The RNLI Lifeboat Station in Wells-next-the-Sea 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.
See boathouse build pages for the latest information on our new boathouse building.
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind S3 Sea Slight
The station Softrack launch and recovery vehicle, together with more crew, a stretcher and oxygen, left the Boathouse at 2.45pm to join the ILB on the beach. The Softrac was on scene at 3.12pm and recovered the lifeboat onto its trailer. The casualty, who was still receiving medical attention, was then placed on a stretcher in the inshore lifeboat. The Softrack and lifeboat proceeded back across the beach to the new boathouse as the new building was much cooler insider than the lifeboat station. The casualty was transferred to the cooler confines of the crew changing room, where the lifeboat crew and a local paramedic continued casualty care and first aid. An ambulance arrived at 4.15pm with the casualty starting to respond positively. The decision was made to take the person to the hospital for further assessment and treatment. The inshore lifeboat was stood down and returned to station. It was rehoused refuelled, and ready again for service at 4.20pm.
Weather Fine/Very hot Visibility Good Wind Light airs Sea Smooth
Launching the ILB to search for a man missing between Holkham and Wells, 16/7/22
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight
The pair reached the Brancaster channel at 19:15 but because the tide was now flooding in, it had become impassable on foot. Because the child had difficulty understanding the situation, the ILB collected the child's father from Brancaster beach and transported him across the channel to assist in getting the child into the boat. With father's help, the child was taken on-board and returned to the beach where his mother was waiting at 19:47. The ILB departed at 19:52 and was washed down, refuelled and rehoused by 20:50.
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight
Inshore Lifeboat launching to fishing vessel Kazmar, 13/7/22"
Recovering the ILB just after midnight on Holkham beach, 14/7/22"
The Mersey launching from Holkham beach at 03:50, 14/7/22"
The ILB tows Kazmar off the beach as the tide floods, 14/7/22"
Lifeboat and Kazmar safely back in Wells just after sunrise, 14/7/22
The ILB launched at 22:52 and proceeded towards the vessel's reported position in Holkham Bay but it became evident that the vessel was actually to the east of Wells. The ILB located the vessel at 23:18, finding it currently safe but hard aground on sands north of Stiffkey. The lifeboat crew ran out the vessel's anchor to seaward and made up a towing bridle in preparation for refloating the vessel on the flood tide at first light using the all-weather lifeboat. With all prepared, the ILB returned for a low water recovery on Holkham beach and was rehoused by 01:00.
Crews for both lifeboats mustered again at 03:00 on 14th. The ALB left the boathouse at 03:15 to launch off Holkham Beach at 03:50. The Inshore Lifeboat launched on the first of the flood outside the boathouse 03:55. Both boats arrived on-scene at 04:10 where the Kazmar was already beginning to lift as the tide made its way up the beach. The ILB managed to attach a tow and, with little swell and favourable conditions, was able to pull the fishing boat stern first into deeper water while a crew member put on-board buoyed her anchor and cable. The all-weather lifeboat was then able to take over the tow. The ILB departed at 04:25 while the all-weather lifeboat, with the fishing boat in tow, headed slowly back towards Wells while the tide made sufficiently to enter the harbour. The pair came over the bar at 05:10 where the fishing boat was transferred alongside the lifeboat prior to being safely moored in the outer harbour at 05:30. The lifeboats were recovered and rehoused by 06:30.
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind NW2 Sea Slight
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight
While this launch was taking place 2 other people in the vicinity waded back to the safety at times chest high in the water. While many are tempted to walk along the foreshore from Holkham beach (or down the side of the harbour channel) at low water, the sands out by the harbour entrance currently get cut off quickly by the incoming tide which fills lower ground out of sight and behind walkers before this bit of beach starts to get covered. Visitors in this area should take care to return to the main beach as soon as the tide begins to run into the harbour (roughly 4 hours before high water) or when the beach siren sounds. See our updated safety map for more information.
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind NW3 Sea Slight
A short film of Tuesday's ceremony as Wells' new Shannon lifeboat leaves the factory and is lifted into the water for the first time...
Wells' future lifeboat, Shannon-class 13-46 'Duke of Edinburgh' has emerged from the All-Weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole where she has been built. In a 'bell ringing ceremony' behind the factory, an audience of invited guests and RNLI staff watched as eight bells were rung as the lifeboat was lowered into the water for the first time.
The state-of-the-art boat is named 'Duke of Edinburgh' in honour of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, who died last year, aged 99.
In addition to Prince Philip’s royal title, the boat also bears the names of 15,000 loved ones submitted by RNLI supporters through the lifesaving charity’s Launch a Memory fundraising campaign.
RNLI Chief Executive, Mark Dowie said: ‘We are delighted to honour Prince Philip’s longstanding commitment to maritime services and lifetime of support to Her Majesty The Queen, who has been our Patron since 1952.
‘Building lifeboats and lifesaving equipment is something we do every day, but each lifeboat marks a very meaningful moment in history. For crews they are welcoming a new boat which will help our lifesavers work towards saving every one. For RNLI supporters, they will know this lifeboat is launching in memory of so many loved ones every time she receives the call for help.’
Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have a long history with the RNLI. Her Majesty has been Patron of the lifesaving charity since 1952 and The Duke of Edinburgh became a member of the Council in 1972. Together, they visited several RNLI lifeboat stations over the years.
In a nod to The Duke of Edinburgh’s proud naval career during which he was Commanding Officer of HMS Magpie, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales attached a magpie engraved plate to the new lifeboat in June last year.
Wells Lifeboat Station Lifesaving Operations Manager, Chris Hardy, said: ‘The Shannon will help take us forward in all weathers. The crew are eagerly awaiting her arrival and can’t wait to make the boat fully operational on station.
‘The station is immensely proud and honoured to have its new Shannon class lifeboat named Duke of Edinburgh. We are in no doubt that our new lifeboat will continue the vital work of saving lives at sea, which we know His Royal Highness was so passionate about throughout his lifelong maritime association.’
More pictures of 13-46
The RNLI is building a new lifeboat station at Wells ready for a new Shannon-class lifeboat be delivered to the town later this year. See boathouse build pages for the latest progress on construction work.
The new boathouse will take around 18 months to complete and is expected to be finished in August 2022.
It will house our inshore lifeboat and the forthcoming Shannon-class lifeboat which is currently being built at the RNLI's All-Weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole. The new boat, no. 13-46, will be named 'Duke of Edinburgh' and is expected to arrive in Wells in the Autumn.
The new lifeboat was funded in part with a station appeal for £250,000 in 2014-15 and also by the Civil Service charity The Lifeboat Fund with its 150th Anniversary Appeal. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has donated, fund-raised, helped and supported us both locally and across the UK and further afield.
We are delighted to be able to welcome vistors to the station once more but we remain keen to protect our crews and ensure the lifeboats can be manned if needed while the virus is still in circulation. Casual visitors can pop in when the station is manned but please contact us in advance for groups or organised visits and please leave it for another day if you or someone you have recently been in close contact with has Covid symptoms or a positive test.
Our next scheduled exercise launches are shown below. You are welcome to come and watch the lifeboats launch on the beach at the front of the lifeboat house... but please ensure you keep well to one side and that children are supervised. Exercises may be cancelled or rescheduled at short notice due to operational reasons.
Please take care near building works for the new lifeboat station.
Thursday 28 Jul 2022 18:00
Regular exercise
Thursday 11 Aug 2022 18:00
CANCELLED Regular exercise
Sunday 28 Aug 2022 18:30
Annual Lifeboat Service
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity, registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). This website is managed and maintained by local volunteers at Wells-next-the-Sea Lifeboat Station and is not the main RNLI site. All text and images copyright (C)2005-2021 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. Site Manager