THE captain of a floating ice-cream parlour was left hot and bothered when his boat broke down in the Solent for the second time in two months.

Cowes RNLI lifeboat had to go to the rescue of the so-called Solent Ice-Cream Boat when the vessel got into trouble in Osborne Bay.

The skipper of the 26ft Wootton-based boat is a familiar sight selling ice-cream to yachtsmen enjoying the sunshine.

But he was left in trouble at 4.24pm when the vessel suffered a propeller malfunction just two months after engine trouble led him to call crews to tow him back to Wootton.

On this occasion the lifeboat crew had to tow the craft to Island Harbour in the River Medina, where he planned to have his troublesome boat lifted out for a thorough inspection.

And waiting to speak to him at the harbour were coastguards from Newport.

The lifeboat crew arrived back at base at 6.20pm.

Mark Harker, the lifeboat helm, said: “I think he was a little embarrassed to call on the lifeboat again. But at least he turned down potential customers from a passing RIB when we began the tow, although he did previously offer free cornets to our crew!”