Sennen Cove Lifeboat Station

16/06/2026

Sennen Cove RNLI Volunteers launch to a motor cruiser.

Our RNLI volunteer crews were tasked by HM Coastguard, Falmouth at 1.35pm on Tuesday 16 June, following a request for help from a 57 foot motor cruiser with two people on board, which had broken down, eleven miles west-north-west of Sennen Cove.

The casualty vessel was positioned in the middle of the Lands End Traffic Separation Scheme in poor visibility.

The Tamar class all-weather lifeboat ‘City of London III’ launched nine minutes after the initial pager alert, under the command of Coxswain Nick Hichens with a total of 5 crew.

The LPG tanker ‘Gust’, on passage through the south bound lane of the Lands End Traffic Separation Scheme, altered course and stood by the casualty vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

The RNLI volunteers arrived on scene around 2.15pm.

Two RNLI volunteer mechanics were placed aboard the casualty vessel to try to restart her engines. Unfortunately, their attempts were unsuccessful.

The coxswain made the assessment that as the casualty vessel was in the Lands End traffic separation scheme it would be a danger to navigation and to the two occupants aboard. Therefore, in the absence of a more suitable vessel, and given the risks related to the vessel’s location, a tow to the nearest safe port was decided to be the best option to help the crew of the casualty.

With one mechanic recovered, a tow was established and the 26mile passage to the nearest safe port of Newlyn commenced around 2.45pm.

Steady progress was made and the lifeboat and casualty vessel arrived at Newlyn around 6.50pm.

Once the motor cruiser was safely secured and the two occupants were safe and well the RNLI volunteers made the passage through fog back to Sennen Cove.

The lifeboat arrived back at the lifeboat station around 7.45pm, was recovered up the short slip and was made ready for service.

Photo. RNLI volunteer Richard Puddiphatt.

16/06/2026

Sennen Cove lifeboats will be launching on exercise around 6.45pm on Thursday 18th June.
This is subject to recovery conditions and operational requirements.

13/06/2026

Sennen Cove RNLI Volunteers launch to a person cut off by the tide at Nanjizal.

Our RNLI volunteer crews were tasked by HM Coastguard Falmouth at 3.29pm on Saturday 13 June, following reports of a person in difficulties at Nanjizal Bay.

Concern was raised by a local person who knew the area well. They rightly called HM coastguard saying that they had spotted a person on a rock surrounded by the sea with high tide approaching.

The Tamar class all-weather lifeboat ‘City of London III’ launched under the command of Second Coxswain Dan Shannon with a total of 5 crew.

Our D class inshore lifeboat also launched shortly after with a crew of three under the command of Richard Brown.

Lands End Coastguard Search & Rescue Team were also tasked to the scene.

On their arrival at Nanjizal, our all-weather lifeboat stood off to provide communications cover for the inshore lifeboat and Lands End Coastguard Search and Rescue Team. VHF radio communication with HM Coastguard is difficult in this area due to the high cliffs around the Lands End area so using the all-weather lifeboat to relay messages is often necessary.

It was assessed that the sea conditions around the casualty were not favourable for the inshore lifeboat to attempt to extract the casualty from the rock without putting the crew and casualty in some danger.

As the casualty was in no immediate danger and quite happy to stay in that position, the RNLI volunteers and Land’s End Coastguard Search and Rescue Team provided safety cover until the tide dropped enough for the casualty to recover themselves safely from the rock to the shore.

The RNLI volunteers were then stood down to return to station.
Both Lifeboats were recovered around 5.10pm and made ready for their next service.

Photo; Launching Authority Andrew Tonkin.

13/06/2026

Congratulations to Eric Taylor, chairman of the fundraising team at Penlee Lifeboat station who has been awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to the RNLI.

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Penlee RNLI are immensely proud of our Eric Taylor who is chairman of our Penlee RNLI Fundraising Branch and who is now Eric Taylor BEM having been awarded a British Empire Medal in The King's Birthday Honours.

Congratulations Eric from us all at Penlee, you must be very proud.

Eric Taylor, Chair of the Penlee RNLI Fundraising Branch, who has dedicated more than 43 years to the RNLI has been recognised in The King’s Birthday Honours for his dedication and commitment to the lifesaving charity.

Eric has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM).

The RNLI has been part of Eric’s family dating back to 1883, when his great-grandfather served as Coxswain on Padstow lifeboat, and his grandfather as signalman, before becoming coxswain.

His mother was affectionately known as ‘Lifeboat Mary’ and introduced him to fundraising from a very young age.

Due to having polio in his childhood years, Eric was unable to join the lifeboat crew, but he still had a passion for saving lives at sea and began fundraising for Penlee lifeboat in 1983.

Eric became Deputy Chair of the Penlee Lifeboat Fundraising Branch in 2012 and Chair in 2014. Under his leadership, the branch has raised £495,000, including £200,000 towards the new Penlee Lifeboat Station, which opened in 2019.

Eric said: ‘The RNLI has always been in the family, and I remember being involved from a very young age following in my great-grandfather’s footsteps.

‘It was a bit of a shock to receive this award, as this is just something I do - I enjoy volunteering so much and love being part of it.’

A total of eight RNLI volunteers and staff have been recognised in The King’s Birthday Honours.

RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparkes said: ‘I am always astounded by the dedication of our volunteers and staff and these eight are testament to the commitment demonstrated by so many of our people.

‘Whatever their role, they are all lifesavers and the RNLI couldn’t do what we do without them powering our frontline services with passion, talent and kindness.

‘My heartfelt congratulations to these eight Honours recipients, and as we enter our peak summer season, my thanks go to the thousands of volunteers who give their time so generously to the RNLI.’

09/06/2026

Sennen Cove lifeboats will be launching on exercise around 6.20pm on Wednesday 10th June.

This is subject to recovery conditions and operational requirements.

09/06/2026

Sennen Cove RNLI Volunteers launch to check on the welfare of a yacht.

Our RNLI volunteer crews were tasked by HM Coastguard Falmouth at 1.21pm this afternoon, Tuesday 9 June, following concern for a yacht in a precarious position in Whitesands Bay.

The yacht, with a single occupant, was spotted by the National Coastwatch Intitution lookouts at NCI Cape Cornwall and NCI Gwennap Head as well as members of the public at Lands End and some of our RNLI volunteers in the locality. It was travelling on an irregular course inside the Brisons and seemed to be heading ashore.

The Tamar class all-weather lifeboat ‘City of London III’ launched under the command of Coxswain Nick Hichens with a total of 6 crew and were quickly on scene to assess the casualty vessel and the welfare of the sailor.

The yacht’s single occupant spoke very little English and wasn’t really aware that he was in shallow waters with the hazardous shoals of rock known as the Inner Greeb and The Bridges around him.

The RNLI volunteers managed to persuade the lone sailor to allow them to es**rt him to safer, deeper waters and away from the dangers ahead.

The lifeboat stayed with the yacht until it was clear of all hazards and on a safe course away from the bay.

Following confirmation that the yachtsman was safe and well, the RNLI volunteers were stood down by HM Coastguard and made the passage back to station.

The lifeboat arrived back at Sennen at 2.08pm, was recovered up the short slip and was made ready for service.

03/06/2026

The RNLI is the official charity of the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival which takes place on the weekend of 12–14 June 2026. We are looking for volunteers to donate a couple of hours of their time helping to collect donations around Falmouth, and in return you’ll get a traditional Cornish pasty and a drink, setting you up perfectly to enjoy the many shanty groups performing on the weekend.

Please follow the link below.

https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/events/2026/june/falmouth-sea-shanty-festival-rnli-charity-collections-2026

29/05/2026

Sennen Cove lifeboats will be launching on exercise around 9.15am on Sunday 31 May.
This is subject to recovery conditions and operational requirements.

26/05/2026

Sennen Cove lifeboats will be launching on exercise around 6.45pm on Thursday 28th May.

This is subject to recovery conditions and operational requirements.

22/05/2026

Not all of our lifesavers live near the coast.

Yesterday, a group of ladies from Illogan, Redruth, held a coffee morning in aid of the RNLI at their local community hall.

With the help of friends and supporters, they managed to raise a staggering £960.45 in just a couple of hours.

This has been kindly rounded up so that Sennen Cove lifeboat station and our colleagues at St Agnes RNLI Stations will each receive £500.

We would like to thank Liz Davey , Jackie Gainey , Julie Cardew and friends for their amazing efforts in making the event such a success and helping .

Thank you all so much for your support.