Daybreak broughs us a new problem. Looks like the starter isn’t firing, we weren’t sure if it was the starter or that the alternator just wasn’t charging the battery yesterday. We called Boat US for support and they arrived faster then expected and they diagnosed that the starter was the issue. We bridged the starter and bingo we had her up and humming. We were headed back into the Chesapeake by 09:00.
Since we weighed the anchor a little later than we wanted, the decision was made to run the motor a little harder than we did the day before. The bilge pump process was the same as before and kept up with the ingress. Around 12:30 the motor ceased to operate. Luckily the wind picked up a bit just before noon and we were able to set the sails. Roger was smiling heavily even with the setbacks once we got Ulysses moving along under sail.
Unfortunately, the tide shifted and dropped so we were unable to make our way south, it was decision time. We changed our course and slowly sailed to Ingram Cove and set the hook in slightly protected waters of about 15-20′ depth. We coordinated with Boat US and scheduled a tow for the following day to get us across the Chesapeake to Cape Charles, about 40 miles away.
Last Updated on 2026-10-24 by Brisket