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

Leg 13 (2015) – La Rochelle to St Martin de Ré

We anchoed in 3m of water by this glorious bay

I was in the middle of a lovely dream when the alarm rudely intruded and woke me.

We had an hour before we needed to be hovering outside the 0645 lock, ready to exit the Les Chalutiers basin. Not a problem. Today, the destination was St Martin de Ré. …

Continue reading Leg 13 (2015) – La Rochelle to St Martin de Ré

Leg 12 (2015) – St Denis d’Oléron to La Rochelle

Staging for Pop Concert Énorm in St Denis

As the staging for a ‘Grand Groupe Pop Orchestre’ was being assembled, a large multi-coloured van was prowling around with its public address system booming to one and all that a ‘Pop Concert Énorme’ would be held in the marina ‘Ce Soir’.

It was our cue to depart. …

Continue reading Leg 12 (2015) – St Denis d’Oléron to La Rochelle

Leg 11 (2015) – La Rochelle to St Denis d’Oléron

Yacht Joshua, the yacht that circumnavigated the world between 1966 and 1969

With a following wind, blue skies and an almost too hot sun, we cast off for the short 1½ hour trip to St Denis.

At a gentlemanly time of morning, we nosed our way between the many pontoons of the 5,000 berth Les Minimes marina and entered the fairway to meet the day’s challenge. …

Continue reading Leg 11 (2015) – La Rochelle to St Denis d’Oléron

Leg 10 (2105) – Rochefort to La Rochelle

The early ,morning sun chases the cloud away

We’d be unable to anchor out. The wind was forecast to rise significantly in the afternoon and stay strong overnight.

Our plan had been to leave peaceful Rochefort at HW when the lock gate opened and anchor overnight at the southern end of Île d’Aix before making passage the next day to the St Denis marina on the island of d’Oléron. …

Continue reading Leg 10 (2105) – Rochefort to La Rochelle

Leg 9 (2105) – La Rochelle to Rochefort

John and Beryl have joined us for a fortnight

Our dear friends, John and Beryl, have joined us after a nine year absence from cruising.

Flying into La Rochelle two days ago, we’ve already been having a ball; dinner at Safron (first there, last to leave), exploring the ancient town and climbing the recently restored tower that guards the entrance to the vieux port. …

Continue reading Leg 9 (2105) – La Rochelle to Rochefort

Golden Arrow – International Rescue

Brian George of Golden Arrow (International Rescue department)

The last thing we needed was for the seal to blow under 1,500psi and spray litres and litres of fluid into the engine room creating a highly flammable if not explosive oil mist.

The hydraulic leak from the port stabiliser ram had been sufficient for me to isolate it from use, leaving the starboard fin to do all the work …

Continue reading Golden Arrow – International Rescue

Leg 8 (2015) – Les Sables d’Olonne to La Rochelle

Dawn breaks over Les Sables d'Olonne

We’d slept well. The endless succession of trawlers that passed by the marina en route to the Maritime Cooperative auction market at the end of the port had taken the weekend off. Well, almost all of them.

In their place, the Saturday night revellers had tried but failed in their attempt to compete …

Continue reading Leg 8 (2015) – Les Sables d’Olonne to La Rochelle

Leg 11 – La Rochelle to Rochefort – 31 July 2013

There are many of these huts on stilts with huge nets along the Charente

We’ve had a great time in the Bassin des Chalutiers. One of our sons, his wife and two children came to meet us for a day; we met Pat and Michelle who spend their life racing their Class 40 yacht, Croix du Sud, all over the world – literally; we explored …

Continue reading Leg 11 – La Rochelle to Rochefort – 31 July 2013

Caption competition

Tchou Tchou, La Rochelle

Seen in La Rochelle between Les Minimes marina and the town. Caption, anyone? …

Continue reading Caption competition

A Red Letter Day

The 'weasels' in the dinghy

We had a great treat yesterday. One of our sons, his wife and two children are on holiday staying with two of their dear friends who live in Riberac, France. Yesterday, they all came to visit us on Play d’eau in the Bassin des Chalutiers, La Rochelle …

Continue reading A Red Letter Day