RNLI Lerwick Lifeboat

RNLI Lerwick Lifeboat The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. We provide a 24/7 search & rescue lifeboat service. People who post such comments may be banned from the page.

As part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) we provide a 24/7 emergency lifeboat rescue service. Our page is an open and welcome community of people who support the RNLI to help us save lives at sea. As a charity, we rely on your donations and fundraising, we welcome your feedback, and we're are always happy to discuss any part of our lifesaving work. However, to make sure o

ur page remains a safe and welcoming place we reserve the right to remove comments that are offensive or abusive to others. Thanks for your support.

📟 We are looking for a volunteer to join our existing team in the role of Launch Authority. ☎️🛟🌊 When someone is in dist...
02/06/2026

📟 We are looking for a volunteer to join our existing team in the role of Launch Authority.

☎️🛟🌊 When someone is in distress at sea, HM Coastguard is usually the first to be alerted. They will contact the duty Launch Authority who then makes the critical decision to launch the lifeboat, to page the lifeboat crew, and to liaise with the Coxswain on the incident details.

📆 Our team of Launch Authorities share a rota to ensure that one is always on call to respond to a pager alert at any time 24/7, 365 days per year

The Launch Authority's main duties include:

🔸 Authorising launch of the lifeboat
🔸 Provide leadership in the absence of the Lifeboat Operations Manager or as delegated
🔸 Ensure that all operational activities are carried out to maintain the lifeboat ready to launch whenever needed.

What you'll need for this role:

🙌 Be a team player and good communicator
🤝 Have some leadership skills
🗺️ Have some local maritime knowledge
🏘️ Live or work within 20 minutes of Lerwick Lifeboat Station
👉 Be between 18 and 70 years of age
📱 Ideally, have some IT skills and knowledge of the RNLI

If you're interested, we'd love to hear from you 🧡

The deadline to apply is 28 June 2026 📝 Find out more on the RNLI Volunteering pages, linked below 👇

Earlier this week, our lifeboat crew went to the aid of a 14-metre yacht in difficulties, and also rescued a dog and its...
22/05/2026

Earlier this week, our lifeboat crew went to the aid of a 14-metre yacht in difficulties, and also rescued a dog and its owner from steep banks at the Knab.

On Tuesday 19th May, HM Coastguard was contacted by a Norwegian-registered yacht with four persons on board. The vessel was 25-miles east of Bressay with a damaged mainsail and an overheating engine.

With no other vessels in the area, Lerwick lifeboat was asked to assist, launching at 10.19pm. Sea conditions were poor, with a Force Seven south-easterly wind, and a two to three metre swell. Our crew reached the stricken vessel at around 11.30pm, setting off a flare to locate the yacht in darkness.

With the mainsail jammed in the mast, the yacht was sailing at roughly 10 knots, and it was decided the safest course of action was for the lifeboat to stand off and es**rt the vessel to the safety of harbour.

The lifeboat and casualty vessel arrived in Lerwick Harbour just before 1.00am where the crew of the yacht were finally able to drop the damaged mainsail. The yacht was able to berth alongside the pier under its own power and were met by the Lerwick Coastguard Rescue Team, on hand to assist.

The lifeboat was refuelled and returned to her berth ready for service at 2.00am.

Later on Wednesday evening, our crew were paged at 7.40pm to go the aid of a dog walker in Lerwick, whose young dog had run-off. The owner had scrambled down steep banks on the east side of the Knab, but having retrieved their dog then found they were unable to safely climb back up.

Lerwick Coastguard Rescue team also attended with rope rescue equipment, if it was needed.

It was considered safest to take the dog and its owner off the shoreline by sea and so our crew launched the ‘Y-boat’ – a small inflatable used in shallow water – to recover them. Both the dog and its owner were taken aboard the lifeboat, before being safely returned to dry land, around an hour after the lifeboat was launched.

Stephen Manson, Coxswain said: “I’m grateful that both these very different incidents concluded with positive outcomes. Our volunteer crew are trained, equipped and on-call 24/7 to save lives at sea – we never know what incidents we might be asked to launch to.”



📸 Credit: RNLI Lerwick

Huge thanks to the staff of the Gurkha Kitchen in Lerwick for hosting a superb fundraising meal for us last night 🍛👏Atte...
07/05/2026

Huge thanks to the staff of the Gurkha Kitchen in Lerwick for hosting a superb fundraising meal for us last night 🍛👏

Attended by over fifty friends, family and supporters, as well as some of our crew, the event raised over £600 to help us save lives at sea 🤩

Thanks to Lerwick Lifeboat Fundraising Crew for organising the tickets and a raffle 🎟️ 🧡👏

The RNLI receives no government funding and we rely on fundraising, donations and legacies to help train and equip our crew 🌊 🛟

We're pleased to announce that we have a new Lifeboat Operations Manager 🧡Volunteer John Angus takes over today from Mal...
01/05/2026

We're pleased to announce that we have a new Lifeboat Operations Manager 🧡

Volunteer John Angus takes over today from Malcolm Craigie, who is stepping down after 18 years since he first took up the role in 2008.

John has been involved with Lerwick Lifeboat for four years since he began in 2022 as one of the station’s volunteer Launch Authorities – a critical role to liaise with HM Coastguard whenever we’re asked to launch and to page the lifeboat crew. He regularly helps out with station activities, including fundraising events, crew training, and assisting with refuelling and berthing.

In his new role as Lifeboat Operations Manager, John will have overall responsibility for the day to day management of the station and operations, and ensuring the lifeboat and crew are always ready for service.

He’ll work alongside the full time crew to ensure that the lifeboat is well-maintained, and that volunteer crew are trained, equipped and ready for any call-outs. John will lead the local lifeboat management team, including representatives of the volunteer crew and fundraisers, and he’ll continue to be one of our Launch Authorities.

John lives in Lerwick and is employed as a senior sales manager for pelagic fish processor Pelagia Shetland Ltd, and like other volunteers at the station, he will fit his lifeboat duties around work and home life. John also has his own boat in Lerwick Marina and enjoys time out on the water whenever he can.

John Webster, Branch Chairman for RNLI Lerwick said: “We’re delighted to have John start in his new role as our Lifeboat Operations Manager. He’s made a big contribution to the station as a volunteer in recent years and is well known and respected among our crew.

“I’d like to pay tribute to and sincerely thank Malcolm Craigie who has given so much to the station in the same role for the last 18 years, on top of his time prior to that as a volunteer crew member and Launch Authority – 33 years in total. As a charity, the RNLI depends on volunteers – and without the commitment of people like Malcolm and John, we couldn’t save lives at sea."



📸 John Angus, new Lifeboat Operations Manager at RNLI Lerwick. Credit: RNLI Lerwick.

27/04/2026

CHANGE OF VENUE TO LERWICK BAPTIST CHURCH, Quoys Road, Lerwick, ZE1 0WH for the Shetland National Fishing Remembrance Day service - Sunday, 10th May at 3.00 pm.
Please join us for a short service of readings, prayers and hymns accompanied by Lerwick Brass Band. There will also be a time of reflection in memory of a loved one.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Who doesn’t love a clean beach? 🏖️🤩 Weel done aa’body in dis year’s Voar Redd Up 👏 🥳
27/04/2026

Who doesn’t love a clean beach? 🏖️🤩 Weel done aa’body in dis year’s Voar Redd Up 👏 🥳

We have a vacancy for a full-time Senior Station Technician or Station Technician at RNLI Lerwick 🛠 The deadline for ap...
27/04/2026

We have a vacancy for a full-time Senior Station Technician or Station Technician at RNLI Lerwick 🛠 The deadline for applications on this post has been extended to 03 May 2026 📝

We're looking for someone to join our station team who has mechanical expertise to keep our Severn-class All-Weather Lifeboat in perfect 24/7 operational order 🛟

The role of Senior Station Technician role is focused on individuals with an NVQ L4/SVQ L5 in an engineering discipline or time-served engineering apprenticeship, or a sound background and experience in mechanical electrical or electronic engineering. Applicants without these qualifications or experience may be offered a Station Technician role in lieu 🙌

In either role most of your time will be spent ensuring that the lifeboat is kept in the best possible condition and you'll also ensure that the Lifeboat Station functions on a day-to-day basis. You will be involved in training volunteer crew members – so that when we're asked to launch in an emergency, then our crew and lifeboat will be absolutely prepared 🌊

You will be someone who already holds or is willing and able to work towards the required qualifications and competencies for this role. If you don’t have everything mentioned in the job spec, please still apply, we are keen to hear how your previous experience could fit with this role in the RNLI. Attitude and willingness to progress and learn are most important 👍

To be considered for the role of Station Technician/Senior Station Technician at Lerwick Lifeboat Station you will need:

🔸Knowledge and experience of the operation, maintenance, and repair of marine diesel engines. An engineering background and mindset is essential.
🔸To demonstrate leadership and management qualities, and the ability to motivate and maximise people’s potential.
🔸The potential to pass-out as a RNLI ALB Afloat Mechanic.
🔸Experience of fulfilling a Lifeboat Mechanic role or equivalent, with the capacity and willingness to develop skills in other areas of seagoing duties.
🔸Maritime mechanical skills are not an absolute necessity, if you’ve worked on cars, HGV, agricultural, plant or generators we can train to adapt your existing skills to suit our equipment.

This is an emergency response role so the successful candidates would need to live within a reasonable distance from the station, be prepared to respond to a pager 24/7 whilst on duty, and have a valid driving licence 📟

As this is a sea-going appointment, you will need to satisfy the Institution’s medical and eyesight standards 👓

For further information and to apply, please visit our website. More details are in the link in the comments below 👇

The closing date for applications is Sunday 03 May 2026 🧡

Our huge thanks to SeabirdsandSeals for their help with our training exercise this evening 🧡 Off Breiwick and the South ...
23/04/2026

Our huge thanks to SeabirdsandSeals for their help with our training exercise this evening 🧡

Off Breiwick and the South entrance to Lerwick Harbour, our volunteer crew were able to practice towing procedures - handling and passing lines, setting up the tow, managing the vessel under tow, and bringing the ‘casualty’ vessel alongside the lifeboat, safely into harbour 🛟

Good weather helps create a good environment for all our crew, new and experienced, to learn new skills or refresh existing ones - for whenever they’re needed 🌊

After the long, dark winter we’ve had, let’s hope for more sunshine like today in the weeks and months ahead 🌤️

The RNLI receives no government funding and we rely entirely on your donations, fundraising, and legacies so that we can help saves lives at sea. Thanks for your continued support 🙏



📸 Credit: RNLI Lerwick

Our crew launched the lifeboat early this morning (Wednesday) at the request of HM Coastguard, to assist a 28-metre Pete...
22/04/2026

Our crew launched the lifeboat early this morning (Wednesday) at the request of HM Coastguard, to assist a 28-metre Peterhead-registered fishing trawler.

The vessel was taking in water below deck, was listing at around 25 degrees, and had issued a Mayday call. Its nearby pair trawler had taken in fishing gear to help, while the lifeboat and the Sumburgh-based Coastguard Rescue helicopter both made their way to the vessel’s location, around 15 nautical miles southeast of Fair Isle.

The lifeboat left Lerwick Harbour at 3.25am and made good speed southwards to reach the vessel around two hours later. On arrival, the crew of the stricken trawler had been able to stem the ingress of water into the steering compartment, thought to have been caused by a faulty valve, and her pumps were reducing the volume of water below decks.

The pair trawler took her partner under tow, and the two vessels had begun to make way south to their home port of Peterhead. Lerwick lifeboat left the scene around 6am and our crew returned to Lerwick harbour at around 9am, to refuel the lifeboat, ready for next service.

Sea conditions at the time were good, with only light northerly winds, and an air temperature of around five degrees Celsius.

This was the second launch for Lerwick Lifeboat in just over 12 hours, with our crew having carried out a search east of Unst the previous afternoon, following a report of an automated distress alert – although nothing was found.

John Connor, RNLI Coxswain Afloat Mechanic, who is currently providing Coxswain cover for Lerwick Lifeboat said: “We’re pleased that the crew of this fishing trawler were able to manage their situation and that their partner vessel was on hand to assist. The skipper of the vessel did the right thing in contacting the Coastguard as soon as they realised they needed assistance.”



📸 A stock image of Lerwick Lifeboat 'RNLB Michael and Jane Vernon' launching in darkness. Credit: RNLI Lerwick

Address

The Old Tolbooth, Commercial Street
Lerwick
ZE10AB

Telephone

01595693827

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