The odd thing is that that the Hull was originally built as a 72 foot livaboard with full length cabin which against the builders advise had a vertical sides, and once complete the buyer cancelled the order. She was then reworked by said builder with topsides removed and purchased by David and Brioni for the eventual working Boat Stokie No1to come to life. It had been a dream of his to work commercially, but it was not to be. We lost Dave my best friend, in 1995. I then with Brioni made it happen. We with help of Brian Greeves, " Blacksmith Afloat" and the late Brian House fitted tanks and a pump donated by the late Sir John Knill and his son Jenkyn, we started selling fuels as an RDCO (registered dealer of controlled oil) in 1996.
So in effect, she has gone full circle. We won the IWA Cressy Award (Best Live aboard) three times and the AJ Ritchi Cockeral for best working boat once. There are other notable things that Stokie achieved, as well. A long time ago, Granada tv did a documentary on her revealing that she was the only working boat with " Mobile links to the Internet", ( I'd built an office under the sheets complete with pc and 20 " monitor, printer and scanner....)
When we lost David, the hold was full of sawn trees, we were the first working boat to unload at Bradford on Avon wharf since the war, . Discovery channel used Stokie in a tourism documentary.
An episode of the antiques trail was filmed at Dundas with her.
We faught the demise of low tax diesel by forming the Red Alert campaign.
Lots of other things too.
Yes, she made us proud.
If only she could talk.