Douglas lifeboat went to the aid of two vessels in an hour on Saturday evening.
The Sir William Hillary was launched at 8.20pm when a fishing vessel reported problems with its engine and gearbox just off Port Soderick.
But as she towed the stricken vessel and two crew back to the capital, a member of the public contacted the RNLI about a rubber dinghy containing two people in Port Soderick bay.
But the boat’s occupants were fine and the lifeboat crew resumed towing the fishing vessel back to Douglas harbour.