About this site

Piers and Lin du Pré bought their new Fleming 55 / 129, Play d'eau, in 2003.

She was berthed in Beaucette Marina, Guernsey in the Channel Islands at N49° 30’.197 W002° 30’.350 until she was sold in October 2021.

This site charts the thrilling adventures they had in her.

You can contact us here.

Where’s Play d’eau?

If the new owners have the AIS on, you can find where Play d'eau is right now.

Click here.

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Recent Posts

A Hippo Story

A wide open mouth is a warning sign

On our safari around the Tala Private Game Reserve, the ranger took us to the Hippos and pointed out a Hippo Run, a track that a Hippo uses.

Woe betide anything that gets in the way of the run – it will suffer. Apparently, someone had left their Toyota Landcruiser across a Hippo Run in the Kruger game reserve. Three tons of Hippo charged and T-boned it at 30 miles an hour. …

Continue reading A Hippo Story

Plant life

Although it was Autumn, there were still some magnificent flowers in full display whilst leaves and vegetation were showing their vibrant autumnal colours.

Wherever possible, we made use of sunrise and sunset light.

One big problem – we know the names of some, well two or three, but the majority leave us guessing… …

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Animal life

As our visit to South Africa draws to a close, here are pics of the various animals we saw whilst on our journeys.

In the next posts we’ll showcase the vivid colours of the flowering plants we’ve found and finally, a summary of our whole magnificent tour …

Continue reading Animal life

Wedding preparations

Welcome to the wedding venue

A picture postcard story of the wedding preparations.

The wedding venue, Acacia. A beautiful thatched, wooden barn with a large decking area overlooking a waterhole, 150m away. The sun was bright and strong. …

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The wedding – 19 April 2014

Toby and Amy exchange their vows

The day had arrived. The day Toby and Amy were to wed.

The Tala Private Game Reserve was the chosen wedding venue with its 3,000 hectares in KwaZulu-Natal, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Its various single story accommodation lodges are scattered around the reserve with a central main reception and restaurant complex. There’s no tarmac here, just rough dirt tracks. …

Continue reading The wedding – 19 April 2014

Oudtshoorn to Plettenberg Bay

Our patio, plunge pool and lounge

Only three more sleeps until we see Toby and Amy again, and two extra until the wedding – excitement is growing!

Yet again, clear blue skies ruled the start of the day and the 37C temperature and low humidity was simply delightful. …

Continue reading Oudtshoorn to Plettenberg Bay

Rosendal to Oudtshoorn

Alternating red and white, a wall of colour was created

After our two nights at the Rosendal Winery, the drive to Altes Landhaus (Schoemanschoek, Oudtshoorn) was greater in distance and greater in beauty if the latter was at all possible.

The enormity of the endless, dry, arid mountain ranges, the range of colours, the ostriches, baboons and other animals we couldn’t identify, was captivating. …

Continue reading Rosendal to Oudtshoorn

Rosendal

Sunset at Rosendal

We drove the three hour journey across mountains, through gorges and along tightly circuitous passes in our Avis hire car to the gorgeous Rosendal Winery, a tiny eight room ‘boutique’ hotel in the middle of nowhere between Roberston and Ashton.

Although it’s Autumn, we’ve had the most wonderful weather since we arrived. It’s been in the mid-thirties centigrade with cloudless blue skies and gentle breezes to keep us cool. …

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Apartheid and Reconciliation

Langer township's African Gospel Church

We had no idea how much today’s tour of a township, District 6 and Robben Island, was going to affect us.

Our guide warned us that we may find this tour somewhat gruelling. He was right, so very right. …

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Cape of Good Hope

And who are you?

Our second day in Cape Town is another tightly packed tour. We’ll visit Hout Bay, the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, a colony of penguins at Boulder Bay, and the Botanical Gardens.

No-one can believe the weather! Clear, deep blue skies with a baking hot sun. We know the Mount Nelson has a reputation for being able to arrange anything, but this goes way beyond expectations. …

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