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

An electrifying display

12v DC battery panel

12v DC battery panel
click to enlarge

Whether it’s volts, amps or watts, Play d’eau knows everything that’s happening with her electrics.

Apart from…

That’s apart from knowing the battery status of the batteries for the two generators, but far more importantly the state of the emergency back-up battery for her essential 12vDC navigation equipment.

In hindsight it seems an obvious omission. The question has to be asked why it took 13 years to realise this!

Battery panel

In discussion with Play d’eau’s electrics guru, Robin of RES, we designed a panel, had it cut and made by John Walton Engraving using traffolyte, whilst Robin created the necessary electronics to monitor each of the three batteries.

Overall, the panel measured 7½” x 5″.

Result!

Mounted on the upper port panel in the Pilot House, the battery panel is easily seen. The three displays have a mild green backlight which turns to red and flashes if the voltage falls to a critical level.

Piers and Lin
from the Design Studio of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

4 comments to An electrifying display

  • Alan Richmond

    Hi, Piers

    You could wire one of the meters through a switch, so you could choose which battery to look at. It would require you to rotate the switch on a regular basis, to check the other batteries, but easier than wiring in another panel.

    Best wishes

    Alan

    • Hi Alan,

      Since I wanted to see the state of all three batteries at a glance, I chose to have three displays – one per battery. I only want the voltage, nothing else. Does that answer the point you make or have I missed something?

      Good to hear from you….

  • Pip Flynn

    At least your battery is sorted. Just need the weather to improve and then you can get off on your adventures!
    P&Pxx

  • Hil

    This all sounds wonderful, necessary and clever, but I am not quite sure what it means and why, if it so important, it has been overlooked? I am, however, extremely pleased you have it now. Will it make things safer, easier?

    Lots of love from England in the grip of extremely high winds. The trees here are dancing, bowing and gyrating-the movement is marvellous.

    LOL Hil x x x

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