Our watch, Aft Port, was woken at 3.30am ready for duty. We found ourselves in Dublin Bay, with the lights of the city on both sides of the water. Light fresh breeze. Lo and behold we were under diesel power and the sails were furled, not harbour stowed, the previous watch having done all the work.
The anchor was lowered too, and we were fairly stationary in the harbour entrance, waiting for our timed "slot" with the lifting bridge at about 11.00am. We then found that not all of us were needed, - mumble, mumble, mumble , - and so some lucky members returned to their bunks for a few precious further hours sleep. Then daylight, the slot on the lifting bridge, and then we hit the delights of Dublin. No sight of Molly Malone and her cockles and mussels, however, there were two grand old dears selling pears from their barrows, (doesn't quite have the same ring does it!). What's more they were a whole euro per punnet! Leadership at Sea members, all the "chillun" on board basically, had the challenge of raising a bucket of water to the first platform on the main mast, transporting it to the foremast, then lowering it to the deck again. I will finish here by saying that ONE group managed it, and unfortunately I wasn't in it! Nil point there then.
Sights to see are the Temple Bar area, all formal fusty lawyers etc in the day and absolutely red hot in the evening with all those who are party animals. Mind you, with Guinness at £3 per pint partying round here can be quite expensive. So most of us stuck at one pint just to be able to say we had had one.
Update By: Sarah McGovern, Aft Port watch