger share of the superyacht chase boat market, Kate Lardy discovers...

Dutch builder Wajer Yachts has its own 16-berth marina in Miami, tucked between the city’s most coveted addresses on Fisher Island and Star Island, and it is almost out of space. It’s full of boats being prepped for delivery and those belonging to owners who take advantage of the company’s full-service offer, booked through an app.

The first slip, though, the one closest to shore, is a tricky one. With just 60 centimetres of water, the typical Wajer with Volvo Penta IPS drives won’t fit. Hovering above these shallows instead is the first 38 model with outboards. We step on board and Dries Wajer, second generation and managing director since 2017, presses a button and we gently drop into the water. With the props of the three Mercury V10s spinning just under the surface, we scoot out into deeper water.

I’m on the first outboard-powered Wajer 38 S, which debuted at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2024. In addition to the outboard propulsion, it features a few modifications, including a larger sunroof for more shade, a new wet bar and a redesigned  dash with two sleek Garmin screens that control all boat operations.

The Mercury Verados purr demurely as we head out and under the causeway. They are barely audible at six knots, which was one of the attractions for Wajer as it moved into this market for the first time. These particular V10s of 400-horsepower each were chosen for being, as Wajer tells me, "the lightest, most powerful engine there is, and they look good as well, design-wise”" Light and powerful translates to a top speed of  52 knots, making the 38 S the fastest Wajer yet. The shallower draught is another bonus. "You  can literally put it on the beach," says Terrence Van Vliet, US area manager.

When I visited in January, the second 38 S  with outboards was also at the Wajer Bay Marina, being readied for delivery to the Bahamas. Outside of demonstration models every boat is built to order, and this boat’s owner wanted more bells and whistles, including a side door as an additional entry point. The owner also opted for a generator, while the first hull uses solar panels on the sunroof to keep the batteries charged at anchor. There is also a gyrostabiliser. This adds some weight, which would likely shave a few knots off the top speed, but these boats aren’t defined by their speed, says Wajer.

"These are not like race boats. It’s a bit like the positioning of a luxury high-end European car, like a Bentley or Rolls-Royce," Wajer says. "You don’t want to be the fastest, but you want to get there in comfort – and fast enough."

Superyacht owners have taken notice of the comfort. It was just over a decade ago that Wajer delivered its first boat that would serve as a tender – to the world-travelling Amels 180 Kamalaya. Nowadays, "Thirty-five per cent of the boats we build are sold as yacht tenders," Wajer says. "There has been very steep growth [in this market segment] in the last two years, because it’s a bit of a trend for big boats to  have a chase boat. We just came back from  St Barths, where we saw, I think, more than 10 of our boats sailing around."

I feel the quality myself as we take on big wake from a passing boat with ease. It’s solid and stiff. We then throttle up until we run out of water at Bayfront Park at 50 knots. On the other side  of Star Island, I take the wheel and begin a hard turn, but apparently I’m not being aggressive enough – Wajer reaches over and gives the wheel a tug and we nimbly execute a turn tighter than  I thought possible.

We have another chance to put the hammer down and this time we have the space to make  a remarkable 55 knots. "It takes less than 10 seconds to get up to full speed," Wajer says.

But, again, it’s not really about speed. It’s  not about price either. "If I can make things  better in the boat, I will just do it because it’s better to compete on quality than on price,"  Wajer says. "That has always been the strategy with the company: just try to build the best possible boat."

First published in the August 2025 edition of BOAT International. Get this magazine delivered straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.