ToadHall
Deckhand
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2023
- Posts
- 1
- Likes
- 8
- First Name
- Chesnee
This is a rare opportunity to own a truly one of a kind 1980 Bruno & Stillman 55′ that has been extensively customized for a comfortable life the water, be it at the dock of on the high seas. ‘Toad Hall’ has been maintained with an open check book for the duration of the 33+year ownership has traveled 50,000+ miles during this time. Click HERE for a link to the full detailed listing and click HERE for many more photos & videos of this one of a kind, piece of Downeast history.
Contact Chesnee Cogswell today at [email protected] to schedule a showing or for more information on this beautifully maintained, highly customized and truly one of a kind vessel. She is located here in the BVI and the owner of more than 30 years is looking for someone to carry on Toad Hall’s adventures. Have a read through the vessel description and the Sellers notes below.
Vessel Description
Bruno & Stillman began building 35 to 55 foot fiberglass work boats in 1971. Dick Bruno was the moving force at the plant in Newington NH. Bruno & Stillman’s were known for their ‘Good Bones’ and had reputation for its reliability and sea worthiness in the commercial fishing world. While the company was initially focused on building commercial fishing and lobster boats they would occasionally build them out as luxury trawlers, most commonly the Bruno 35 but including the iconic Bruno & Stillman 55′ Flybridge Cruiser that we have here.
‘Toad Hall’ was commissioned in 1980 and was one of the first vessels of its kind to feature a flybridge, which allowed the captain to have a clear 360 degree view of the boat’s surroundings while at the helm. The vessel was designed by Royal Lowell and the hull, machinery and deck was finished by Bruno & Stillman in Newington, NH. She was then yacht finished by George A. Patten Boatworks in Kittery, Maine. The vessel has also benefited from many customizations over the years. She was launched as ‘Horse’ and later the name was changed to ‘Toad Hall’ by the second owner. The vessel was initially taken to Chicago after launching and later to the Chesapeake by the second owner until the current owner purchased her and took her to Florida and on to the Caribbean in 1990 to begin her journey of over 50,000+ miles…
Sellers Notes
Why did I buy Toad?
I remember well the day I first saw Toad Hall. It was a cold, damp late December day in 1989 in the upper Chesapeake. Of course I had done the paper side of the boat but Pics never do justice to a quality boat and that was certainly true in this case. When you stepped aboard you had the sense of a proper little ship. My wife and I had always had sail boats so the trawler world was new to us. We had decided to do a few years in the North West US and Alaska. Concluding that it was ‘not ideal sail boat country’ we started looking at power boats. We wanted something in the 55′ to 60′ range which we could handle without additional crew. In those days there were very few trawlers that would be suitable for our purpose. The best candidates were commercial fishing boats that had been converted. I spent a lot of time talking to the commercial guys to see what features they looked for when picking a boat for their purpose and also to see what boats in that market had a good reputation. The Bruno Stillman with their various models was a popular choice in New England among the commercials and at that time was probably the largest builder of commercial boats in the area. For the most part these guys agreed that reliability and sea worthiness were necessities. “Good bones” was a common phrase I heard repeatedly when describing the Bruno-Stillman boats in these conversations. We spent 3 hours on the boat that day and decided that based on a good survey and sea trial this was the boat for us. Early in my boating life I was told by a yachtsman of the old school that although sound design, construction and sea worthiness were essential, at the end of the day when you are rowing away if looking back at your boat doesn’t move your soul you have the wrong boat. ‘Toad Hall’ moved my soul.
In March of 1990, after completion of some survey items, specifically installation of two new fuel tanks and repair of a structural bulkhead, we set sail for Ft. Lauderdale, the first leg of our trip home to the BVI. While in Ft. Lauderdale we removed a wet bar and clothes washer from the saloon/galley area to create a comfortable seating area and needed food storage. In May, we set off with our daughter and friends aboard for a slow trip home to the BVI… thus began the cruising and perpetual evolution of the good ship Toad Hall…and at 33 years and counting she still moves my soul.
Contact Chesnee Cogswell today at [email protected] to schedule a showing or for more information on this beautifully maintained, highly customized and truly one of a kind vessel. She is located here in the BVI and the owner of more than 30 years is looking for someone to carry on Toad Hall’s adventures. Have a read through the vessel description and the Sellers notes below.
Vessel Description
Bruno & Stillman began building 35 to 55 foot fiberglass work boats in 1971. Dick Bruno was the moving force at the plant in Newington NH. Bruno & Stillman’s were known for their ‘Good Bones’ and had reputation for its reliability and sea worthiness in the commercial fishing world. While the company was initially focused on building commercial fishing and lobster boats they would occasionally build them out as luxury trawlers, most commonly the Bruno 35 but including the iconic Bruno & Stillman 55′ Flybridge Cruiser that we have here.
‘Toad Hall’ was commissioned in 1980 and was one of the first vessels of its kind to feature a flybridge, which allowed the captain to have a clear 360 degree view of the boat’s surroundings while at the helm. The vessel was designed by Royal Lowell and the hull, machinery and deck was finished by Bruno & Stillman in Newington, NH. She was then yacht finished by George A. Patten Boatworks in Kittery, Maine. The vessel has also benefited from many customizations over the years. She was launched as ‘Horse’ and later the name was changed to ‘Toad Hall’ by the second owner. The vessel was initially taken to Chicago after launching and later to the Chesapeake by the second owner until the current owner purchased her and took her to Florida and on to the Caribbean in 1990 to begin her journey of over 50,000+ miles…
Sellers Notes
Why did I buy Toad?
I remember well the day I first saw Toad Hall. It was a cold, damp late December day in 1989 in the upper Chesapeake. Of course I had done the paper side of the boat but Pics never do justice to a quality boat and that was certainly true in this case. When you stepped aboard you had the sense of a proper little ship. My wife and I had always had sail boats so the trawler world was new to us. We had decided to do a few years in the North West US and Alaska. Concluding that it was ‘not ideal sail boat country’ we started looking at power boats. We wanted something in the 55′ to 60′ range which we could handle without additional crew. In those days there were very few trawlers that would be suitable for our purpose. The best candidates were commercial fishing boats that had been converted. I spent a lot of time talking to the commercial guys to see what features they looked for when picking a boat for their purpose and also to see what boats in that market had a good reputation. The Bruno Stillman with their various models was a popular choice in New England among the commercials and at that time was probably the largest builder of commercial boats in the area. For the most part these guys agreed that reliability and sea worthiness were necessities. “Good bones” was a common phrase I heard repeatedly when describing the Bruno-Stillman boats in these conversations. We spent 3 hours on the boat that day and decided that based on a good survey and sea trial this was the boat for us. Early in my boating life I was told by a yachtsman of the old school that although sound design, construction and sea worthiness were essential, at the end of the day when you are rowing away if looking back at your boat doesn’t move your soul you have the wrong boat. ‘Toad Hall’ moved my soul.
In March of 1990, after completion of some survey items, specifically installation of two new fuel tanks and repair of a structural bulkhead, we set sail for Ft. Lauderdale, the first leg of our trip home to the BVI. While in Ft. Lauderdale we removed a wet bar and clothes washer from the saloon/galley area to create a comfortable seating area and needed food storage. In May, we set off with our daughter and friends aboard for a slow trip home to the BVI… thus began the cruising and perpetual evolution of the good ship Toad Hall…and at 33 years and counting she still moves my soul.
