Welcome to Wells RNLI
Wells-next-the-Sea RNLI Lifeboat Station houses an all-weather lifeboat and an inshore lifeboat to save lives and assist with emergencies around Wells and off the North Norfolk coast. Manned by volunteer crews, the boats are ready to launch within minutes, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This website will tell you more about the station and give you a taste of what we do and the traditions of the lifeboat service.

Recent Services

30 August 2010 10:45	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard paged for an ILB launch at 10:41 after the local Coastwatch reported a windsurfer in difficulty with a broken mast in a strong NW wind and ebbing tide. The crew were paged at 10:45 with the ILB launching at 10:52. Arriving with the casualty at 10:56, the person and his equipment were taken onboard the lifeboat and transported to the boathouse but as the casualty was landed another windsurfer was reported to have suffered damage to his board. The ILB departed at 11:06 to investigate the second incident but on arrival were advised repairs had been made to the damaged mast and the person was not in needed of assistance. Returning to station at 11:10 the ILB was re-housed, re-fuelled and ready for service at 11:22. Wind: NW 6/7. Sea: Choppy
22 August 2010 17:27	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard paged for a launch of the ILB at 17:27 following a report of a missing vulnerable 8 year old child at Wells quayside. The crew were paged at 17:29 but the launch was cancelled at 17:32 after the child had been found by a police unit.
21 August 2010 16:09	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard received a telephone call from the local Coastwatch lookout following a family reporting their child had gone missing in the vicinity of the Beach Road car park close to the outer harbour basin. The ILB was paged at 16:09 with the boat launching at 16:18 with a request to search the outer harbour and sea defence to Wells quay. At 16:19 the local Auxiliary Coastguard team confirmed the missing child had been found safe. All units were stood down at 16:20 with the ILB returning to station at 16:23. Wind: SW 4. Sea: Calm.
15 August 2010 13:00	ALB	The ALB was paged at 13:00 to assist the ILB with a possible search for a missing person from a capsized sailing dinghy at Burham Overy harbour (see below). Prior to launching, the ILB reported that the casualty had been found. Yarmouth Coastguard requested the ALB remained on standby until it had been established there were no other persons missing. Once it became clear no other persons were at risk the ALB was stood down at 13:15 and re-housed.
15 August 2010 12:35	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard paged for an immediate launch of the ILB at 12:35 after receiving a 999 telephone call reporting a sailing dingy had capsized in the entrance to Burnham Overy harbour in a strong northerly wind and confused swell. The single occupant who was not wearing a lifejacket had become separated from the vessel and had been lost to view. The ILB launched at 12:44 arriving on scene at 12:52. The casualty was quickly located and taken onboard the lifeboat where it was decided to land the person at Burnham Overy quayside to the waiting local Coastguard unit. Entering the main channel it soon became apparent with the fast ebbing tide that the ILB would not be able to land the casualty and still have enough water to return to station. At 13:11 the casualty was transferred to a local vessel which had offered to transport the person the remaining distance so allowing the ILB to leave the harbour. The casualty was handed over to the local C/G unit at 13:22. On departing Overy harbour, the capsized dinghy was sighted. The ILB crew righted the vessel and towed it to Holkham beach to be recovered later. Departing at 13:46, the ILB returned to station at 13:55 and was re-housed, re-fuelled and ready for service at 14:10. Wind: N 5/6. Sea-state: Moderate.
12 August 2010 06:30	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard paged for an immediate launch of the ILB following a Mayday call from the yacht Topo which had suffered steering failure in a position west of Wells harbour entrance. The ILB launched at 06:41 and proceeded to the casualty's position to find a local support vessel Valkyrie en-route to a wind farm construction site had established a tow to the yacht. Entering the harbour at 07:00 all three vessels proceeded to the outer harbour pontoons where the tow was transferred to the ILB which then positioned the casualty on its mooring at 07:43. Arriving back at station at 07:49 the ILB was re-housed, re-fuelled and ready for service at 08:07. Wind: WSW 3/4. Sea State: Slight/Moderate
10 August 2010 16:49	ALB/ILB	Yarmouth coastguard requested a launch for a sailing vessel that had been discovered swamped bearing 340 distance 3nm from the boathouse. The swamped vessel had been spotted by a local fishing vessel Sunbeam 3 whilst returning to the harbour from a fishing trip in the Wash. The crew of the ILB were paged at 16:49 and the inshore lifeboat launched 16:56. The ILB arrived on scene at 17:10 and ascertained that no persons were on board and that the 20' casualty vessel was badly damaged, drifting and swamped, with the sea constantly washing over the decks. It was decided that the best option was to tow the craft to the shore as it was deemed a hazard to navigation. The local fishing vessel Comrade was in the vicinity and it was decided that this vessel would be more able to tow the waterlogged craft than the ILB. Towing started at 17:45 but it soon became obvious that the casualty was too large for the Comrade to tow properly. As the casualty was too much of a danger to leave in approaches to Wells harbour, the decision therefore was made to launch the All Weather Lifeboat (ALB). The ALB crew were paged at 18:06 and the boat launched at 18:16 outside the boathouse, the Comrade being released once the ALB was on passage. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 18:35 and commenced towing at 18:45. The ALB, casualty vessel and inshore lifeboat arrived back at the beach to the South of the boathouse at 19:45 and the casualty vessel was beached. With no distinguishing marks apparent on the casualty vessel and the craft in a very poor condition it was decided to render the craft a total loss and it was subsequently broken up. Both boats were recovered, refuelled and put back on service at 20:42. Wind: South 2/3. Sea State: Slight. The recovered vessel beached behind the lifeboat station...
5 August 2010 14:46	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard heard a weak VHF transmission with the words "Mayday - we are tipping over" but nothing further. Paging for an ILB launch at 14:44, the Coastguard requested the lifeboat carry out an initial search of the harbour. The crew were paged at 14:46 with the ILB launching at 14:55. After searching from the boathouse to the harbour entrance and with nothing found, the ILB was requested to search along the shore to Blakeney harbour. The local Coastguard unit in the meantime had been deployed to Wells quayside to speak to vessel owners moored in the vicinity. Entering Blakeney harbour at 15:17 and with nothing seen the ILB was then tasked to proceed to Burnham Overy harbour searching the shoreline en-route but at 15:30 Yarmouth Coastguard stood all units down after deciding that the Mayday call had been either a hoax or children playing with a VHF radio. The ILB returned to station at 15:56 and was re-housed, re-fuelled and ready for service at 16:17. Wind WNW 3/4. Sea State: Slight/Moderate
3 August 2010 16:28	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard requested the launch of the ILB at 16:28 after receiving a 999 call from a member of the public reporting two persons thought to be in difficulty crossing the Brancaster harbour channel. The crew were paged at 16:30 but almost immediately the launch was cancelled when the first informant reported the casualties had managed to cross the channel to safety.
22 July 2010 14:41	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard requested the launch of the ILB to a woman with 3 dogs who was cut off by the tide in the vicinity of the Stiffkey outfall pipe. The lifeboat launched at 14:49 and proceeded seaward to enter Stiffkey channel arriving with the casualty at 15:06. The woman and her dogs were taken onboard and landed into the care of the local Coastguard unit at 15:33. Before returning to station the crew were requested to check on another person who was seen on the sands but no further action was required. Arriving back at station at 16:17, the ILB was re-housed, re-fuelled and ready for service at 16:40.
14 July 2010 21:15	ILB	Yarmouth Coastguard requested the launch of the ILB at 21:15 to an elderly lady who was unsure of her position but believed herself to be on Scolt Head Island, with an incoming tide. The crew were paged at 21:18 with the lifeboat launching at 21:26 in good visibility, an easterly wind force 2 and a slight sea. The ILB reached Scolt Head at 21:50 and, with fading light, was guided to the casualty by the local coastguard unit who had her in sight. The lady was taken onboard the lifeboat at 21:53 and landed into the care of the coastguards at Burnham Overy Staithe at 22:06 to be reunited with her family who were staying at Brancaster. The ILB departed at 22:08 and was re-housed, re-fuelled and ready for service at 22:40. Wind: E2, Sea State: Slight
11 July 2010 19:40	ALB	Yarmouth Coastguard paged for an immediate launch of the ALB at 19:40 after hearing the words "MAYDAY Kirkspray" spoken over the VHF. As the crew assembled, the vessel concerned was seen moored on pontoons to the south of the boathouse. Yarmouth Coastguard requested the ALB to remain on standby while the local auxiliary Coastguard team conducted an investigation. Finding nobody onboard or in the vicinity of the Kirkspray, the team then proceeded to a vantage point on the coast road to check whether there were any other vessels in the area. With nothing seen or found, the ALB was stood down at 21:00.

News

12-003 returns to Wells
6 March 2010

Wells Lifeboat returned home from refit on 6 March 2010, Coxswain Allen Frary and five crew having left Wells at 4am to collect her first thing at Lowestoft. She was berthed overnight on the new outer jetty and then launched for an exercise and final mechanical inspection the following morning where she was subsequently joined by Relief lifeboat 12-25, which has been on station at Wells during her absence. With the exercise complete, equipment was exchanged between the two boats and 12-003 recovered to the lifeboat house. 12-25 left Wells from the outer jetty the next morning for Lowestoft under the command of Second Coxswain Nicky King and crew.

12-003 alongside Lowestoft lifeboat awaiting collection. Picture: Peter Eady

12-003 arrives back in Wells 6/3/2010

12-003 and 12-25 together off Wells beach 6/3/2010. Picture: Peter Eady

12-003 away for refit
21 October 2009

The station's all-weather lifeboat Mersey class 12-003 Doris M Mann of Ampthill has gone away for a scheduled refit, a major overhaul that normally takes place approximately every five years. While the boat is away, relief Mersey class lifeboat no 12-25 Bingo Lifeline is on station.

12-003 is being refitted in Holyhead and left the boathouse at 0715 on 8 October with coxswain Allen Frary and six crew for a passage to Lowestoft where she was lifted onto a lorry to be taken by road to Conway before a short sea passage round to Holyhead. The crew then collected the relief lifeboat 12-25 and returned to Wells, arriving just after 1800.

For more pictures of the passage and lift, please see photos page.

Softrak replaces Argo for ILB launch and recovery
25 August 2009

A new Softrak launch and recovery vehicle has arrived at the station to replace the eight-wheeled Argo vehicle previously used to launch and recovery the inshore lifeboat. The Softrak is a more substantial and powerful vehicle in comparison to the Argo which sometimes struggled with difficult beach conditions. The driver has an enclosed cabin position and there is bench seating for crew and launchers.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a registered charity, number 209603.
The Wells-next-the-Sea Station Website is maintained by local volunteers not the RNLI. All text and images copyright (C)2005, 2006 RNLI Wells Lifeboat Station or as indicated and may not be downloaded, copied or reproduced elsewhere without prior permission of the station or the relevant copyright holder.