Lowestoft Lifeboat

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Saving lives at sea since 1801 - our crew operate a Shannon class all weather lifeboat

15/09/2026

The volunteer crew of Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ were called at 8.50 am on Tuesday 15 September to launch and to assess what help they could give to a stranded fishing boat that was aground on a sandbank.

The Lifeboat Coxswain said, “when we reached the boat the tide was pushing it further onto the sand bar, so we firstly threw a line to the two-man crew to stop their vessel going any further onto the sand.”

“It appears that the 10m fishing vessel was trawling on the inside of the sandbank off Pakefield when its trawl apparently got stuck under the keel somehow and came into contact with the boat’s engine and stopped it. As soon as they lost their engine the tide took them onto the sandbank.

Their plight was spotted by the nearby Pakefield Coastwatch who alerted HM Coastguard who then tasked our lifeboat to attend.”

The coxswain added “we waited a short while for the incoming tide to lift and free the boat before we connected a tow rope and the vessel then came off the sand quite easily.

Once refloated we towed them away from the sandbank and into the bay and waited while the fishermen got their trawl, that was still in the water, sorted out.

The part of the trawl net that was still submerged was acting as a drag meaning the tow back to harbour was very slow”

The vessel was eventually moored in the Waveney dock at 11.00am

08/08/2026

Lowestoft RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew was called out on Thursday 6 August to assist Wells RNLI’s volunteer crew with a 31ft yacht with three people onboard following engine failure.

HM Coastguard had paged Wells RNLI at 5.43pm after a Pan Pan request was made. The yacht was approximately one mile south of the West Sheringham cardinal mark and, with light winds and a strong tidal set, was unable to make sufficient headway under sail.

Taking into account the strong tidal set, proximity to the seaweed farm, the navigational risk and the yacht’s inability to make safe progress under its own power, establishing a tow was deemed the safest option.

Lowestoft was identified as the nearest suitable safe haven where the yacht could be safely moored. Wells RNLI began the tow at 7.10pm and, after nearly five hours, safely handed it over to Lowestoft RNLI off Sea Palling at 11.42pm.

The yacht was then brought safely into Lowestoft and moored at 3am

This was a great example of RNLI crews working together to achieve the safest outcome for those requiring our assistance.
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04/08/2026

The volunteer crew of Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ were called out at 11.46pm on Sunday 2 August to go to the aid of an ex-pilot vessel that had reported they had ropes around both of their propellers and was stranded close to a sandbank.

Deputy Second Coxswain Phillip Holdsworth said “we were soon underway to the 14-metre vessel which was off Sizewell and about a quarter of a mile offshore.

On arrival the three crew on board told us that the ropes attached to a buoy had become wrapped around their boat’s propellers and they were unable to get at them to cut themselves free.

We decided a stern-to-stern tow might create enough slack in the ropes to enable them to be cut and this proved to be the case.

With the vessel free from the buoy but with the ropes still fouling the propellers, their engines were still out of action. The vessel was very close to a sandbank but still afloat and with the weather turning fresher it was agreed that the safest course of action was to tow the stranded craft to Lowestoft.

With a conventional stern to bow towline connected we headed for Lowestoft and after three hours the ex-pilot boat was finally brought into the harbour and moored in Hamilton Dock at 5.30am

Mr Holdsworth was full of praise for his ‘amazing’ volunteer crew who he said coped exceptionally well with a challenging incident.

28/07/2026

Lowestoft lifeboat was called to help a solo sailor after small engine fire on his yacht.
The volunteer crew of Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat was called at 7pm on Sunday 26 July to go to the aid of a 10-metre yacht that had had a small fire onboard and had lost all engine power and some electrics including navigation lights.
Deputy Second Coxswain Nigel Lyman said, “we soon launched our RNLI lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ and we located the yacht on radar 10 miles away.
The very experienced yachtsman told us that a small fire had happened on board in the morning which had knocked out his engine – but he had dealt with it himself and was able to carry on sailing.
There was a westerly wind, and the sailor was making good headway under sail reaching speeds of 6-7 knots, so, we agreed to es**rt him until he got closer to Lowestoft.
When we were about one mile from the Stanford Channel, we asked him to drop his sails and as he was in a busy shipping lane towing the yacht into the harbour was agreed as the safest option.
We brought the vessel into the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club Marina and had it moored up by 10pm.”

15/07/2026

Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat was called out at 2.09pm on 14 July 2026 to give assistance to a Crew Transfer Vessel which was taking in water 43 miles North-east of the Suffolk Coast.
The three man on the Crew Transfer Vessel sent out a Mayday call when they discovered water coming into one of the craft's two hulls.
Lowestoft Lifeboat Coxswain John Fox said “The 27 metre Crew Transfer Vessel was working in the East Anglia 3 Windfarm when they discovered the emergency and called for help.
The vessel was limping back to the coast at 10 knots using one engine and we reached them when they were 25 miles away.
A HM Coastguard helicopter had also arrived and was ready to take two crewmen off the vessel although this was eventually found not to be necessary.
A sister windfarm vessel that was nearby had brought an extra pump to help with the incoming seawater, but the ship's crew gratefully accepted our offer of the use of the RNLI portable pump as well.
We moved alongside and our volunteer crew transferred our pump and hoses across together with a member of the lifeboat crew to operate it.
The seawater appeared to be coming in from around the engine shaft and the crew made efforts to stem the leak with limited success.
The three pumps were managing to keep the water level down as the captain arranged to head for the Alicat Workboat's boatyard in Great Yarmouth where the vessel would be lifted from the water.
We es**rted the boat to the boatyard where our colleagues from Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI launched their lifeboats and used their portable pump to take over from us.
We returned to Lowestoft arriving back on our mooring at 9.15pm after a seven-hour callout.

14/07/2026

Abandoned clothes on Nudist Beach spark search

A pile of clothes on a North Suffolk beach popular with nudists with no one nearby prompted a search by the emergency services.

Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat was called out at 10.30am to join a multi-agency search for anyone who may be in trouble in the sea.

Lowestoft Lifeboat coxswain John Fox said “we were tasked by HM Coastguard to conduct a shoreline search from the harbour entrance to Corton. We soon launched our lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ and headed north. Visibility was very good but after checking the inshore waters of that part of the coast no one was found to be in difficulties.”

“We were stood down when the abandoned belongings were found to just be discarded clothing.”

The lifeboat returned to the mooring at 11.15am

05/07/2026

Our volunteer crew were called from their beds at 1.45 am on 5th July to respond to a multi agency incident in the North Beach area of Lowestoft. Lifeboat 'Patsy Knight' was launched but was stood down by HM Coastguard after five minutes when the situation was resolved and the crew's help was no longer needed.

25/06/2026

Lowestoft Lifeboat was called to a solo yachtsman stranded with his vessel's engine leaking oil

The RNLI Lifeboat Coxswain said “with no response to HM Coastguard radio call to all vessels for urgent help, we were tasked at 2.07pm yesterday to launch and give assistance to the 10-metre local yacht that had suffered engine failure and was unable to make headway by sail.

When we reached the yacht, which was in the Stanford Channel about one and a half miles off Pakefield, the yachtsman told our volunteer crew that he had sailed from Southwold but with little wind and with the tide against him he was losing ground. But then when he started his engine it began to pump oil into the bilge – so, he was unable to use it to get out of his predicament.

We assessed the yacht’s situation and as it had broken down in a busy shipping channel it was agreed that the safest action was to tow the craft back to Lowestoft. The solo sailor accepted our offer of help and for one of the lifeboat crew to transfer over onto the yacht and give him a hand.

The sea was calm, and conditions were tranquil as we brought the grateful yachtsman into the harbour and moored his vessel on the heritage quay at 3.30pm - where he awaited an engineer to attend to his engine.”

22/06/2026

Lowestoft Lifeboat was called to Dutch yacht with rope around its propeller.
The volunteer crew of Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat were called from their beds at 4.37am to go to the aid of the eight-metre yacht which was stranded off the Suffolk Coast.
Second Coxswain Karl Jackson said, “We launched our all-weather lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ and located the yacht three nautical miles North, North – East of Lowestoft.
The two-man crew on the yacht told us that unfortunately a rope had become wrapped around their propeller meaning their auxiliary engine was disabled.
They had managed to sail to within sight of their intended destination but without an engine they would not have been able to safely navigate through the pier heads.
We assessed their situation and with no commercial help available and as they were in a busy shipping lane, the safest action was to tow the yacht into the harbour.
We connected a tow rope and brought the yacht around the sandbank and into the Stanford Channel.
The harbour entrance was a bit choppy, but we successfully moored the visiting vessel in the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club at 6.30am.”

19/06/2026

Lowestoft Lifeboat was called at 12.24 pm today to take over the tow of a 18ft fishing vessel that had broken down off Corton. A nearby training ship had responded to an urgent coastguard radio message for help and had taken the vessel in tow and brought it into the harbour mouth. RNLI Second Coxswain Karl Jackson said "We soon launched our lifeboat 'Patsy Knight' and were with the fishing boat in minutes. The two-man crew on the boat were grateful for the assistance of the training ship but needed help to finally get to a safe mooring. Our volunteer crew soon had the vessel alongside and we manoeuvred it to the Heritage Quay to be tied up.

Address

Lowestoft Lifeboat Station C/o Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club, South Pier, Royal Plain
Lowestoft
NR330AE

Telephone

+441502573757

Website

https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/lowestoft-lifeboat-station

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