A trimaran sparked a lifeboat call after getting into difficulties with gearbox problems off the Suffolk coast.
The crew of a trimaran requested assistance after the nine metre by eight metre yacht suffered gearbox failure.
The yacht had left Lowestoft earlier on Tuesday morning (September 5) as it headed for West Mersea.
But it soon sparked a call for help after the three crew on board discovered the gearbox had failed.
Lowestoft lifeboat coxswain John Fox said: "We launched our RNLI lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ soon after getting the call at 10.20am and found the yacht five miles south-east of Lowestoft off Kessingland and just past the East Barnard buoy.
"I saw the vessel sail from the yacht club this morning.
"The skipper told us that when he tried to run the engine, he couldn’t get it into gear.
"He decided to come back to Lowestoft to get it repaired rather than head for their next destination of West Mersea.
"They were struggling against the tide and because of the width of the craft - with a main hull and two outriggers - realised that they would need help to get into the pier head entrance so called for help.
“We connected a tow line and brought the stranded vessel into the yacht club marina at Lowestoft, arriving at noon."
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