This years big Amphib event of "Les Ami de´la Amphibie" was in Lohéac near by Rennes in Britany/France. Many thanks to Christoph Prier, the organizer and president of the "Association des Vehicules Amphibie", the french amphibious vehicle club. The event was very well prepared and full of little surprises.
Also many thanks to Michel Hommell, the owner of a beautiful automobil museum in Lohéac for his invitation to stay a few days at his place with all of our cars. Unfortunately I was not able to stay the whole week but the first three days only. But however it was a very impressive come together - as usual. The every years highlight in the amphibious world!

(to enlarge click the pictures)
 
 

	First of all I have to introduce you to the place itself. This is the backyard and garden of the great automobil museum in Lohéac, where the Amphib was based for the first few days. The little lake is man made and believe it or not just made to show the operation of amphibious vehicles. You need to know that Michel Hommel himself is infected by the amphibious virus and preparing a special section in his exhibition for those unusual swimming cars only! For sure this gives the museum a special attraction on its own!
	Strong as usual - the GPA fraction parking in line. All in all there were up to 50 amphibious vehicles subscribed. I remember 3 Amphi-Rangers, 3 Hobbycars, 3 GAZ46, about 6 Ford GPAs, maybe 10 Amphicars, 1 Alvis Stalwart, 2 Dutton Mariner, 4 VW_Schwimmwagen, maybe 8 DUKWs and some others, which will be shown further down.
	By taking b/w pictures you really could have traveled backwards through the time. You must watch very carefully to identify this picture not being from wartime.
	The one Alvis Stalwart had some trouble. Obviously it arrived with one tyre flat. It took four man to change it!
	First big surprise was found inside the museum: The only still existing Hydromobile was sitting there on display. Most participators have never heard of this vehicle before but were very impressed by the fully wooden superstructure and the retractable wheels, which ables the vehicle to plane on surface. Well, because of needing restauration job, it was not operable at that time.
	The next surprise was much smaller (just in size). Believe it or not, but this DUKW floating is a scale model! For proof click the smiley:
	Little Amphib! A second model showed up. But this one ...
	... brought his big brother. It is a replica of a 1933 prototype called La Comet. The idea was to balance the car on two wheels, one on each side only! That for the centre of weight was removable. Steering was like a tank by braking one wheel only. And it was amphibious (of course). The Saturday was a nice demonstration day by all those small and big vehicles.
	This is Monsieur Michel Hommel in his Amphicar. He opened the lake for everybody to enter - with or without Amphi. Well, some of the cars drove through instead of swimming. The tiny lake was only 1 meter deep! But everybody enjoyed and had fun.
	In the evening there was a little welcome party in the cafeteria. A good occasion for the museums owner to present his latest amphibious purchase to exhibit in future. It was the Voisin prototype from 1955, which is chain driven. However that was the last surprise for this day! Unless you do not count there was a big party in town!
	Unfortunately there were to many people around the Voisin to make a good picture. Also I was invited for a race lap in a sportscar at the near by racing area, so I decided to take the picture of the Voisin later on. What I did not imagine was, that the car was stored back into a dark garage after its presentation. So this was a shot in the dark!
	The very next morning there were things that had to be said...
	... at the briefing. Holding the speaker, that´s Christophe Prier.
	And there we started for a whole day water trip. This is a member of the German Amphicar Club Berlin. No, it is not a very early prototype of the Amphicar, but a converted Amphicar with no way to restore back to original. Wolf loves his "adventure vehicle" right the way it is: "Best car of the world!!!"
	Sitting on the Stalwart meant a good moving platform for taking pictures, unless you don´t mind being shaken pretty much. The way to the slipway led through some nice little villages and typical Britany country side. A white GAZ 46 ahead.
	The Stalwart was the first vehicle entering the water. The captain did so with full speed and finally went into trouble pretty quick. It was not as tight as one thought it is and the bilge pump could not fight the water coming in through a huge leak. What you see is the drivers view after a few minutes in water.
	The slipway had a step under water impossible for the Stalwart to climb up. When crashing against the step nobody was really afraid of the vehicle getting damaged but worried about the slipway. However the Stalwart had to beach up the riverbank, just far enough to let drip out all the shipped water. With the help of much, much Silicone the Stalwart followed up the water ride.
	This is the tricky slipway, which was absolute no problem for the smaller vehicles like this little Hobbycar.
	While the big DUKWs were entering the water further down the river where the bank was not so steep. The first one got stuck in the mud and had to be winched out. The only way to enter safely was going backwards.
	Also Nick Topping joined Amphib 2001 with his amphibious motorhome "Amphibus". He was one of the main attractions of the event.
	Once everybody was in water we enjoyed the nice relaxing water ride ...
	... until we got out again for some lunch. Well, you know how the French are: Once started they never ever stop eating again. However lunch took much longer than anyone expected, so this was more or less the end of the day.

I just wished I could have stayed any longer.