We have three vessels: Urquhart Trust Rescue, Hamilton Jet Rescue, and Blue Arrow Rescue – our all-weather long range lifeboat.

We cover over 4,500km² of coastal waters, from Port Gibson just north of the mouth of the Hurunui River, to south west of Banks Peninsula, near Birdlings Flat. The operational area of the Sumner lifeboats is shown on this chart.

Our crew are trained on all three vessels to cover everything from local rescues off Scarborough beach to assisting boats in distress at night miles offshore.

All Sumner Lifeboat volunteers are trained under the framework of the Coastguard Rescue Vessel Training Programme. They develop their specialist skills through training in our local waters and must regularly do refresher training to keep up-to-date.

Sumner Lifeboat Institution is a founding and active member of Coastguard New Zealand; it is a unit of Coastguard Southern Region, and is one of 63 Coastguard units around New Zealand.