The day dawned clear but the sea was choppy. Dariuz told us there were no berths
available in Monaco due to a major boat show, and that it was too rough to anchor off
shore and use the tenders. He said the captain had radioed company headquarters in
Monaco for the ship to be cleared to dock at Nice. While most on board had been looking
forward to Monaco, Nice would be an acceptable alternative. Besides, it is just a short
train ride away from Monaco should anyone be determined to go there.
By late morning, it was obvious that the captain, first officer and cruise director were
upset about something. It turned out that someone at the company office in Monaco
ordered that the ship continue on course to Monaco, even though all reports were that it would
be too rough for passengers to go ashore in tenders. They declined to make arrangements
for the ship to go to another port. Headquarters had some boxes and papers that they wanted
brought out to the ship and that was that. No matter that the passengers would be
deprived of any chance to go ashore.
On arrival off Monaco, two tenders were lowered, and it was immediately obvious the sea
was still too rough for passengers to disembark. Not only that, it was too rough to even
pull the tenders back onto the ship.
So Near and Yet So Far.
Monte Carlo and a Tender
Viewed Through a Porthole
in Star Clipper Steerage Class. Click here to enlarge
So, while one tender motored into Monaco to pick up whatever it was that was so important,
the other tender could only circle the ship. Finally, after a wait of two hours, the tender
returned from Monaco and the Star Clipper set sail to the
west in search of a calm cove or inlet. Both tenders followed, bobbing up and down like
corks in the extremely choppy water. While I like the rolling seas, I would not have enjoyed
being in the small tender today. The captain's destination was the protected eastern side of Cap
Ferrat, where Al and I had visited twice, in 1996 and 1997. Inside this cove, as the winds
subsided and the seas calmed, we dropped anchor. But because the Monaco office had
failed to make arrangements with the harbor agent at Cap Ferrat, we were prohibited from
going ashore. A wasted and disappointing day for most passengers. Two, in fact, left
the ship. They had booked one of the expensive cabins in the bow of the ship. Great
cabins in calm seas, but not for the past three nights. Every time the ship was raised up by a
swell, the bow would then drop down into the sea with a thud. These wealthy landlubbers
couldn’t take it and demanded to go ashore. The were taken off the ship in one of the
tenders.
We stayed in the cove for several hours, giving every one a chance to relax after a trying
day. At dinner, the captain apologized for the disappointing day. On deck, after dark, the
lights of St Jean-Cap Ferrat and Beaulieu-sur-Mer made a wonderful scene beneath a rising moon
and star-lit sky. About 10:00, we set sail again.
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