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.
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As the song goes, “Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head”. And then I looked in the mirror, and saw an horrific sight! A red eye looking back at me.
For some unknown reason, it was completely bloodshot. Possibly not the prettiest sight know to man. …
Continue reading Preferred channel marker?
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!
Following our previous post (The Trumpet sounded), we can happily report that the walls didn’t fall down.
But just to be on the safe side, Beaucette Marina is taking precautions.
For the last two months, quarry engineers have been working in Beaucette marina, pegging walls with two metre rods, strapping with cable, and on part of the west wall, covering with netting. …
Continue reading Did the walls fall down?
The phone rang. It was a French number. I answered cautiously. ‘Allo?’
It was Alain, the trumpeter from the Cornouaille Jazz Band! He’d arrived in St Peter Port from Port La Forêt in his 6m yacht and could we meet …
Continue reading The trumpet shall sound
As soon as Diccon and Charlottes’ two children, Oscar and Maia, scrambled down the Flybe aircraft steps, they started running towards the terminal building leaving Mum and Dad behind. Baggage in hand, all four emerged from Customs and the children ran into our arms.
With cries of ‘Can we go to the beach?’ and ‘Can we go on the boat?’ we find the car, drive to Beaucette Marina and board Play d’eau …
Continue reading Coming and Going
A treat! Our eldest and his family flew over to stay with us on Play d’eau for a long Bank Holiday weekend.
Mid-afternoon last Saturday, we met his family at Guernsey’s airport and took the coast road back to Beaucette. In a display of welcome to Guernsey, out came the sun banishing the grey clouds to England and creating a clear blue sky just for us. …
Continue reading Family comes to stay
Having followed my time in hospital for a rebuild of my prostate last week, our dear friends, Graham and Frances of Woolly Mammoth have penned an ‘Ode to Pee’.
It’s brilliant! …
Continue reading An Ode to Pee
It’s Saturday and Lin’s on her way to collect me, homeward bound to Play d’eau.
In a nutshell: Guernsey’s Princess Elizabeth Hospital; Victoria Wing; a successful TURP operation; zero side effects; many friends made, and I think – correction, I know – I’ve put on weight. …
Continue reading The Victoria Wing
Many of you will know that almost a decade ago, I was found to have prostate cancer.
Thankfully, the cancer was ‘micro’ and of the least aggressive type flavour. The consultant recommended a ‘watch and pounce’ approach with six monthly PSA checks.
These checks have stayed constant and have raised no cause for concern. …
Continue reading Prostate operation
I love these two pics of Lin.
I sneaked them whilst in South Africa…. …
Continue reading My favourite pics of Lin
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