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

Home at last

Capt Kim, taking well earned applause

Captain Kim Hollamby and Executive Officer Guy Nicholls cast off from Shamrock Quay, Southampton, at 2248 hrs on 28 December 2014 under a clear night sky.

The temperature was well below freezing, ice was on the decks, but inside the central heating was working perfectly. …

Continue reading Home at last

Launched and waiting

Launched, sea-trialled and waiting to come home

Play d’eau’s been launched and awaits a weather window to come home.

As Play d’eau gleams in the late afternoon light, she’s moored and floating free at her berth with sea-trials and pre-flight checks completed. …

Continue reading Launched and waiting

Launch delay

The chart for 0001 Tuesday 23 December 2014

Why can’t the weather behave and do as it’s told?

Although one of the fronts moved north, the other moved south and is hovering over the north coast of France with the English Channel sandwiched like jam in the middle with WSW F6 winds gusting F7 and rain. …

Continue reading Launch delay

Ready for launch

The ECMWF forecast chart for 0001 Monday 22 December 2014

With Play d’eau’s three and a half months in the Plastic Surgery Operating Theatre to deal with her extensive blistering and GRP issues, the finishing touches to her new bootline and antifouling have been completed.

Play d’eau is perfect, ready for launch, sea-trials, acceptance testing and departure to Beaucette Marina, Guernsey. …

Continue reading Ready for launch

She’ll be home soon

Another tent is built for Play d'eau's bootline painting

Having delivered Play d’eau to Southampton over three and a half months ago, I took a call from GRP Repairs Ltd’s MD, Julian Willmott today to let me know she’ll soon be ready to come home.

“She looks amazing. You’ll be wowed! Showroom.” …

Continue reading She’ll be home soon

Play d’eau and South Africa

the sun rises over cowes in the solent

Having prepared our Fleming 55, Play d’eau, for the journey, Kim and I left sunny Beaucette soon after midday delivering a long and triumphant blast of the Kahlenbergs to echo around the marina’s quarry walls, and set sail (set motor?) for the journey.

Not bound for South Africa but Southampton via Alderney where we’d have a few hours break for supper. …

Continue reading Play d’eau and South Africa

No water pressure

I removed the water filter

For some time, Play d’eau’s domestic water pressure had been reducing. And now there were times when the taps ran dry before slowly starting to run again. Not very helpful when you’re in the middle of washing your hair. …

Continue reading No water pressure

Back home and back in the water

Play d'eau on holiday at M&G

Play d’eau is back in the water after being on hols for almost four weeks at M&G Engineers.

Whilst we’ve been on our hols in Norway visiting the Arctic Circle, Play d’eau’s been pampered with a full spa treatment below her waterline.

She was ready. Ready for launch. Ready to go home to Beaucette. …

Continue reading Back home and back in the water

What’s in Play d’eau’s make-up bag?

Poly Marine Ltd's Dinghy and Fender cleaner and polish

Often I’m asked if I have any favourite products for looking after Play d’eau. I do, and here are some of the key items you’ll find in her ‘make-up bag’ …

Continue reading What’s in Play d’eau’s make-up bag?

Exterminating bugs

Robin of RES replaces the GPS1 aerial of the Furuno satellite compass

Bugs – the bane of Play d’eau’s new Pilot House new electronics. Can we really exterminate them? I remember seeing mother-in-law size cockroaches in Delhi years ago in my flying days. There’d been a flying ant swarm and cockroaches …

Continue reading Exterminating bugs