Rough Tender

Sounds like an oxymoron, but we had a rough tender after our way-too-short jaunt in Dublin. It was a wild ride!

The boat was jammed with passengers. At first, folks were cheery and chatting about their day. We were all rain-soaked, so there was commiserating a-plenty.

Then WHAM! The tender rolled steeply and hit the water with a loud slam. An Irish lady responded by shrieking, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” in such a Lucky Charms accent that a round of nervous laughter ensued.

As our boat continued to pitch and roll, a tense hush fell over the crowd. I kept glancing at the tender pilot to see if he looked nervous. Passengers certainly were! Some kept their eyes shut, while others, like me, stayed wide-eyed.

In reality, we were not in danger. As Larry reminded us, these tender boats are also the ship’s life boats. They are built to withstand rough seas. Still, it’s scary to toss and I did not want to test the tender boat’s limits.

Meanwhile, Dun Laoghaire’s harbor was dotted with sailboats enjoying the rise in wind and waves. Great weather for sailing, but not-so-great for our chubby little tender boat.

When we finally reached the ship, everyone burst into a round of well-deserved applause for our tender driver.Read more