Dick Wood, chairman, Devon Association of Tourist Attractions, remembers Ian Stuart:

“Ian was a good friend of mine and a very loyal, supportive member of the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions (DATA) too, and we worked together frequently attending various tourism trade shows for national and international audiences flying the flag for Devon and the joint tickets which both attractions offered to our customers.

Although Ian was obviously very unwell for the last year, he was always upbeat and positive. He bore his illness bravely and stoically without complaint right to the end, but his wife Philippa and close family are naturally relieved that his suffering is at least now over. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Ian was a really lovely chap and would do anything to help fellow attractions and help promote tourism in Exmouth and Devon, and what fellow DATA members were doing. Ian was a one-off character who I got on with immediately from when we first met some six years ago now, and he was not only reliable and hard-working but also very good company and a generous man too.

He certainly helped me as both Vice Chairman and then Chairman of Devon’s Top Attractions a lot in better understanding the groups market and was a loyal business partner and active member of DATA too.

He was funny, pragmatic and full of energy and ideas, and knew the group travel business inside out, winning many awards for Stuart Line Cruises over the years and subscribed to the theory that ‘all publicity is good publicity’ for a business like his.

He worked in Exmouth all along the town’s seafront in boats, initially with his parents Tony and Zena from when the business was set up as Stuart Line in 1968 and sailing from the beach, and for the next 52 years as the business grew and grew with ever bigger boats sailing throughout the year from the docks to become a dominant force.

He was almost a ‘Mr Exmouth’ as everyone who mattered locally knew him and Stuart Line, whose boats are seen all along the Jurassic Coast and across to Torbay too, but Ian knew most of the waters around the SW peninsula too.

Ian was initially diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010 and following intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy then, was given the all-clear. Sadly, he was then re-diagnosed in October 2019, again with throat cancer. Having been cancer-free for almost 10 years, the cancer was classed as a ‘new cancer’ rather than a relapse of the original cancer, and his treatment options were extremely limited as a result of treatment he had undergone back in 2010.

Finally, we have no details of the likely funeral arrangements, but it is likely to be a family and close personal friends and work colleagues only event given all of the CV-19 restrictions.”

Remembering Ian Stuart

Ian Stuart 1 August 1964 – 3 October 2020

Ian Stuart was born in Exmouth on 1 August 1964. Ian’s mother frequently remarks that he was an ‘absolute nightmare’ to raise – impossible to keep track of, hated school and very much did his own thing from a very early age. With this in mind, Ian’s achievements, through relentless hard work and sheer determination seem all the more extraordinary and it is no wonder that he earned nothing but respect from the many people he knew, from all walks of his colourful and full but terribly short life.

Ian Stuart with his father Tony Stuart in 1980 – no such thing as uniform in those days!

Stuart Line Cruises was founded in 1968 by Ian’s father, Tony Stuart. He operated a small wooden 52-seater boat called ‘Seacrest’ from Exmouth seafront and became well-known locally for his cries of “half-hour trip around the bay, you pay on the boat”!

Having spent his childhood pottering about on boats, Ian Stuart gained his Skipper’s ticket on his 18^th birthday, enabling him to work alongside his dad, running fishing trips out to sea whilst Tony continued to run the shorter sightseeing trips.

Ian Stuart, pictured with ‘Exonia’ on Exmouth Seafront, in 1993.

Ian met Philippa when he was 20 years old and Ian’s mother maintains to this day that she was the best thing that ever happened to him

Ian’s ‘other half’, Philippa, purchased the open-top ‘Mini’ at a cost of £2500 in 1985. The couple ran ‘Mini’ together, with Ian at the helm and Philippa in charge of ticket sales. Seating 75 passengers, ‘Mini’ was popular throughout the summer, though didn’t provide a great deal of comfort during less favourable weather conditions!

‘Mini’ ran popular sightseeing trips throughout the summer.

Ian took over his father’s business in 1992 and in 1994, Ian and Philippa purchased ‘Tudor Rose’. This was the real turning point for their ever-growing seasonal business and an exciting time of change. ‘Tudor Rose’ boasted a covered and heated saloon, enabling them to start working throughout the year. The first wedding was held on Tudor Rose in 1995 and it was not long before they started their famously spectacular Sail with Santa and Guided Bird Watching Cruises during winter – both of which still run today and are extremely popular!

Ian and Philippa Stuart pictured in their Sail with Santa fancy dress, 1995.

The arrival of ‘Tudor Rose’ represented a significant time of change for Stuart Line Cruises, enabling Ian Stuart to operate his business throughout the year.

Ian was charismatic, good-humoured and incredibly generous by nature – character traits which carried him throughout the impressive progression of his career. He was a straight-to-the-point, get up and go-getter, no-nonsense sort of man who worked incredibly hard for everything that he had.

The brand new ‘Pride of Exmouth’ arrived in 2003, at a cost of £350,000. She was without doubt the most state-of-the-art passenger boat of her time, licensed to carry up to 250 passengers and built to European Class C Standards, licensed to operate anywhere in the country – yet another enormous turning point for the now very successful Stuart Line Cruises.

Ian was a shrewd businessman with a sharp eye for new opportunities. His passion for Exmouth and the growth of its economy became increasingly apparent as his career progressed and he was wholeheartedly unafraid to go against the grain. He was an active member of the Exmouth Chamber of Commerce, donated generously to numerous local charities and gave a vital voice to many environmental matters.

As the business evolved, Ian started to recognise the group travel market within the tourism industry and its potential impact on his year-round business, voicing its importance across Devon. Ian truly believed that we are stronger together and worked tirelessly within the industry on a national and international level, investing in opportunities to speak to operators directly and remain at the forefront of the industry. He passionately believed Devon to be the best destination in the UK and was awarded many accolades over the years, filling him with immense pride.

Ian, Philippa and Jake Stuart, pictured alongside their Stuart Line Cruises team in 2018, having won the award for ‘Best Small Attraction in Devon’ at the Visit Devon Tourism Awards – just one of many accolades awarded to Ian Stuart.

In 2010, Ian was diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent gruelling treatment and having earnt his Skipper’s ticket at the age of 18, his son, Jake stepped in. Jake had been involved in the business part-time throughout the majority of his life by this point and business continued as usual.

In time, Ian made a full recovery and playfully toyed with the idea of retirement but the business was his life and he couldn’t stay away for long. Ian went on to live a further 9 full years, during which he worked in partnership alongside Jake, who shared Ian’s passion for the water. The transition from one generation to another has been gradual and Ian was able to pass on his depth of knowledge to Jake, who gained an integral understanding of boat handling and of how to run the business successfully.

Ian, Philippa and Jake Stuart, pictured in 2013 during one of their Exeter Canal Cruises – Ian’s favourite cruise!

Ian’s family were devastated when he was once again diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and due to the treatment he had received in 2010, his options were extremely limited – Ian’s illness was terminal.

Ian filled the last year of his life with a mixture of work, leisure and quality time with his loving family, whilst receiving palliative treatment and fought his illness with great stoicism. His optimism was unrelenting and he bore his final illness with courage and dignity, which is testament to the quality of this remarkable man.

Ian was not only a successful businessman, colleague and friend, but a loving family man – pictured in 2019.

Ian passed away at the age of 56, following a wonderful week away with his wife, Philippa, during which he sat comfortably with an uninterrupted view of the sea and was thrilled to see ‘Pride of Exmouth’ sail past with Jake at the helm, during his Jurassic Coast Cruise. He defied the odds in surviving as long as he did, in true spirit of his character and he leaves behind a great legacy which will live on in Stuart Line Cruises for years to come.

Sail on dear Ian. Fair winds and following seas.

Ian Stuart, pictured at the helm of ‘Tudor Rose’ in 2014.