of Aurigny Air Services.
Can you see his smiley face?
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The route from Guernsey was to Dinard, Rennes, Paris de Gaulle, Dubai (for the 3 hour meeting), Paris de Gaulle, Rennes, Dinard and finally home to Guernsey, using small, big and huge planes, taxis, hire cars and hotels.
Aurigny – Norman French for Alderney
Aurigny Air Services was launched in 1968 with a fleet of small 12 seat Trilanders. Soon, short childrens’ stories of Joey the Trilander were being published. Joey had a bright red nose, big eyes and a lovely smile. He was strong and very courageous.
Ever since our children were tiny, we read them the stories of Joey and his exploits.
I flew on Joey
It was raining, blowing and really dull, but imagine my excitement as the airport bus drove us (us = 4 passengers) the 50m drive from Guernsey’s International airport departure door to an Aurigny Trilander.
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Squeezing through a tiny access to my seat, I climbed in and fastened my seatbelt. Joey started. With full power on his three engines, the small plane rattled a bit (he’s rather old) as we took off and flew the short journey to Dinard, landing so sweetly at this tiny country airport.
The return to Guernsey
And Joey was there, six days later, to fly me home. I’m sure he winked when under my breath I said, ‘Hello again.’
Soon after take-off, Joey flew into cloud and the turbulence started. It was bumpy, and became more and more bumpy the closer we flew to Guernsey. The rain was so heavy it started to leak into the plane and drip on me.
Joey tried to land but couldn’t see the runway at the minimum height of 200′. With full power he roared as he overshot, climbed away and completed another circuit.
Even though the Captain was helping all he could, the weather was still nasty so Joey had to overshoot again. Rather than keep trying he flew us back to Dinard.
After refuelling Joey, the Captain checked the weather and decided to have another go.
Joey was determined. Yes, it was still bumpy, but he managed to see the runway through the rain at the last moment and land.
we climbed above the cloud as the sun set
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As I climbed out of Joey, I looked back and thanked him for being so clever. You know? I’m sure he winked again as he was towed towards a warm hanger for the night.
Joey’s fun zone
Enjoy visiting Joey’s fun zone and hearing one of his latest daring exploits.
Piers
From the imaginary cockpit of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(All photographs taken with a Smartphone)
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A flash of orange and turquoise
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Looking up, I espied a Kingfisher on the wall by Play d’eau.
Camera
You never have a camera to hand when you need one, do you? So whilst Lin brought me the camera and changed lenses, I kept watch on this fragile bundle of colour.
Just about ready – and he flew off! I waited and kept waiting. And then he appeared again, fluttering those turquoise wings until he settled on the wall some 5′ above the waterline, watching for his lunch.
Success. And welcome to a new resident in Beaucette Marina!
Piers and Lin
from the hide on
Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Home at last
between the shore and the outlying reefs
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The temperature was well below freezing, ice was on the decks, but inside the central heating was working perfectly.
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Capt Kim reports…
The pontoons crackled with frost as we approached Play d’eau at Shamrock to prep for her night return to Guernsey. It was cold, but eerily still, a welcome lull after the high winds of recent days. So far so good.
Underway by 2250 we were soon heading away from the shore lights of the Itchen and Southampton Water, revealing a captivating canopy of myriad stars from horizon to horizon. The decks were slick with ice outside but inside we were toasty warm in the pilot house, faces basked by the warm glow of Play d’eau’s mission control array of screens.
Traffic
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Then, a few miles south of the Needles we had to dodge two large cruise liners as they headed with purpose towards the Western Solent. With no quarter given by them, we conceded to ‘might being right’ and dutifully made our turns to starboard as per ColRegs.
An hour or two of peaceful cruising followed and a chance for a late night bowl of soup and a few Zzzzs. Me first, Guy later. But then more traffic as we entered the English Channel’s busy shipping lanes, with several course alterations needed.
In a final hurrah no less than seven ships presented themselves in Froggerlike formation. With them plotted on radar, we made our move and crossed safely ahead of all.
Sunrise
framed by Eabora’s masts
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Then finally the run down from the Casquets to Beaucette, under sunny blue skies, with Guernsey, Herm, Sark, the other island (Jersey), France and Alderney all visual, waves calming a little.
Final Approach
Our final approach along the narrow Doyle Passage included a fly past one very windswept camera toting Piers on Fort Doyle, before we sized up the swell for an entrance through Beaucette’s narrow, rocky jaws.
I could see Piers watching up from the Harbour Office, again, with camera at the ready. No pressure then!
We were all lined up for a grand and stately arrival until another playful wave slapped Play d’eau’s quarter in a final giddy up. This couldn’t end in tears though, her gleaming flanks could not be scarred and she responded quickly to corrective action.
and turning to port to enter the lagoon
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Lines secured, my shoulders sagged. Relax. Mission accomplished!
Kim Hollamby
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Play d’eau’s home
Capt Kim, naturally, manoeuvred Play d’eau with precision to her berth, whilst Guy was officer in charge of fenders and warps. Although somewhat salty from the crossing, Play d’eau was gleaming whilst Kim and Guy were glowing.
With teas, coffees, welcomes and comments of admiration from many Beaucette residents, Play d’eau, home at last, looked regal albeit in need of a good soapy bath.
The crew’s return
After lunch at the marina restaurant, we drove a weary Kim and Guy to Guernsey’s International Airport to catch the 1615 Blue Islands flight to Southampton, and bade our farewells to Play d’eau’s tired crew.
Welcome home, Play d’eau.
Piers and Lin
from the ‘toasty warm’ Saloon of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55
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Launched and waiting
(photo courtesy Kim Hollamby)
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Gleaming
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. It must be so good for her to feel the water, again.
Captain Kim Hollamby
Kim Hollamby, who has taken time out to oversee the launch and sea-trials, will bring her to Beaucette at the first opportunity.
Guy Nicholls of Solent Marine Surveys, the surveyor for Play d’eau’s blister and GRP correction work, will crew.
When?
With an area of high pressure about to settle over the UK bringing chilly but calmer weather, Kim is planning to cast off on the evening of the 28 December to arrive at Beaucette at midday 29 December, to coincide with high water.
We’ll be waiting.
Piers and lin
from the Christmas Meteorological Office
of our eldest son’s house
not on Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Launch delay
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Although one of the fronts moved slightly north, the other moved south and is hovering over the north coast of France sandwiching the English Channel like jam in the middle with WSW F6 winds gusting F7 and rain.
Post surgery
So after plastic surgery, is it really fair to send Play d’eau into such weather? Even for a sea-trial?
No. Certainly not. She’d have to battle her way straight into high breaking waves and rain for more than fourteen hours without being able to pull off the road, so to speak, and take a break. The passage would be really nasty and certainly no Christmas present for her, let alone for her crew.
So we wait
So we’ll wait. There’s bound to be a break in the weather, sometime. We’ll take it and arrive in Beaucette Marina in glorious style after a good and gentle crossing, feeling and looking good.
from the Meteorological Office
of our temporary abode
not on Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Ready for launch
(photo courtesy Julian Willmott)
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Play d’eau is perfect, ready for launch, sea-trials, acceptance testing and departure to Beaucette Marina, Guernsey, on Monday 22 December.
Weather or not
But as much as she’s straining at her warps to cast off and come home, she has a wary eye on the weather. With two cold fronts stretching west-east across the UK’s Midlands, the forecast for Monday midday is W’ly F4 gusting F7 with rain.
Sea-trials should be OK since they’ll be in the shelter of the River Itchin and Southampton Water, but departure for Guernsey could be a completely different story. Strong winds have been blowing for so long that the seas will have been heaped up and are likely to be really uncomfy – to say the least.
So we’ll see.
from the Meteorological Office
of our temporary abode
not on Play d’eau
Fleming 55
 midday Monday 22 December 2014 Isobars 4mb apart click to enlarge |
 0001 Monday 22 December 2014 Isobars 5mb apart click to enlarge |
She’ll be home soon
(photo courtesy Julian Willmott)
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What’s the plan?
Julian said, ‘Provided the weather holds out, the plan is to launch her first thing on Monday 22 December, go straight to sea trial, acceptance testing and handover, before she sets off for Guernsey to arrive Tuesday morning.’
So what was wrong?
Well, rather than start explaining the issues, I will wait for my UK surveyor’s report.
Since arrival in Southampton he has analysed the problems and kept a photo diary of everything that’s been found. It’s a long report but hopefully one which will explain why the repairs have been so extensive – and expensive.
‘You’ll be wowed’
Through all the work, Julian of GRP Repairs has kept in close contact with us, explaining exactly what’s been happening. A great example of project management.
Lately, he’s been reassuring Lin and I. “She looks amazing. You’ll be wowed! Showroom.” We can’t wait – expectations are high.
On the plus side
Having had all the issues corrected, Play d’eau will be ‘bullet-proof’ and set for at least the next ten years.
Piers
From our temporary abode
not Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Safari to South Africa
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What an adventure. All two and half months of it. What a treat – but then we are retired!
In a nutshell
We drove hundreds of kilometres across magnificent mountain ranges, along extensive plateaus, visited a crane sanctuary, saw four of the Big 5 in a private game reserve, sampled some of South Africa’s finest food and wines, met our new family members again and made so many friends. Oh, and I had an infected wisdom tooth pulled out.
The term ‘the Big 5’ refers to the five most dangerous African animals to hunt. The African elephant, African lion, African buffalo, African Leopard, and the rhinocerous. We saw all except for the leopard.
Memories of the ‘Jungle Book’ flooded back as we journeyed through Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mthatha, and saw signs for Lesotho and Swaziland. Did we meet Shere Khan and Mowgli? Sadly, no.
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Our South African adventure was an overload of wonderment, beauty, friendship, sheer bliss and memories.
Drakensberg mountains
The dramatic Drakensberg mountains enclose the central Southern African plateau, stretching over 700 miles and reaching heavenwards to over 11,400 feet into deep blue skies. We’ll let the photographs speak for themselves.
Lichens Pass
Our return journey from Johannesburg to Durban took us through two villages called Egypt and Bethlehem before driving along the Lichens Pass. Majestic and breath taking are poor words with which to describe the visions laid before us.
One deep sadness
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On safari, the wildlife was spectacular but declining at an alarming rate. Poaching, coupled with a strong tourist trade paying high money stakes to hunt and kill for pleasure, are diminishing the animal kingdom at an alarming rate. For some animals, it’s already beyond a sustainable level.
The facts on poaching alone speak for themselves. In the last three years alone, 100,000 elephants have been slaughtered for their ivory whilst the desire for rhino horn from far east countries means the Rhino will be extinct by 2020; the birth rate is far, far lower than the slaughter rate.
Our human race has so much to answer for.
Return to Guernsey
Having spent so much time in South Africa we found it really hard to leave. We’d met so many lovely people, seen so many wonders and loved every moment. Yes, it was hard to leave.
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We landed late in the evening at Guernsey’s ‘International Airport’. Stepping out into the rain, we asked the taxi driver to take us the long way back to the bungalow we’ve been lent whilst Play d’eau is being repaired.
We were soon being driven along the coast road. A strong onshore wind was hurling the seas against the rocks causing the spray to detonate in all directions. Very different from the hot South African summer we’d left behind. The smell of the sea, the sight of the spray. Yes, it’s good to be back, back home.
Photo album
From nearly 3,000 photos we’ve picked 182 in a slideshow for you. Colonial style hotels, mountain passes, game reserves and drives, lion kills, exotic animals – the list goes on.
Image captions appear below the thumbnails. Arrows on the left and right of the main images allow you to change photos manually and you can pause and play by the icon in the centre of the image.
So let the photo album tell our story. We hope you like it.
Piers and Lin
waiting for the return of our
Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Play d’eau and South Africa
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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 echoing around the marina’s quarry walls, and set sail (set motor?) for the journey. Not to South Africa, but Southampton via Alderney where we’d have a few hours break for supper.
Casting off from Buoy 20 in Braye Harbour, we travelled throughout a moonless night in a rather emotional sea and arrived in a flat calm Solent just as the sun rose, casting her fire orange hue over the water.
Having completed the handover to GRP Boat Repairs Ltd at Shamrock Quay, I caught the 1440 Blue Islands flight back to Guernsey and was tucked up and asleep by 8pm.
Why Southampton?
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A great friend of ours, Kim Hollamby, had flown to Guernsey to accompany me to Southampton. Lin was staying behind to make final preparations for our extended South African adventure.
Why South Africa?
Readers will remember that our youngest son, Toby, married his fiancé Amy in April this year in the Tala Private Game Reserve just outside Durban. We spent a month sightseeing this beautiful country and meeting members of our new extended family. We agreed that this, our first time in South Africa, would not be the last.
Why two months?
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There’s so much to explore. Magnificent mountain ranges, wines, exotic game reserves, wines, family to meet, wines, journeys to be made, and have I mentioned the fine luscious South African wines?
What’s up with Play d’eau?
Good question. The main problem is hundreds of blisters on many of the surfaces above the waterline. Above the waterline? Yes, above the waterline.
Apparently, when she was built a water-attractive filler was used in some places under the gel coat rather than an epoxy water-repellent filler. Hence, any water resting on surfaces was ‘sucked’ through the gel coat, into the filler, causing blistering, looking just like a bad rash of teenage acne. Given her debut was at the 2002 Southampton Boat Show, she’ll be thirteen in a year’s time, so teenage acne isn’t a bad metaphor.
The Blisters
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Other work will include blasting the hull back to the original epoxy coating, applying additional epoxy, re-antifouling, reseating caprails, remaking any loose caulking in the teak decking, repairing any ‘dinks’ in the internal wooden flooring, certifying the fire protection systems, replacing a gearbox oil seal and servicing the Glendenning engine synchroniser.
And that will all take two months. But at least she’ll be ready for next year’s cruising with not a hint of acne.
Piers and Lin
from a friend’s bungalow near Cobo
Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Post prostate
Having so enjoyed my stay in The Victoria Wing being thoroughly spoiled by the nursing staff and Chef Dave, I returned to take some pics of the team and Chef Dave’s food.
One thing leads to another
The pics were liked so much that they reached the eyes of my consultant, Mr Owen Cole, and Debbie Guillot, CEO of The Medical Specialist Group.
A meeting was arranged with Ms Guillot, her Deputy CEO, and the Communications and Marketing Manager.
The upshot is that du Pré Guernsey Ltd has been engaged as an advisor to the CEO’s team to re-design The Medical Specialist Group’s new web-site, and also that of The Victoria Wing.
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The Medical Specialist Group provides emergency and elective specialist medical services for the Bailiwick of Guernsey within the secondary health care framework of Guernsey, in partnership with the Health and Social Services Department.
The Plan is…
The plan is for the websites to go live in early September which will coincide well with our next trip to South Africa (more of this to come in another post!).
The emphasis of the new sites is to concentrate on patient care.
So maybe this is a good opportunity for me to give something back to the staff who gave so much to me when I had my prostate op.
Here are some of the pics…
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Piers and Lin
from the design studio of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55