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

Cape Town

Mount Nelson Hotel Cape Town

We arrived at the start of our South African extravaganza at this magnificent old colonial-style hotel, the Mount Nelson Hotel, late last Sunday evening after an unexpectedly prolonged journey.

We’ve packed so much into the last three days. The weather has been unexpectedly perfect with temperatures in the high twenties, cloudless skies and a gentle cooling breeze …

Continue reading Cape Town

Where are we?

Amsterdam bicycles

Thursday 3 April. It’s the beginning of our South African adventure.

Alarm clock, coffee (tea for Lin), taxi, airport, check-in, security, departure lounge, is the fog going to delay us? No. Blue Islands flight SI 310 is on time for the exhausting ten minute flight to the ‘other island’ (Jersey). …

Continue reading Where are we?

Red Pepper Sauce

Red Pepper Sauce

As we continue to search for the beauty of flavour simplicity, we’ve honed this recipe to produce a sauce that’s one of the most beautiful to look at, let alone a tasting delight.

The colour is vibrant and the taste is so pure …

Continue reading Red Pepper Sauce

South Africa – here we come

Toby and Amy with three weeks before their marriage

Toby, our youngest son (yet he’s 28 years old) is marrying Amy on April 19 in South Africa. And we’ll be there! Since becoming engaged, Amy has a law degree and Toby has expanded his marine businesses. We are so proud of them.

Toby and Amy, well, Amy mostly, have planned their marriage in a game reserve near KwaZulu Natal near Durban. …

Continue reading South Africa – here we come

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

LHR Terminal 4 to Beaucette

Granddaughter Maia

We arrived at the hotel just before midnight, checked in, had a beer and slept soundly after a long day’s travelling. Having collected the car from the other side of the airport we were on our way to Coventry to stay with our eldest and his family. It was strange travelling on motorways again, let alone at 70mph rather than Guernsey’s max of 35mph. …

Continue reading LHR Terminal 4 to Beaucette

What a blow last night

The sun rose to stroke the clouds after a night of strong wind

By gum, did it blow last night! Overnight, rigging screamed, lolloped (a nautical technical term) and the wind stirred surface water to slap the hull. We recorded a N’ly average of 21kts with a max gust of 26kts …

Continue reading What a blow last night

Memories on a postcard from Jersey

Wilfred du Pre's original Luce's Eau-de-Cologne premises at 42 King Street

Since 1460, the du Pré family has lived in Jersey. Yet, in 1928, my father, Derek du Pré, having worked at Lloyds Bank Jersey for two years, was posted to their Southampton branch. He was just twenty and didn’t want to leave his beloved Jersey. …

Continue reading Memories on a postcard from Jersey

Meeting Woolly Mammoth – again

Graham with his beloved Woolly Mammoth

We had three clear days in Jersey during which we talked, laughed, carried out our threat to terrorise the local restaurants, ate good food whilst attempting, unsuccessfully, to drink them dry of good wine. But hey, what’s retirement for? …

Continue reading Meeting Woolly Mammoth – again