Tag Archives: 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

(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)

Click here for a slideshow, or click on a pic and arrow left/right

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

Servicing / Technical / Nav

Two clever mods

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The hinged flap the covers the cooker extractor tube
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Play d’eau’s had two clever modifications recently, and both have fully achieved their objectives.

Stale cooking smells

Lin and I had spent ages trying to track down stale cooking smells. The galley was spotlessly clean, the woodwork was clean and the curtains had been cleaned as well. So where were those horrid old cooking smells coming from?

The clue came when we realised they were worse when the wind was blowing from the port side of Play d’eau. Knowing this, it didn’t take long to find the culprit. The smells came from air being blown into the boat through the cooker extractor grill, past the fan and along the tube that ends just above the cooker.

Over time, the tube had had time to gather greasy fat deposits that had become stale and nasty. With the tube cleaned (a nasty job at the best of times) the problem was how to stop the air being blown in.

Captain Nick

Open for business
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Nick often stops by for a morning coffee. In talking about our vexing question, Nick had a brilliant idea and brought it to fruition by fashioning a hinged flap.

The cooker extractor tube still requires reasonably frequent cleaning, but the stale cooking smells have completely vanished.

Keeping thieves out

We’d forgotten the boat keys and the drive back home was miles away. It was late and the Harbour Office was closed, the aft cockpit hatches were locked closed and all the doors were locked.

Looking at the saloon windows, I espied the small metal flap that’s used to stop a window from sliding open unintentionally. I gave the window a sharp slap by the flap and it flew backwards allowing the window to slide open!

The thumb screw window catch
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Brilliant – but wait a moment, if I could do that, so could a thief. And that would leave no signs of forced entry, a requirement for any subsequent insurance claim.

In kicking ideas around, Lin sowed a seed and our local Guernsey M&G Marine Engineers finalised the solution by constructing a thumb screw based on the footprint of the flap. The screw assemblies were laser cut and machine polished. Perfection.

Ideas that work

As the saying goes, ‘It’s good when a plan comes together.’

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

Living aboard Play d'eau

Joey wasn’t feeling well

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The sun spread her beams through the freezing winter’s evening sky
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‘We regret to announce a delay to Aurigny’s 1300 flight to Dinard,’ came the announcement over Guernsey Airport’s public address.

Joey’s not well

Sadly, Joey wasn’t feeling well and had to be taken to Sick Bay in his hanger whilst a replacement Trilander was found.

‘Joey’s very old,’ said the Duty Manager, ‘and parts keep failing.’

‘I know the feeling,’ I replied.

Shivery cold

Three hours later, a younger Tango Oscar was ready and waiting for us to board.

The strong north wind was shivery freezing cold as we climbed into the aircraft’s tiny seats. ‘I’m told the heater works well on this aircraft,’ the Captain cheerily told us. It did, but it took half the flight to start to warm us up.

It was so cold the Captain wore a scarf
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With a strong tail wind, we landed in Dinard some twenty five minutes later at 1730, collected our Avis hire car, and by 2100 we were having an excellent meal in the restaurant of Le Logis de Brionne.

‘Here’s to Joey having a full recovery,’ I said to Lin as we tried a good glass of Sancerre.

Piers and Lin
Les Andelys…
…somewhere visited by
Play d’eau
in 2004
Fleming 55

Living aboard Play d'eau

Frozen Shoulder

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Having drawn pretty pictures on my shoulder, two incisions were made
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I know it’s winter but it has nothing to do with a Frozen Shoulder – really. It’s where the range of shoulder movement becomes progressively restricted.

2011

Having had my left shoulder operated on successfully in November 2011, my consultant at the time advised there was a 20% chance of the Frozen Shoulder condition migrating to the right shoulder within a few years.

2015

He was right.

As predicted, movement began to deteriorate in my right shoulder. My consultant at Guernsey’s Medical Specialist Group, Mr Armstrong (what a great name for an arm and shoulder consultant!) examined me, and booked me in for a shoulder operation, an ‘Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression’.

Princess Elizabeth Hospital

Last Wednesday it all happened. I checked in as a Day Patient at 0730 hrs and donned one of those awful gowns which flaunts your bottom to the world. My embarrassment was heightened when I was handed a pair of paper underpants ‘to preserve my modesty’.

The moment I was wheeled to theatre, a nurse never left my side. And when I woke up after the op, a nurse was there beside me. Now I could, of course, say it’s because of my magnetic personality and great looks, or maybe they were concerned I’d do a ‘runner’.

Reality was that they were excellent nurses, being allowed to nurse. A general anaesthetic and two small keyhole incisions was all it had taken to unfreeze the shoulder.

I felt so looked after. So cared for. So much so that Lin collected me at 1400 hrs.

Guernsey has a great medical service.

Piers
From the recovery suite of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55