Demi is a very good boat dog and enjoys being aboard but she also looks forward to getting ashore to check out smells and to post p-mail.

Here we are rowing from Demitasse to shore at Sorrento leaving Tita on board at a mooring ball in this lovely little protected harbor ten miles to the north of Bar Harbor. There are only two mooring balls free for the taking if available and we and Gene, on ISLAND ROSE, were fortunate enough to get them both. That evening and had a lovely dinner together and a then took a peaceful morning walk thru this tiny settlement. It is said the inhabitants of this little fishing village have about the best view of Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island of anyone in Maine. Hard to argue that.

To top off a grand day, we all over indulged in a desert which was earlier prepared by Lavonne, Ron's better half. The table shown in this photo drops down to form a comfortable second bed on our little boat which was given to Duncan who traveled from New Jersey for this event. That meant that poor Ron who rode his motorcycle all the way to this event had to make do in a sleeping bag on the aft deck for the two nights! Now that is a dedicated friend.

Stott, Bobby, Ron, Duncan, Tita and I all enjoyed some wonderful Lasagne aboard Demitasse after the race baked by Lavonne, Ron's wife, who did not come along but stayed home. Toasts were raised to our very good friend David from Australia who raced with us on TWO DOGS two years ago, and who tragically died with his wife Heather earlier last year.

We left Edgecomb Aug 2 stopping one night in Rockland on our way to Brooklin so as to be ready for the annual race. We did not race on Demitasse but rather a wooden topsail sloop, TWO DOGS owned by our neighbor Stott. Thisl race is limited to wood vessel and many are nearly 100 years old.

The race was in light wind which did not favor a 35 ft sloop but we came in 10th in our class which was great, ahead of several schooners nearly 80 ft long. We were on the starting line with nearly 100 boats which made it very exciting.

Here she is dwarfed by the mountains arrising from the South Pacific in Daniel's Bay on Nuku Hiva. But the memory of my experience on Tranquility will never be "small", only of big times in the big ocean.

But now it is time to move on and the next blog entry will be aboard DEMITASSE. Starting tomorrow, Tita, Demi and I will be leaving for a 14 day shakedown cruise with our first stop at Eggemoggin Reach!

I just wanted to thank the entire crew of Tranquility for inviting me to join them in the Marquesas. I am fully aware that having an extra aboard is not easy, Maya gave up her stateroom, there were more meals to cook, more bodies to schlep in the dinghy when going ashore. It was a fantastic experience and I am so glad that I got to do it aboard Tranquility.

They are in Tahiti now, after having spent Fynn's birthday diving in the Tuamotos. A few more days of provisioning, and they will head off for another big hop to New Zealand. So I thank you again, and wish you a safe speedy crossing, strong beam winds and NO FOLLOWING seas.

Love Corning