All posts by Piers du Pré

Cruising

Letter from Audierne

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Dawn breaks over Audierne
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Oh how we love this small, unspoiled, market fishing town which has no pretensions or modern glamour to smother its original reality. Thankfully, the long arm of ‘Progress’ has kept its destructive hands away from Audierne.

Meanwhile, the town’s extensive shell fish industry has kept it firmly on the haute cuisine map by serving much of France with fresh crab, lobster, langoustine, sardines and line-caught fish.

You can imagine the excitement when notices outside Audierne wet fish shops declare ‘Langoustines Vivante – arrive à 19 heures ce soir’. Queues grow long.

Similar to St Peter Port

In a way, the town looks similar to St Peter Port before its marinas were created. The fishing fleet moors against the long sea wall which fronts the town’s road with its shops, houses and the Le Goyen 3 star Hotel. More houses line the small hill behind, all with slate roofs. The marina has been added at the end.

She needed a bath

After six hours, we finished cleaning and had a drink
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Having travelled from Beaucette in not the best of seas, Play d’eau was covered in salt and needed a good bath.

Jason, who cleans and polishes Play d’eau regularly, had been a good tutor. ‘A good soapy bath at least once a week and a good coat of carnuba wax polish every two months. Do the upper deck one month, and the lower deck the next.’ Yes, Jason.

Having arrived in the early morning from Camaret, we started just after lunch. Six hours later, she’d had her (very) soapy bath, all over, been rinsed down and chamois leather dried. She looked good, really good. We broke out the Peroni and quaffed on the aft deck in hot sunshine.

Bas Armagnac and…

The sign read ‘De Vigne en Vin’ and pointed to a side road. Once inside the Cave, fine wines were beautifully laid out in three cool cellars. The last had an array of Armagnac.

After many tastings, resistance was low and we just had to buy a very fine Armagnac, didn’t we?

The cellars of De Vigne en Vin d’Audierne
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Being fully in the spirit of the event we began tasting dessert wines. An Alsace from the Gewurztraminer grape stood out. It would have been ungracious of us not to buy it and find an excuse to drink it.

A treat

Having had an unexpectedly good dinner served with beautiful French elegance in the 3 star Hotel Goyen two years ago, we booked a return treat.

The surroundings hadn’t changed. A light grey décor, wallpaper on the doors, white starched table cloths and waitresses who seemed to flow and glide rather than walk.

Whilst consuming glasses (note the plural) of champagne, we studied the menu. With Lin choosing lobster for a main course the Maître d’hôtel returned with three live local specimens displayed on a silver salver. Pointing to one of them, Lin said, ‘Emile, please.’

An excellent bottle of Sancerre accompanied six local No 3 oysters, crab meat rolled in thin slices of raw white fish, and langoustine tails (raw) in a delightful soya and lentil broth. Emile, gently roasted, and a sea bass poached in a fennel vegetable stock, followed. With no room for anything else, Piers paid the bill and knocked his expresso all over the table cloth.

Le Goyen 3 star Hotel
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Without doubt, the stars were the lobster and sea bass. It’s rare to find fish so beautifully prepared and both were simply magnificent. And now for the ‘but’: if there was any criticism, it was that the accompaniments on the dishes were dark brown or grey and somewhat dull. They needed the next level of brightening with colour and burst of flavour.

A day trip to Quimper

Being such a small marina, mainly for privately owned fishing and sailing boats, there’s only room for a handful of visitors on the hammerheads. Given its size there’s no marina wi-fi (wee-fee) so visits to the local bars and cafés for Chocolat Chaud or Cidre Pression were necessary. Quelle domage.

On the other hand, if we had a mobile wi-fi extender as we did in South Africa, we might be able to save the not inconsiderable amount we were spending on cidre.

On a dull and chilly day, we took the hour long bus journey to Quimper (yes, Piers went on a bus…). We found the Orange emporium next to the Cathédrale Saint-Corentin de Quimper. €85 later, we had a 4G Orange Let’s Go (pay as you go) Airbox and credit valid for six months. Will it work?

Time to depart

And now we must make ready to depart for Port la Fôret tomorrow, 12 June 2015.

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

A Bas Armagnac magnifique
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An equally magnifique Alsace dessert wine
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Cathédrale Saint-Corentin de Quimper began construction in the 1200s
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An interesting roof line
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The Catherdral’s Last Supper window
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Glorious back streets of ages untold
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Cruising

Leg 3 (2015) – Camaret to Audierne

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Ocean Pearl squeezes through the narrow entrance of Camaret marina
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After our horrid yet triumphant marathon passage making yesterday, we had a day off to recuperate before tomorrow’s short weather window would allow us to transit the Raz de Sein on 6 June.

If we missed this window, we’d be stuck for at least a week whilst the forecast NE gales played endless and annoying percussion by slapping rigging against masts of neighbouring yachts.

We’d be pushing ourselves but it would be worth it to be south of the Finistère Peninsula before the strong winds came. The plan was coming together.

Audierne, here we come.

Throughout the day, the skies remained heavily overcast with a strong, cold wind but no rain.

Croissant and hot chocolate

Although both Lin and I had sore tummies and my head still hurt, we retraced our steps into the village to have croissants and hot chocolate. A delectable feast.

Ocean Pearl looks the business as she moors
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How come only the French can make such delicious croissants?

Yesterday’s vibration

Being moored on the outside wasn’t ideal, so as soon as there was space in the marina we took it.

With nothing obvious being found with the drive shafts in the engine room, we needed to check if anything had been snagged on a prop. Piers would either don the dive kit or try our underwater video camera bought especially for the purpose.

Cable tied to the boat hook, the small camera worked brilliantly. The props could clearly be seen and thankfully nothing untoward was seen. We concluded we must have been snagged something during yesterday’s passage which had come free as we manoeuvred in Camaret.

We wait to see if the vibration returns on the next sector.

A phone call

Ocean Pearl moored opposite Play d’eau
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My phone rang. ‘Piers, it’s Braun, Ocean Pearl. We are thinking of coming into Camaret. Are you there? We’re in the Chenal du Four right now.’

By mid-afternoon, the enormous Ocean Pearl held her breath and squeezed through the narrow marina entrance to moor in the only space available. Neighbouring yachts also held their breath whilst their skippers were heard to mutter, ‘Alors’, ‘Sacr%eacute; bleu’, and ‘C’est enorme!’

‘Come along for drinks, tonight,’ invited Tina. We need no encouragement.

A tour of Ocean Pearl

Lin’s first words were, ‘Wow, this is huge,’ as we stepped into the saloon.

We cannot begin to describe how large and beautifully crafted the vessel is. What a pilot house! To learn Braun and Tina had crossed the major oceans of the Pacific and Atlantic and have just been cruising extensively in the Baltic, was breathtaking.

There’s no doubt the Nordhavn 64 is built for serious ocean cruising in wonderful luxury.

In pre-dawn twilight, cliffs and rocks look daunting as we left Camaret
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As I write, I can hear Lin saying, ‘No, it’s not happening…’

The second fragile weather window

Given access to Audierne is limited by tide, the latest time to leave Camaret would be 0445 even though it placed us in the pinchpoint of the Raz de Sein an hour before slack water. The current spring tides wouldn’t help either and hopefully the forecast NW3 wind would be realised.

En route

As quietly as possible, we cast off and let the wind drift us away from the pontoon. Using engines only we manoeuvred out of the marina.

The FLIR thermal imaging camera came into its own. Presenting a daylight picture we were able to see pot markers, take avoiding action, and not be ‘hooked’.

Meeting a NW4/5 wind along the headland, the first hour was into the swell (again) and slop (again), but it smoothed out as we turned south for the Raz leaving us riding a 2m Atlantic swell only, broadside-on. The bonus was that the wind began to abate.

A yacht race

Early dawn after leaving Camaret
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Having had the radar on short range for pot spotting, I increased it to 4 miles just before turning S towards the Raz. To my surprise dozens of targets covered the screen like angry acne, each with an AIS.

It was a yacht race. Some fifty or so 6m and 7m yachts were following a clockwise course from Morgat, through the Raz, along the S coast of the Ile de Sein to its western tip before heading NE to the Basse du Lis SCM and finally striking for Morgat.

The yachts had interesting names, such as ‘Follow me solo sailor’ and ‘Dinky toy solo sailor’.

Hey, if 6m yachts can handle the Raz, how on earth can we make a fuss?

The Raz

As hoped, the Ile de Sein protected us from the wind which by now had more W in it that N, making the transit almost smooth. Another non-event.

At the end of the Raz, numerous Gannets signify a good feeding ground
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Once through, the wind petered out as if by a switch. With only a following 2kt gentle breeze we cruised the next 7nm to Audierne in complete flat sea comfort. A call to the Harbour Master confirmed a hammerhead was ready for us as we entered the estuary and followed the narrow, winding dredged channel to the marina.

Audierne

The Harbour Master recognised and welcomed us, giving us a great welcome. He reminded us he was known by his friends as the Harbour Monster!

We love this small, unspoiled, market fishing town which has no pretentions and no modern glamour to smother its reality.

The sun was hot, the wind calm, and to our delight, we saw the farmers’ market was in full flow.

It’s so good to be back.

Nav data

La Vielle signifies the end of the Raz de Sein. Can you see the small fishing boat?
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Times are FST.

Pinchpoints: Raz de Sein and tidal access to Audierne
Departed Camaret: 0445, 6 June 2015
Arrived Audierne: 0942
Time en route: 4hr 57min
Planned distance: 30.2nm
Sunrise: 0603

Tech issues: With no return of the previously reported vibration, we ticked it off as ‘resolved but watch’ in the Tech Log.

Piers and Lin
from the navigation table of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

The graveyard for old wooden fishing boats is next to the marina
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Audierne. Hot sun and calm winds. Destination achieved
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Cruising

Leg 2 (2015) – St Peter Port to Camaret

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Looking aft as we descend into the trough of the 3m swell
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Date of departure: 4 June 2015

We couldn’t sleep.

By 1am we were up and dressed. The light of the full moon was reflecting off the glassy flat harbour sea untouched by any hint of a wind. Perfect.

Fragile weather window

Yet we also knew from the forecast that as soon as we rounded St Martin’s Point on the SE of Guernsey and started heading WSW, we’d meet a 3m Atlantic swell topped with 1m waves stirred up by a NE4 wind.

These conditions would stay with us until abeam L’Aber Wrac’h for some 15 hours before turning south for the Chenal du Four and Camaret.

We knew it would be uncomfy. But we also knew that if we didn’t take this fragile weather window and make Camaret we would lose at least a week whilst the fronts in the North Atlantic and their associated pressure gradients played havoc with the winds and seas.

The old saying that the boat could cope but the crew couldn’t, would soon ring in our ears.

The longest day

Having cast off at 0230 and transited the east coast of Guernsey, we turned WSW and came head to head with the 3m swell. But it was just a roller coaster; gently up to its peak and gently down into its trough. In a way, quite soothing, soporific, quite enjoyable.

Were there the forecast 1m waves? Yes, but annoyingly they created a nasty steep slop causing Play d’eau to wallow. It was that movement, hour after hour, which made us both feel unwell. Lin was. I just felt ill but wasn’t. I also began to develop a fierce headache.

The Mary Celeste?

After 14 hours we turned SSW for Camaret where the seas became glassy flat
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Some 20 miles past Guernsey a target appeared on the radar, fine on the starboard bow. AIS gave her details as the 14m long Mardrea, at anchor, yet making 6.7kts.

At 0401 she passed 1.4nm to the north of us. No navigation lights to be seen and even in the pre-dawn light she was invisible.

Un petit mystère, je pense.

Planned diversions

In case we didn’t want to continue, we’d planned our options to return to Guernsey or divert to Roscoff or l’Aber Wrac’h depending upon where we were along the route. At each point we made the decision to keep going.

Chenal du Four

By mid-afternoon, clear skies were replaced by a grey, overcast dullness.

After 14 hours of this endurance run, we turned SSW for the Chenal du Four. Thankfully, the wind soon abated to a gentle F2 and the wind whipped waves and swell subsided.

By the time we approached the Chenal du Four the sea had become glassy flat. The wind was a mere 2kts, and what could have been a difficult encounter was nothing of the sort. A complete non-event.

Camaret

Pointe de Sainte Mathieu – the end of the Chenal du Four
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Camaret was full, albeit because boats had moored inconsiderately by occupying far more room than necessary. With a flat sea and no wind, we were content to moor on the outside of the outer pontoon.

Wanting to set foot on terra firma, we took the short walk into the village and had the mandatory first pression of the trip.

Post-mortem

Was the trip dangerous? No. Was it unpleasant? Yes. Was it worth it? Without question. Why? We were now well positioned to round the peninsula and start enjoying the holiday before the pressure gradients whipped themselves up to unsociably strong winds.

Nav data

Times are BST.

Pinchpoint: Chenal du Four
Departed St Peter Port: 0230
Arrived Camaret: 1952
Time en route: 17hr 22min
Planned distance: 139nm
Sunrise: 0506

Tech issues: Vibration when synchronising the engines. Having 100rpm difference stopped the vibration. Must check in Camaret.

Piers and Lin
from the navigation table of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

Cruising

Leg 1 (2015) – Beaucette to St Peter Port

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Hot sun and blue skies at Beaucette
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Date of departure: 3 June 2015.

With shouts of ‘fine weather and calm seas’ from friends Ricky, Dawn, Terry and Margaret, Play d’eau gave a long, echoing blast on her shiny Kahlenbergs signalling her exit from Beaucette with the west coast of France firmly in her sites. We just happened to be travelling with her.

Play d’eau was ready to go. Blue skies and a hot sun encouraged us. Jason had cleaned and polished her and Nick had varnished the ensign and burgee staffs. Her engines purred as she stretched her limbs ready for her two and half month summer cruise ahead.

The plan

Our extended summer cruise is to explore the many beautiful ports lining the west coast of France as we did in 2013 just after we’d retired. Cidre, gallettes, croissants and farmers’ markets add fuel to fire of excitement.

Ocean Pearl in St Peter Port
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We also wanted some dear friends to join us. John and Beryl for one part of the cruise and David (who we first met 42 years ago) for another.

Finistère Peninsula

To reach our planned cruising grounds we first had to clear the Finistère Peninsula. Two pinch points would be in the way. The Chenal du Four and Raz de Sein. To avoid potentially horrible seas we needed light winds and slack tides.

With the forecast showing only two short windows of opportunity, we decided to head straight for Camaret to clear the Chanel du Four. Due to tide constraints this meant waiting in St Peter Port, departing at 0230hrs the next morning and motoring for some 18 hours.

St Peter Port

30 minutes after leaving Beaucette, we motored into St Peter Port and moored on a waiting pontoon opposite Ocean Pearl, a USA flagged Nordhavn 64. Although only some 9’ longer then Play d’eau, she looked gigantic.

Jason had cleaned and polished Play d’eau
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With supper on the table, Ricky appeared in his RIB next to us. Looking first at Ocean Pearl and then at me, he said, ‘Now that’s a real boat, Piers.’ Growl….

Ocean Pearl

And then Ocean Pearl’s owners, Braun and Tina, appeared on their side deck. Tina held some papers in her hand.

‘Play d’eau, I’ve carried a copy of the article in Motor Boat and Yachting in which you wrote about your 2013 cruise along the Brittany coast. That’s where we headed right now.’

What a coincidence – how crazy is that!

Piers and Lin
from the navigation table of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

Servicing / Technical / Nav

An electrifying display

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12v DC battery panel
12v DC battery panel
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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

Living aboard Play d'eau

Meet Sparky

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Our new ultra-thin Sparky
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Have you tried driving in Guernsey? If so, you’ll certainly know the roads are narrow and how often you have to mount kerbs to avoid oncoming traffic.

Broken wing mirrors are evidence enough.

It was obvious, really. We had to sell the Jeep Cherokee and find a thin car. But how thin was thin?

Vital statistics

And then we saw a Toyota Sparky. She looked as though she had been squashed sideways like jam in a sandwich.

At 2m tall (6’3″) and only 1.5m wide (4′ 11″) she was really thin. Thin and box-like.

Perfect for Guernsey. But what would our children make of her?

Blue Chip

Box-like, Sparky is perfect for Guernsey roads
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Talking with James of Bluechip, we learned these cars hadn’t been made since 2004. As an importer of Japanese cars, James said he’d look for one and let us know if something suitable popped up.

Three months passed before we received an email. Would we like a pearlescent white Sparky, petrol, year 2000, 1300cc automatic, fuel injection engine, 70,000kms on the clock, electric windows, electric folding wing mirrors, ABS and Snow control (snow? Perfect for Guernsey of course…), in excellent condition?

Of the 7 seats, the rear 2 can be folded away completely into a hold under the floor leaving a huge area for baggage.

‘Oh, and she’s in really good condition for 15 years old,’ added James.

Did we hesitate?

Exit Jeep, enter Sparky

Our Toyota Sparky
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So with our beloved Jeep being exchanged for Sparky, we no longer have to swerve onto kerbs.

We have to admit, Sparky is such fun to drive.

Comments from the children included, ‘Stannah lift, zimmer frame, perfect for old people’, but once they’d been in her they all admitted she was a great car.

Piers and Lin
from the motor garage of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

Holidays

They sang and danced

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The restaurant and kitchen staff sang and danced a South African Zulu Happy Birthday
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I was just about to leave my table after an excellent dinner in the restaurant of the South African Protea Hotel, when I heard singing from behind me.

I turned, and from the kitchen doors came a seemingly endless procession of restaurant staff, chefs and kitchen staff carrying a birthday cake and singing a South African Zulu Happy Birthday.

Harmonies and dancing

This was not your typical British ‘Happy Birthday’ which, more often than not, sounds more like a dirge than a blessing. No way. This South African Zulu singing was beautiful, richly harmonious and sung with such gusto. Deep bass, melodious tenor and wonderful alto and soprano voices, all singing without restraint. With swayings, clappings, smilings, laughings, some took turns to dance for me! Right in front of my table.

My initial embarrassment faded in a fraction of a second as I became caught up with the excitement and reality of this special performance. Taken by surprise, I found I was on my feet clapping with them and loving every single second. For those precious moments, the rest of the world didn’t exist.

It seemed to last forever as verse, after verse, after verse was sung.

Did you have a good birthday?

My luscious birthday cake, dripping with rich chocolate icing
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A quickly as they all appeared they disappeared, still clapping, except for my waitress, Khosi.

‘Did you enjoy your birthday?’ she asked shyly. With tears in my eyes I stammered a feeble reply. ‘Simply stunning.’ With the bright-eyed look of a co-conspirator she whispered, ‘Good,’ and turned to fetch a cake knife, leaving me emotionally exhausted.

Sadly I leave tomorrow, but the sounds will still be echoing in my mind. ‘Did you enjoy your birthday?’ What a crazy question!

How I’d love to learn Zulu. Maybe next time…

The artists

I applaud the staff of the Protea Hotel.

Sfiso (Manager), Carol, Thenji, Khosi (my waitress), Londiwe, Lwazi, Miso, Bongiwe, Vusi (Putsho) and Mthoko. Thank you all so much.

But the question remains – who arranged all this?

Piers
from my special memory banks
soon to be back on
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

Living aboard Play d'eau

Josiah comes of age to travel

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Josiah waits for the command to ‘Fire!’
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Our grand, grandson, Josiah, had reached 12 years old and was able to travel unaccompanied on a plane.

Happy Birthday, Josiah

So, our present was a ticket from the mainland to Guernsey’s International Airport!

Lin and I arranged a hectic three days for him on the island. The weather wasn’t good enough to go boating or dinghying, so we planned to fire a cannon and protect the SW shores of Guernsey by manning a huge restored gun near Pleinmont Point.

And that was in between eating far too many ice creams.

Castle Cornet

After explorations of the alleyways, fortifications, cannons and look-outs of Castle Cornet we found where the 1799 noon day cannon was to be fired.

Two members of the Guernsey Militia marched to the cannon and whilst one trained his telescope on the town clock to check the time, the other loaded and primed the 25 gram charge.

At precisely noon, the command to ‘Fire!’ was given and the cannon was fired.

The noise was unbelievable. We all jumped, shrieked and giggled.

Special Treatment

In the machine gun turret before running into the tunnels
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Having cleared and secured the cannon, the soldiers marched towards us and asked for Josiah in a loud voice. ‘Would you like to see the cannon, young man?’ asked the Sergeant.

The next 20 minutes saw Josiah being told the history of the cannon and instructed in how it’s loaded and fired.

After some drill practice, the Sergeant gave the order for Josiah to look sharp and march to the front of the cannon, load it, prime it, march back and take the firing lanyard.

Even though this was a practice with no live charge, the Sergeant gave the order, ‘Fire!’. Josiah pulled the lanyard smartly back, unable to restrain his giggling.

Protecting the SW shores

With cannon firings and explosions, and death and destruction now strongly coursing in his blood, we walked to a huge restored German gun near Pleinmont Point. There was no stopping Josiah. He climbed down into the trenches and ran around tunnels and secret passages that surrounded the recessed gun, leaving Papa Bear (Piers) struggling to keep up. ‘Oh, come on, Papa Bear. Keep up!’

One moment Josiah was in a machine gun turret, the next in a tunnel. Finally, he found the gun. The rest is photographic history.

The holiday came to an end far too soon, and we delivered a tired Josiah into the arms of the air hostess for his return to England.

Makes this modern Airsoft seem somewhat trivial, doesn’t it?

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

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Living aboard Play d'eau

An Engagement

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Kimberleigh’s engaged!
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‘I’m engaged!’ whispered Kimberleigh to Lin and I.

We were staying in a small boutique Johannesburg hotel where Head Chef Kimberleigh had been feeding us far too well and we just knew the extra pounds were winning the fight against our trying to eat sensibly.

When?

During our stay, we had many conversations with Chef Kimberleigh, most of which were ‘foodie’. But when we learned she had been going out with Waldo for over four years, we couldn’t stop asking the obvious question. ‘When he’s going to propose?’ ‘No idea.’ said Kim.

He just did!

Two days later, as dinner was being served, Kimberleigh came over to us whispered, ‘He’s just proposed!’

Apparently, as Kimberleigh and Waldo were walking in the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, he produced the ring and proposed.

Completely unexpected.

The date is set

Kimbereligh’s sparkling engagement ring
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Having become engaged on 6 March 2015, the marriage is set for 7 May 2016.

Congratulations

Our hearty congratulations to Kimberleigh and Waldo and we trust they will have a great marriage and many, many years in which to enjoy it.

Both Kimberleigh and Waldo are Head Chefs.

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

Living aboard Play d'eau

A deafening silence

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The sounds of Africa fall asleep
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‘The silence is deafening. What have you been doing?’ asked a friend of mine when I hadn’t posted anything on the Play d’eau site for three months.

I started to explain only to be met with the comment, ‘Excuses, excuses, excuses. Just get on and do something!’ It takes a close friend to tell you the truth, doesn’t it?

Hectic, but exciting

I know I shouldn’t make excuses, but in the last three months life has been hectic yet so exciting. Lin and I have,

  • Been back to South Africa – again!
  • Had our 12 year old grandson to stay
  • Had a son, his wife and two children to stay
  • Given Play d’eau her annual service ready for our summer cruise
  • Had another son and his Fiancée to stay
Over the next few days

We’ll be making short posts of all the above, to try to make up for our silence.

Piers and Lin
…on the naughty step of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55