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

I flew on Joey

Joey, the courageous Trilander of Aurigny Air Services

I had to attend a 3 hour meeting in Dubai the other day. The round trip took 6 days.

The route from Guernsey was to Dinard, Rennes, Paris de Gaulle, Dubai (for the 3 hour meeting), Paris de Gaulle, Rennes, Dinard and finally home to Guernsey, using small, big and huge planes, taxis, hire cars and hotels. …

Continue reading I flew on Joey

Home at last

Capt Kim, taking well earned applause

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.

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

Continue reading Home at last

Launched and waiting

Launched, sea-trialled and waiting to come home

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

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. …

Continue reading Launched and waiting

Launch delay

The chart for 0001 Tuesday 23 December 2014

Why can’t the weather behave and do as it’s told?

Although one of the fronts moved north, the other moved south and is hovering over the north coast of France with the English Channel sandwiched like jam in the middle with WSW F6 winds gusting F7 and rain. …

Continue reading Launch delay

Ready for launch

The ECMWF forecast chart for 0001 Monday 22 December 2014

With Play d’eau’s three and a half months in the Plastic Surgery Operating Theatre to deal with her extensive blistering and GRP issues, the finishing touches to her new bootline and antifouling have been completed.

Play d’eau is perfect, ready for launch, sea-trials, acceptance testing and departure to Beaucette Marina, Guernsey. …

Continue reading Ready for launch

She’ll be home soon

Another tent is built for Play d'eau's bootline painting

Having delivered Play d’eau to Southampton over three and a half months ago, I took a call from GRP Repairs Ltd’s MD, Julian Willmott today to let me know she’ll soon be ready to come home.

“She looks amazing. You’ll be wowed! Showroom.” …

Continue reading She’ll be home soon

Safari to South Africa

Aslan rules over his Kingdom

What a two and a half months of sheer adventure. We drove across magnificent mountain ranges, extensive plateaus, visited a crane sanctuary, saw four of the Big 5 in a private game reserve, sampled some of South Africa’s finest food and wines, met our new family members again and made so many friends. Oh, and I had an infected wisdom tooth pulled out. …

Continue reading Safari to South Africa

Play d’eau and South Africa

the sun rises over cowes in the solent

Having prepared our Fleming 55, Play d’eau, for the journey, Kim and I left sunny Beaucette soon after midday delivering a long and triumphant blast of the Kahlenbergs to echo around the marina’s quarry walls, and set sail (set motor?) for the journey.

Not bound for South Africa but Southampton via Alderney where we’d have a few hours break for supper. …

Continue reading Play d’eau and South Africa

Post prostate

Claudine and a selection of her nursing staff

Having so enjoyed my stay in The Victoria Wing of The Princess Elizabeth Hospital, Guernsey, where I was so thoroughly spoiled by the nursing staff and Chef Dave, I returned to take some pics of the team and Chef Dave’s food.

The upshot is that du Pré Guernsey Ltd has been engaged as an advisor to the CEO’s team to re-design The Medical Specialist Group’s new web-site, and also that of The Victoria Wing …

Continue reading Post prostate

Preferred channel marker?

Piers has a red eye

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?