Wells Lifeboat News

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New 3D walkthrough tour of Wells lifeboat station

Mon 20 Mar 2023

Local photographer (and Sheringham lifeboat volunteer crew member) Chris Taylor has created an on-line 3D walkthrough tour of our new boathouse and our Shannon class all-weather lifeboat 'Duke of Edinburgh'. You can look round the building and even go on-board the Shannon from the comfort of your own screen and mouse. To start the tour, click on the link below. To move around, tap on the overlaid white circles... it is also possible to zoom in and out and turn round from any location.

Our thanks to Chris for his expertise and effort in making the tour and for making it available to all.

Mersey leaves Wells

Tue 21 Feb 2023

After her farewell do at the quay on 11 February, Wells' outoging Mersey-class lifeboat RNLB Doris M Mann of Ampthill  left Wells at 07:18 on Monday 20 February, sailing for Lowestoft with six of the station's longest serving crew members. A small crowd of crew and family waved the boat off, with the boathouse and boat's flags being dipped in salute, a final nod to the town and four white flares fired from the boat just off the harbour. The boat performed flawlessly, making excellent time in slight seas and bright sunshine, and was safely tied up by Lowestoft lifeboat station at 11:00.

A thank you to Blakeney Old Wild Rovers

Tue 21 Feb 2023

Over the years, the Blakeney Old Wild Rovers have raised over £24,000 for Wells lifeboat station. On Friday 17 February, they were invited to a tour of the new station and to see our new Shannon class lifeboat. Gary Mears of The Old Wild Rovers said, "We are all based by the sea and have connections to the local lifeboat stations, Wells, Sheringham and Cromer, with some of the crew being great mates of ours, so the RNLI is a charity close to our hearts."

Since 1999 the Blakeney Old Wild Rovers have been singing their way round Norfolk raising money for the RNLI and other charities close to their hearts. To date they have raised over £250,000, holding various events within the local community, and regularly supporting at lifeboat station events. On behalf of Wells RNLI, Coxswain Nicky King said. "We are extremely grateful to the Blakeney Old Wild Rovers for all their hard work and continued support. The RNLI as a charity relies on the kindness and generosity of people such as The Old Wild Rovers, and what better way to help our volunteer crew continue to be able to save lives at sea than with a sea shanty."

Saying goodbye to the Mersey

Sun 12 Feb 2023

Carrying a good number of the Wells volunteer crew, Wells' retiring Mersey-class lifeboat 12 003 RNLB Doris M Mann of Ampthill made her way up to the quayside today to say goodbye to her home after over 32 years of service as the town's lifeboat. The inshore lifeboat and Hunstanton Lifeboat joined her, the Hunstanton crew kindly making their way round to Wells as a surprise.

The boats were met on the quayside by friends and family of the lifeboat, local residents and well wishers from further afield, including crew from Skegness lifeboat and people with a connection with the station or boat. 

Blakeney Old Wild Rovers sang sea shanties from a lorry trailer, having been stalwart fund-raisers for the station over the years. With the Mersey tied up on the pontoons, the crew joined the Old Wild Rovers on a very crowded stage to sing The Old Wild Rover with them.

We'd like to offer our thanks to everyone who turned out and turned up to say goodbye to 'Doris... it was wonderful to see so many people out and a fine send-off. And to 'Doris herself who not only has such a fine record on duty with the station but, steadfast as ever, continued in service years longer than originally intended right until the day that the new Shannon lifeboat was finally ready to go on service, includling being kept in the open on the beach in winter in her final weeks here.

The Mersey is due to leave Wells shortly, initially sailing to Lowestoft and it is likely she will soon retire from active service with the RNLI.

Farewell to the Mersey

Mon 6 Feb 2023

With our Shannon going on service in the new boathouse, the station's long-serving Mersey-class lifeboat 12-003 RNLB Doris M Mann of Ampthill will shortly be leaving the town. After over 32 years and launching on service 286 times, the oldest serving lifeboat in the fleet will be sailed up to Wells quay on Sunday 12th February around 11am for people to come and say goodbye. All are welcome and the Blakeney Old Wild Rovers will be singing shanties from 10.30am to 11.30am so please come and join us to give her the send off she deserves.

Wells' Shannon goes on service!

Mon 6 Feb 2023

Wells' new Shannon-class lifeboat 13-46 RNLB Duke of Edinburgh officially went on service today as the station boat, taking over from our Mersey class lifeboat 12-003 which has steadfastly served the town and station for over 32 years.

This is the culmination of an intensive six months of training for Wells volunteer crew on the boat and our launchers and tractor drivers ashore, both in Wells and at Poole, as well as a two year construction process to build the new lifeboat station for the boat. It is also the final chapter in a story that began for some crew members with the arrival of the FCB2 prototype lifeboat in the town for launch and recovery trials some 17 years ago.

Coxswains, mechanics, navigators, SLRS drivers and a substantial proprotion of crew and shore launchers were passed out by the RNLI to take the Shannon to sea on real callouts on 19-20th January after plans to do so in December had to be postponed and the boat was declared SAR-capable and on service today after some minor other issues were resolved.

The station's Mersey class lifeboat 12-003 Doris M Mann of Ampthill will now leave Wells with the opportunity for crew the public to say goodbye at the quayside at 11am on Sunday 12th February.

Wells RNLI transfers to new lifeboat station

Tue 15 Nov 2022

Wells RNLI officially moved into the new boathouse on 13 November with a flag ceremony to mark the transfer of operations as well as the opening of the RNLI shop and visitor information centre in the new building. 

Volunteer crew, past and present, and the wider lifeboat family watched as the RNLI flag was lowered at the old lifeboat station at 12:03 and then raised at the new lifeboat station 13.46 minutes later. 

The timing related to the numbers on the station's lifeboats; 12-003 is the number on Doris M Mann. the station's existing Mersey class lifeboat, and 13-46 is the number on Duke of Edinburgh, the station's new Shannon Class lifeboat which will become operational later this year.

Respected former members of the crew, aided by senior current members and the Earl of Leicester, lowered and raised the flag with pride, knowing that although it was the end of an era for the old lifeboat station, it was the beginning of a new and exciting time ahead for the new.

Chris Hardy, Lifeboat Operations Manager, said "All of our Lifeboat crew were thrilled to finally transfer to our new purpose-built boathouse, which has been designed specifically to to accommodate and maintain our new Shannon and D-class inshore lifeboat. The new boathouse also provides vastly improved crew changing facilities, a large and well-equipped crew room, which will double up as an excellent crew training facility."

The Mersey class lifeboat left the old boathouse for the last time to be photographed with crew and families alongside the Shannon and inshore boats. It remains the station boat and will now operate from the beach by the new boathouse, continuing for some weeks yet to play that vitally important role of being 'ever ready' to save life at sea off our coastline.

The new Shannon will become fully operational once the volunteer crew have completed their training in operating the boat and its SLRS launch and recovery system. Early next year the Mersey will be retired and we, and members of the public, will have an opportunity to say a fond and fitting farewell before she leaves Wells for the last time after serving us so well for 32 years.

As well as housing the Wells' lifeboats, the new station also provides a shop and visitor centre with a gallery from which the Shannon and inshore lifeboats can be viewed. The shop and visitor centre will be open most Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 4pm over the winter with more days added as more volunteers are trained.

Starting in January, guided tours of the lifeboat station can be booked from this website. The tours will be for groups of up to twelve people and will last just under an hour giving people an opportunity to see the Duke of Edinburgh close up and discover more about the workings of the station.

We are again indebted to local photographer (and Sheringham lifeboat crew member) Chris Taylor for taking photos and making this video of the day, showing our Mersey leaving the old boathouse for the last time, boats, crew and families gathered on the beach and the flag ceremony. Prints of Chris' photos can be ordered here

13-46 'Duke of Edinburgh' arrives in Wells

Sat 8 Oct 2022

Our new Shannon-class lifeboat RNLB 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh  arrived in Wells today, completing the last leg of her voyage home from Poole. Named in memory of the late HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the new lifeboat also carries the names of 15,000 loved ones in its RNLI 13-46 decals as part of the 'Launch A Memory' scheme.

The new lifeboat sailed from Lowestoft with a crew from Wells and was met off Wells by the town's current Mersey-class lifeboat RNLB 12-003 Doris M Mann of Ampthill, currently the oldest lifeboat in service with the RNLI and the Wells Inshore Lifeboat. All three lifeboats made their way into the harbour where they were joined by the town's historic Oakley class lifeboat Ernest Tom Nethercoat and historic Liverpool-class Lucy Lavers. The flotilla then made its way up to a crowded quayside for 5pm where the local community, supporters and well-wishers were able to welcome the new boat.

The day started before sunrise for the Wells crew taking relief Shannon lifeboat 13-40, which has been in Wells for training since August, from Wells to Lowestoft before swapping over to 13-46 kindly assisted by Lowestoft lifeboat crew members. Brief stops were made on the passage back off Cromer and Sheringham to show neighbouring stations the new boat and both Cromer ILB and Sheringham lifeboat launched to meet up with the Wells crew and run alongside the Shannon.

The new lifeboat will be used for crew training in the coming weeks before finally going into service as Wells' station boat and the Mersey being retired.

Our thanks to Chris Taylor for this video of the arrival