This is a not a doctored photo. Isobel has been watching carefully when we drive the dinghy... and now she is strong enough to steer the engine. She easily operates the throttle and knows to slow down if there is a wake that we have to cross. She still doesn't keep it headed in the right direction all the time, but if we say a little this way or that she pushes or pulls the tiller as needed! Luckily, I don't think she can pull the cord to start it... but she does know how to stop it! We will have to shoot a video of her climbing into or out of the dinghy, something she has been doing quite expertly for some time...!

We headed out for Old Saybrook, CT this morning and after a few hours of sailing to weather... we headed off and beam reached for the THimble Islands. For those of you who haven't sailed to weather, that is usually what they show in the movies with the boat crashing through the waves with blue water coming over the rail and running down the decks. This is pointing the boat as close as it will go to where the wind if coming from. All very exciting to see on the screen... but if you are trying to make lunch (for instance), the crashing gets a little old.

The little girl fell asleep in the cockpit as we left Port Jefferson and woke after we turned away from the wind... must be the smooth and quiet ride woke her up!

We have been here before... "a small hunk of Maine dropped into Long Island Sound."

41 15.026'n 072 45.307'w