FAMILIES gathered to meet Santa as he sailed his lifeboat into dock in Heybridge.
Father Christmas arrived at Heybridge Basin on former Guernsey lifeboat Sir William Arnold to give presents and spread festive cheer.
The Heybridge Basin Sailing Association provided mince pies and hot mulled wine, and donated all their profits to the RNLI.
With donations and sales of RNLI Christmas cards, more than £300 was raised for the Maldon branch of the RNLI.
A spokesman said: “The tradition of delivering Santa by lifeboat was rekindled by the current owner, as it was a regular December feature when the Arun class lifeboat Sir William Arnold was stationed at St Peter Port between 1973 and 1997 and was responsible for saving 223 lives.
“This time of year is always poignant in the history of the lifeboat, as December 13 is the anniversary of the Bonita rescue where she rescued 29 people in a hurricane and seas over 40ft in height from the sinking Ecuadorian ship.
“In 2024, the RNLI will be celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea and a number of events are planned next year.
“The Sir William Arnold will be heavily involved in next year’s events, and will set sail from the Basin next March.”
For more information on the lifeboat and future events, visit www.lifeboat5202.com or www.rnli.org.
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