“This year came dreadful fore-warnings over the land of the Northumbrians, terrifying the people most woefully: these were immense sheets of light rushing through the air, and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons flying across the firmament. These tremendous tokens were soon followed by a great famine: and not long after, on the sixth day before the ides of January in the same year, the harrowing inroads of heathen men made lamentable havoc in the church of God in Holy-island, by rapine and slaughter.” (from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles)
Written by Tom & Kyoko
ships and shipbuilders, Bayeux Tapestry c.1066
ships and shipbuilders, Bayeux Tapestry c.1066
The year is AD 793. The Vikings have arrived in England. The Scandinavian raiders set off on their incredibly sophisticated wooden long-ships, which they built almost entirely with axes, on raiding expeditions across Europe. They invaded Russia and Byzantine to the East, and reached the British Isles, Greenland, and even Nova Scotia to the West. They raped and pillaged and spread fear wherever they went. But the left behind a legend. Vikings are cool!
This year a new Viking ship legend was born, but a far more friendly one! A new world record was set in Amsterdam, August 16, 2005. There is a guy who is patient enough to make real size viking ship with recycled ice cream sticks! And I mean, a whole lot of them. 15 million, in fact !. Not only it is a largest sculpture made out of ice cream sticks, but also it actually sails. The man who set the record, and built the ship, is Captain Rob Macdonald. It is not his first world record, though. He has won world records several times before by, for instance, making the largest banner kite, or rocking on a rocking chair for 453 hours 40 minutes! His life has been full of mad challenges. Now he is planning to sail the Sea Heart Viking on a European tour in order to inspire children. So why does he keep on challenging himself?
captain Rob, putting the final sticks! © seaheartship.com
the box full of ice-cream sticks © seaheartship.com
Captain Rob born in Tallahassee, Florida, USA in 1959. When he was 8 years old, he injuerd seriously by gas explosion accident. He got hospitalised with 70% burn, and that was when doctor told him that he probably wouldn’t be able to use his right arm again. However, being challenger in his nature and with his dream to become stunt man, he determined to regain. After only one year, he recovered amazingly and became able to use his arm fully, again.
As a result of the accident, he began collecting toys for the children’s charities. He also made his dream a reality; he became a professional stuntman in Hollywood at the age of 18 (he has an honorary induction into the Hollywood Stuntman’s Hall of Fame, along with such big names as Jackie Chan and Kirk Douglas). Helping children and challenging must be a good combination for him. (In fact, he founded the Sea Heart Foundation last year, an organization that develops projects for children in need. )
One day his son found some ice cream sticks, and Captain Rob made a miniature boat out of them. With this case as a start, he started building ships out of ice cream sticks. Firstly he built a ship called “Zeven Provincien (Seven provinces)” using 17,888 ice cream sticks. Then he made “Baby OB” with 370,000 ice cream sticks. “Baby OB” was 3.89 meter in length and 1.18 meter in width.
After the success of “Baby OB” in 2003, he moved up to a more ambitious challenge, to build a 15 meter (about 49 feet) long replica of a Viking ship using 15 million ice cream sticks!
the factory in Emmeloord, Netherlands © seaheartship.com
the boat about to be placed on the water, attempting to break the world record, courtesy of Unilever ice cream
Children from all over the world helped collecting discarded ice-cream sticks. And the world’s largest ice cream manufacture, OLA, sponsored the project and provided imperfect ice cream sticks. With professional ship builders’ help and tons of volunteer work, the ship was finally completed. It weighs 12 tons (2.2 tons of that is glue!) and is able to carry about 20 people.
The world record attempt went successfully on August 16th, 2005. The Sea Heart Viking was afloat for more than an hour and carried out several nautical manoeuvers. After setting a new record, Captain Rob now plans to actually sail across Europe and the Atlantic Ocean next year, hoping to follow the course the Vikings took a thousand years ago!
While he is pretty busy handling all the media attention, Captain Rob kindly took time for PingMag to answer some questions.
15 million” ice cream sticks! courtesy of Unilever ice cream
world record attempt, ship on the water, courtesy of Unilever ice cream”)
This project proved that if you have a little creativity, and (probably lots of ) patience, you can do anything. Why did you choose to create a ship, (I mean, why not something like a house?)
Why not a house indeed? Only if it’s done in Japan and “YOU HELP” ha ha! I have always been known for giving toys to children in hospital, and I didn’t always have the money to buy new toys, so I would make them from whatever I could locate around my house. The use of Ice cream sticks came from my son and his friends.
I have made hundreds of toy’s from Ice cream sticks other then boats, but yes, boats are a passion of mine and the kid just love my boats made from the sticks, and I can teach recycling on top of the toy’s - after all recycling is our future. My brothers showed me how to sail from a young age - you just can’t grow up in Florida or Holland and Not like Sailing!
How many people (volunteers) have joined to make this project come true?
At my last count, in the last two years around 5000 kids from age 5 to 85 helped in the construction..It took two years at 18 hours a day, everyday, including holidays/weekends - and on many occasions longer.
rowing ship, courtesy of Unilever ice cream
the 3 winners of “Ship of Dreams” wish competition, courtesy of Unilever ice cream”)
What was the most difficult part in the course of making it?
The hours involved. I missed my family.
I assume that you have to have lots of patience making this. How did you fuel your motivation?
The Children kept repeating what I had been teaching them, things like.. “Hey Rob Don’t Give Up or Give in..” “Anything is Possible.” It was just enough.
Is there any future plan?
After the “Great Atlantic Adventure” is a success… possibly the “Great Pacific Journey”.. Who knows? I always wanted to see Japan!!! ;-)
Is there anything else you would like to create using ice cream sticks?
a Real Life Size Japanese Junk “WOW” What a Boat!!
I heard that World Record attempt was successfully achieved. Congratulations! How did it go?
Like A Dream Come True for..(Part-1?) ha ha!
Please give our readers some message.
When the world you know say’s its just “Impossible” and all your friends/teachers/media say things like “forget it”, remember this please …“YOU CAN DO ANYTHING” Only the word impossible itself is Impossible! “Everything is Possible….”Just Do IT 100% and Never Stop”
Thank you so much Captain Rob! Making such a normal, everyday thing into something so special is just amazing. We are looking forward to seeing your viking tour next year!
PS. Captain Rob has reminded us that people can visit his personal site at
16 Comments
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pure genius! :D
Posted by: drone9 on October 4th, 2005 at 5:10 pm
Once I tried to make a 1967 Shelby GT entirely out of pizza boxes but I gave up. For that reason, I commend Captain Rob and his unshakable patience.
Posted by: Daniel Larusso on October 6th, 2005 at 1:55 am
For all who are interested, we are planning to leave Holland an set for America in roughly 1 month.
Posted by: Stephan Wind on March 20th, 2006 at 1:33 am
wow!!!
Posted by: Anonymous on April 12th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Amazing indeed
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Posted by: men watches online on May 23rd, 2011 at 11:51 am
Hi there, this is amazing!
I am a genuine re-enacter and lecture on Viking ships.
How much would you sell your ship for?
Cheers from Russ Scvott aka Capn, Jak
jorviking@gmail.com
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