In the summer of 1983, she set sail for Bristol on the opposite side of Britain, a city chosen because Vivian had once played there as frontman for The Bonzo Dog Band, and because Ki liked the sound of the place. Fresh out of dry dock with her bottom scraped, she was covered in a new coat of black paint and white paint over her original colours of pale blue and white, with red chosen for the stack. With all the ironwork and welding accomplished, "Thekla" sailed to Bristol in six days and six nights. From the open sea, "Thekla" entered the Severn on 4 August 1983 and navigated its waters until it arrived in the Floating Harbour of the city of Bristol, and where it is still moored. She had sailed without ballast, without registration, without insurance, and without mishap, save for the half-day the crew spent mending the engine. Her conversion, sailing, docking, finishing touches, and opening night on 1 May 1984 was filmed as an Omnibus BBC 1 documentary by writer and film maker Tony Staveacre of the BBC. He called it The Bristol Showboat Saga and it was broadcast for the first time on 30 September of that year. This film can be found on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXS6KotKctE  For the next two and a half years, The Old Profanity Showboat put on over 240 theatrical productions, staging the varied efforts of theatrical troupes from all over Britain, plus the work of the students of the nearby Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. It was one of the first venues to stage Robert Longden and Hereward Kaye's "Moby Dick the Musical". To support its theatre and cabaret (which seldom paid for itself), the Old Pro also provided a stage for bands. Within a year, the Old Pro was in use as a small theatre, jazz venue, folk club and cabaret. Across her stage came hopefuls who became "names," and often unannounced "names" who wanted to once again experience the intimacy of their first foray into show business. Many of Britain's best and brightest comedians either played there, or stayed there. Many of the Old Pro's employees worked the bar or the box office or ship's maintenance to find themselves one day treading her stage. After two years of waiting, Ki felt they could wait no longer. No matter how much it cost to stage an original show, the time had come to reward their hard work and dedication.