A hovercraft and two lifeboats assisted a fellow marine safety charity with a historic flag relay on 18 August.
The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI)'s standard set off on a 2,000-mile trek around its 60 UK stations in early June, as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
Crews from Hunstanton and Skegness RNLI launched to assist their colleagues transport the flag by sea across The Wash, after it was delivered by volunteers from the NCI's station at Brancaster on the Norfolk coast.
Relief hovercraft
Samburgh, which is currently on duty at Hunstanton RNLI, took the NCI's emblem afloat before handing it over to the station's B class lifeboat
Spirit of West Norfolk.
Then it was the turn of the Skegness crew in their D class lifeboat
The Holland Family, who set off to their base in Lincolnshire with the standard on the next leg of its journey.
Mike Gould, acting RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at Hunstanton, said: 'It was an honour to be approached by our partners at the NCI Brancaster and to be a part of their anniversary celebrations.
'We work closely with both the NCI and HM Coastguard to keep our waters and coastline safe.'
John Allen, station manager at NCI Brancaster, said: 'It's brilliant, absolutely superb to see Hunstanton linking up with Skegness to help the flag on its way.'
He added the Coastwatch station, which opened in 2022, now has 30 volunteers who keep an eye on the busy beach at Brancaster.
When the flag relay has been completed, the flag will be taken to Trinity House in London for a special commemorative event at the end of September.
Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and welfare to the seagoing community.
NCI's volunteer watchkeepers help to keep people safe and save lives at sea by maintaining a daily visual and radio watch of the coast, looking out for anyone in potential danger.
They report any incidents to HM Coastguard so that expert help can be sent, including RNLI lifeboat crews and other emergency services.
The charity was founded in 1994, after two crew perished when their fishing boat sank near a Coastguard lookout which had been closed down.
The local community decided to establish a volunteer watch over that section of the coastline, and the National Coastwatch Institution was established.
The NCI has gone on to establish 60 lookout stations around England and Wales, from Fleetwood in the North West, through Wales, and around the English coastline to Filey, in the North East.
Notes to editors
Hunstanton and Skegness lifeboat stations are both crewed by volunteers who are ready to launch 24/7, 365 days a year whenever they are needed.
Like more than 200 RNLI stations around the coast of the UK and Ireland, their lifesaving work would not be possible without the kindness of those who give donations or leave legacies to the charity that saves lives at sea.
RNLI media contacts
For more information call Chris Bishop, Hunstanton RNLI volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07584 147219, Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, North and East on 07824 518641, or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.