Tag Archives: kim hollamby

Home at last

30 December 2014 Piers du Pré 7 Comments

Play d'eau enters the narrow Doyle Passage between the shore and the outlying reefs — Play d’eau enters the narrow Doyle Passage
between the shore and the outlying reefs
*click to enlarge*

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, to bring Play d’eau home after her plastic surgery.

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

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

...and passes inside Platte Fougère — …and passes inside Platte Fougère
*click to enlarge*

All of her electronic capability was put to good use throughout. Off Hurst we had to keep a wary eye on an inbound Cowes Southampton car ferry well off her patch – was she lost or returning from a secret assignment?

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

Play d'eau about to enter, framed through Eabora's masts — Play d’eau about to enter
framed by Eabora’s masts
*click to enlarge*

The winter sunrise was a late waker – but sudden in appearance, zooming though hues from dark blue, to grey to lighter blue. It also heralded a freshening wind on the quarter with Play d’eau cheekily wiggling her bottom in deference to the odd white horse or two. Our consolation? A plate of steaming bacon sandwiches.

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.

Through the entrance channel and turning to port to enter the lagoon — Through the entrance channel
and turning to port to enter the lagoon
*click to enlarge*

We were through and into the idyllic lagoon beyond and ready to perform gentle final manoeuvres before handing her back over to rightfully proud owners, Piers and Lin.

Lines secured, my shoulders sagged. Relax. Mission accomplished!

Kim Hollamby
————————–

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

Capt Kim manoeuvres Play d'eau to her berth — Capt Kim brings Play d’eau to her berth
*click to enlarge*

A triumphant Guy Nicholls and Kim Hollamby
*click to enlarge*

Capt Kim, taking well earned applause
*click to enlarge*

Servicing / Technical / Nav

Launched and waiting

27 December 2014 Piers du Pré 4 Comments

Launched, sea-trialled and waiting to come home
(photo courtesy Kim Hollamby)
*click to enlarge*

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

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

Living aboard Play d'eau

The Hollamby Portable Radar unit

2 September 2013 Piers du Pré 2 Comments

Following my comment about the Hollamby Portable Radar unit in my post Camaret to L’Aber Wrac’h, I see Kim Hollamby has posted a comment about his invention.

I found the comment so exciting (I love technology) that I had to reproduce the comment as a post, here.

The Hollamby Portable Radar – PLIRA

(Reproduced with the kind permission of Kim Hollamby)

The PLIRA had an advanced plasma screen
*click to enlarge*

Ah yes, the portable radar.

You are of course referring to the (in)famous Motor Boats Monthly April Fool joke of (I think) 1988.

To put this in context you have to remember this was the time when the very first GPS handhelds were emerging. Like mobile phones of the same era they were large by modern standards but had everyone very excited about portable electronics. I had a Sony GPS that looked like it had a small satellite dish at the top and a Vodafone lead acid cell handbag mobile that fully developed the arm muscles.

Which was probably why we decided to ‘create’ the PLIRA radar – a handheld radar. What followed was a whole page of elaborate explanation about the technologies involved including (from rusty memory) a plasma display which was pretty forward thinking on our part.

Advanced screen technology

In reality it was one of the very early LCD televisions that we ‘connected’ to an inverted enamel dog bowl by means of a redundant curly phone cable. The word PLIRA was very professionally letrosetted around the dog bowl and the illusion was complete.

The PLIRA was mostly the invention of the magazine’s then Technical Editor Mik Chinery but with some finessing at the subbing stage by yours truly.

By the time the whole article was ready for press I was slightly alarmed at how convincing the thing was, despite its name PLIRA offering a clue.

So I printed my office number at the foot in case we had a load of readers randomly calling all and sundry to place an order.

Which was a major personal mistake of close on biblical proportions.

What I discovered, within hours of publication, is there is clearly nothing so dangerous as the damaged ego of a boat owner who has been thoroughly taken in. Of which there were quite a high number.

St Peter Port, Guernsey

The only pleasant conversation I recall was from the Deputy Harbourmaster at St Peter Port. He had gathered quite a crowd of boat owners at the dock head who were variously sceptical and taken in and wanted to know who was right. Perhaps they were even running a side bet or two. Anyhow when I imparted the news I could hear much jollity on the other end of the line so perhaps the good folk of Guernsey simply have a better sense of humour than mainlanders.

We really stayed well away from April Fools after that. Once bitten…

Given my Honda CR-V has a radar hidden under its radiator grill badge I’m sure a handheld radar would be possible now – except of course Elf ‘n Safety wouldn’t allow it.

Happy days.

PS – it’s all a bit of a shame in a way as we secretly hoped the PLIRA would climb in the charts to be seen as being as notorious as the polyestermite (a worm that attacks GRP) – a creation of Bill Beauvis that caused widespread genuine panic when it appeared in Motor Boat and Yachting a few years before.

Kim Hollamby

Cooking onboard

Making it fun to cook onboard

Over the years, Lin and I have developed some specific solutions to cooking onboard and making great food. So we’ve decided to share this by adding Cooking posts to get you going.

We’ll start soon by adding posts under a new ‘Cooking’ category on quick and easy ‘wow’ goodies such as Parmesan cheese crisps before becoming more adventurous. We’ll also be adding ‘food goodies’ when we come across good sources at the various ports we visit and, when we want a break and really don’t want to cook, we’ll add comments about the restaurants we visit and recommend – or otherwise.

One of the fruit stalls at the farmer's market, Paimpol, Brittany — Cherries, peaches, melons….
whatever you want at one of the many fruit stalls
*click to enlarge*

So, if you use any of our ideas and find you like your initial creations, do keep going. Much is about simple technique and preparation with nothing too complicated or time consuming.

Keep going!

As I’ve said, we’ll start with simple ‘nibbles’ which go really well with early evening drinks. If they work for you, you can then decide to start climbing the ladder with our starters, main courses and finally, desserts.

Our experience is that there’s nothing like sharing an on-board prepared meal with newly found boating friends from neighbouring berths.

Wine, conversation and laughter all flow amidst the high praise the chef receives.

Best of Breed ingredients

We will keep our Best of Breed ingredients page updated as and when we find worthy and outstanding products.

Something to share?

If you’ve found a recipe that works for you onboard, please send it to us and we’ll publish it for you. Whether it’s simple or complex, let’s get cooking!

Inspiration

We’re often asked where our inspiration for cooking comes from. Lin’s been cooking brilliantly for many years, but for Piers, it wasn’t until he attended a five day course at the Ashburton Cookery School accompanied by Kim Hollamby, that his love of cooking took off.

So, to whom do our thanks go?

Ashburton Cookery School
Hilary and Kiffer (Piers sister and brother in law)
Kim Hollamby (great friend)
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

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

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

Dried meats, hams and sausages, anyone? click to enlarge	Seafood galore straight from the sea that morning click to enlarge
Onions, shallots, garlics…. click to enlarge	….and Lobsters just waiting to nip you! click to enlarge

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