A LIFEBOAT crew was paged to three incidents involving grounded and broken down boats.

Harwich's RNLI volunteers were first called to help a grounded yacht at about 1.40pm on Saturday.

With the tide still coming in, the grounding was only for a short period, and the yacht refloated without assistance.

So the lifeboat was stood down.

Then at 6.50pm the inshore lifeboat was called to help another grounded boat.

A trimaran - a yacht with three hulls in parallel - was around the entrance to the River Deben, and Felixstowe Coastguard Rescue Team helped the situation from the shore side and checked the wellbeing of the occupants on board.

A Harwich RNLI spokesman said: "With the tide falling fast, towing the trimaran to safe was not an option at that time, so attempts to refloat the boat had to take place at the next high tide."

The inshore lifeboat was then immediately re-tasked to assist a yacht with engine failure, close to the Platters buoy, outside Harwich Harbour.

On arrival, a tow was set up and the lifeboat headed in to the harbour.

At 9pm, the yacht was safely taken to Shotley Marina, where Harwich RNLI crew was met by Holbrook Coastguard Rescue Team who transferred the vessel through the lock.

By 9.15pm, the lifeboat had returned to station to be washed down, refuelled and made ready for service.