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.

Zoom in and our position will be shown on a map.

Recent Posts

We won!

The RCIYC (Guernsey) Cruising Log Trophy

We won the RCIYC Cruising Trophy!

My father, Derek du Pré, a Jerseyman and keen sailor, had been a member of the RCIYC for many years.

Following in his footsteps, it was de rigueur to join which we did soon after purchasing our first Play d’eau, a Princess V39. …

Continue reading We won!

The highlights of our 2013 summer cruise

Returning to Beaucette from St Helier

Wow. We’ve just completed our longest cruise ever of three months and six days. Departure from Beaucette was on June 17 in poor weather, but we returned to Beaucette yesterday in bright sunshine and flat seas. A great welcome home …

Continue reading The highlights of our 2013 summer cruise

Leg 25 – St Helier to Beaucette – 26 September 2013

Back at our berth in Beaucette where even the pigeons were there to welcome us

We didn’t want to go home. Having spent three months and six days of cruising to new and exciting places, the explorer bug had set in. Yet, we both knew the time was right to be back home in peaceful Beaucette, Guernsey …

Continue reading Leg 25 – St Helier to Beaucette – 26 September 2013

Leg 24 – Paimpol to St Helier – 21 September 2013

Piers doing the houskeeping

With fresh croissants collected by Lin and safely stowed in the galley (away from Piers), we cast off ending our delightful nine day stay in this glorious Brittany port. Exiting the lock, we waved goodbye to the lock-keeper, headed out of the harbour and into the long, narrow channel …

Continue reading Leg 24 – Paimpol to St Helier – 21 September 2013

The winner of the 2013 Croissant competition

The first bite of the winning croissant

Having cruised the beautiful coasts of north and west France and their hidden treasures of marinas for the last three months, we’ve tasted croissants in 22 ports from 31 boulangeries. And the winner is… …

Continue reading The winner of the 2013 Croissant competition

The boats insured but…

The channel between Ile de Brehat and the mainland

Whilst transiting the rocky channel between Ile de Bréhat and the mainland on the leg between Tréguier and Paimpol, I was reminded of an incident on an MBM (the UK magazine Motor Boats Monthly) cruise in company in the late 1990s …

Continue reading The boats insured but…

Man Overboard

The height of Treguier's the 30m pontoon is 3 feet off the water

It happened so quickly. In our report on Tréguier marina we made the point about the strong tidal flows which pass diagonally through the pontoons. Given this, mooring should always be into the current. Well, there was an incident two days before we left. …

Continue reading Man Overboard

Leg 23 – Tréguier to Paimpol – 12 September 2013

Leaving Treguier along the still waters of the river

We had entered the Rivre de Tréguier in the rain, the mist and a F4, and we left the Rivre de Tréguier in the rain, the mist and a F4. Reality was as forecast. A warm front was dithering over Tréguier casting its gloom in the form of mist and light rain, aided and abetted by a F4 from the N …

Continue reading Leg 23 – Tréguier to Paimpol – 12 September 2013

Leg 22 – Roscoff to Tréguier – 6 September 2013

The cold front hovering over Roscoff and the Bay of Morlaix

Let’s call this leg, ‘Never poke your tongue out at the rain’. The last few days of our week’s stay in Roscoff had seen thick fog which didn’t really clear until after lunch, leaving the air cold and damp. …

Continue reading Leg 22 – Roscoff to Tréguier – 6 September 2013

Croissant Competition – Summer 2013

An example of two croissants from different bakeries

How would you judge a good croissant? We’d love to know what you’d look for. Are all croissants the same? I mean, a croissant is a croissant is a croissant, n’est ce pas? Mais, peut-être pas.

One of the key elements of visiting France to which we really look forward, is our first croissant, more than the Eiffel Tower, Pastis, or scary driving …

Continue reading Croissant Competition – Summer 2013