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 18 – Port Louis to Sainte Marine – 26 August 2013

We reversed between the pontoon and the trawlers

This was a perfect journey. So gentle, so beautiful. Why Sainte Marine when we had planned for one our favourite marinas, Port La Fôret? Vendée Globe racing yachts had filled the marina leaving no room to spare for Play d’eau, but Sainte Marine opened their arms to us …

Continue reading Leg 18 – Port Louis to Sainte Marine – 26 August 2013

Leg 17 – La Roche Bernard to Port Louis – 25 August 2013

Our inaccessible river pontoon at La Roche Bernard

0530 and the alarm woke us from a deep sleep. As I struggled to prise my eyes open I was thinking of good reasons not to go, but a strong cup of coffee from Lin soon put paid to the ideas …

Continue reading Leg 17 – La Roche Bernard to Port Louis – 25 August 2013

Rounding the Brest Peninsula

This pigeon rested on Play d'eau for ten hours

We are about to head for the Brest peninsula to take advantage of the neap tides. This will involve us travelling from La Roche Bernard via Port Louis (Lorient), Port La Foret, Camaret and L’Aber Wrac’h, in the next few days …

Continue reading Rounding the Brest Peninsula

A Year of Firsts

Lin and our four boys

When this year began we had no idea some of the ‘firsts’ that would happen. In October 2012 we spent a week in Guernsey making sure we knew the practical details surrounding our move to the island in March 2013 where we’d live …

Continue reading A Year of Firsts

Leg 16 – Pornic to La Roche Bernard – 20 August 2013

We motored through a shoal (wobble?) of these huge jelly fish

The falling spring tide would bring today’s special challenges. La Roche Bernard is some 10nm up the beautiful La Vilaine river. Just beyond midway is the Arzal lock and the 1400 écluse would be perfect – if the planning allowed it …

Continue reading Leg 16 – Pornic to La Roche Bernard – 20 August 2013

Leg 15 – Les Sables d’Olonne to Pornic – 15 August 2013

A lovely calm sea for cruising

Looking forward to another FLIR experience, we cast off from Quai Garnier’s pontoon A ‘exterieur’ and headed into the black an hour and a half before sunrise, destination Pornic in the départment Loire Atlantique, some 60nm to the North …

Continue reading Leg 15 – Les Sables d’Olonne to Pornic – 15 August 2013

When do we return to Guernsey?

Calm seas as the sun rises

Whilst moored in Port Garnier marina, Les Sables d’Olonne, local trawlers of all sizes pass us by heading for their cooperative some 300m beyond the marina. Since they bring fresh catch every moment of the day, we really don’t mind the noise or being tossed around by their wakes since the cooperative’s …

Continue reading When do we return to Guernsey?

Leg 14 – St Martin de Ré to Les Sables d’Olonne – 11 August 2013

Ian and Wendy on their Moody 422, bound for the Caribbean

A UNESCO World Heritage site, St Martin is Île de Ré’s historic capital and ancient port surrounded by the citadel. Small, old, buzzing with life, and we cherish our time there.

Ian and Wendy’s Moody 422 yacht, Silver Slipper, was moored directly behind us …

Continue reading Leg 14 – St Martin de Ré to Les Sables d’Olonne – 11 August 2013

Mud, mud, glorious mud

The mud bank by the entry to the lock from the river

On our way was to Rochefort we travelled 12 miles up the beautiful river Charente, where the colour of the water became more and more brown-green. By the time we arrived the colour was so dense that nothing could be seen if it was much more than an inch below the surface. …

Continue reading Mud, mud, glorious mud

Leg 13 – St Denis to St Martin de Ré – 8 August 2013

St Martin de Re - our mooring overlapped the yachts in front

Port St Denis d’Oléron was crowded. The only visitors’ pontoon was tightly packed and Play d’eau was on the inside of a raft of four. The Capitainerie staff were brilliant. Under their direction boats were shuffled to give us an outside position against an old beautiful (but actually brand new) 60’ twin masted …

Continue reading Leg 13 – St Denis to St Martin de Ré – 8 August 2013