Captain calamity Grant Nadolski had to be rescued by the RNLI - for the FOURTH time in less than a year.

Grant, skipper of the 22-ft long Abbie Rose, was towed to safety after the boat's engine failed during a fishing trip on the River Tyne.

The motorboat was previously towed to safety in February, March and June last year - twice when the engine failed and once when the propeller fell off.

Fisherman Grant, 35, of Dunston, Gateshead, said he was just 'unlucky'.

The two-man crew of the Abbie Rose were left stranded near Swan Hunter shipyard on Sunday evening.

Tynemouth RNLI's inshore lifeboat towed the craft safely to Willington Quay.

Volunteer RNLI crewmember Jill McCormick said volunteers were "amazed" to see the vessel in trouble again.

Grant, from Holly Avenue, has owned and has been repairing the Abbie Rose for two years.

He said: "To be honest mate, I'm absolutely gutted the lifeboat came out - I'd radioed a mate who was nearby and he was going to come and get us and then the RNLI turned up.

"Since the first time this happened my life has not been worth living - my mates take the piss out of me constantly.

"It is embarrassing because I've been on the seas for years and never needed to be rescued.

"I've known a lot of people who have and I've always laughed at them, so this serves me right, I suppose."

The first rescue took place when Grant was with his cousin David Baird and Staffordshire bull terrier Londi when the Abbie Rose broke down under Scotswood Bridge.

Being 12 miles away from the Tynemouth RNLI launch site on the coast, the three had to take their chances floating wherever the powerful currents took them while crews were scrambled and the inshore lifeboat launched.

The crew found the boat dead in the water and set about getting the men from Dunston, Gateshead - and Londi - to safety.

The pair had been testing it out went the incident happened.

An RNLI spokesman added the Abbie Rose's owner had some "really bad luck", but reminded boat users to check mechanical equipment before setting out.

"We always advise people to make sure their boats are well-maintained and their engines are working properly before they set sail.

"Inland waterways can be just as dangerous as the sea."