floating ice cream truck

floating ice cream truck the amphibious ‘HMS flake 99’ on its maiden voyage

commissioned by fredericks ice cream company to celebrate national ice cream week (may 30th through june 5th), the ‘HMS flake 99’ is the world’s first amhibious ice cream truck, capable of working on both land and in water. the craft, which plays the rod stewart song ‘we are sailing’, maxes out at five knots. its maiden voyage through blackpool  marks the beginning of a UK tour, with plans to visit venice in 2012. the ‘HMS flake 99’ is meant to draw attention to the decrease in ice cream trucks– from 20,000 in 1960 to 5,000 in operation today– as a result of council bans on the vehicles in certain zones, concerns about noise pollution and childhood obesity, and rising fuel costs.

the craft on land

the vessel distributes ice cream to boaters

stand-up comic dave mounfield acts as captain of the vessel, distributing cones along the thames river

via dailymail.co.uk