Today we took on board two Americans, Katie and Lee, who crewed for an American boat on the Puddle Jump, left that boat, and are making their way through the Marquises (French spelling) to Tahiti. Both have made bold efforts to help us with anything at all, as we move on to a few of the islands. Katie needed to deliver some letters to a few locals who were family members of people in Hiva Oa. We were invited to dinner. They spoke French. Katie spoke French well. Sue piped in, and I understood much of what was being spoken. Dinner was Marquesan local fare: poisson cru, fish, rice, and bananas, and citron water. Sue and Katie had baked cupcakes with coconut frosting for dessert. It was a charming dinner in the home of this grandmother who was living alone. The Bay that we were in today was volcanic and green with intermittent heavy showers. In some respects the land looked like the Columbia River Gorge in the height of its beauty. Tomorrow we will motor to the southern most island called Fatu Hiva.