Meeting an English fleet under Robert Blake along the way, he managed to avoid creating a new flag incident.
This was an odd occurrence at the time and many people thought it boded ill for an Irishman to control an English fleet.
Soon afterwards, they were arrested by an English fleet.
The entire English fleet tacked to the southwest at four.
Van Nes now tried to prevent both English fleets from joining.
In the morning of 18 February, an English fleet chased the French squadron off Lampedusa island.
The city was completely blocked, with the only hope coming from a possible intervention of an English fleet.
In 1675 its harbour was the seat of naval battle between Spanish and English fleets.
But now there was no English fleet of any quality able to contest command of the North Sea.
Their role was to clear the Channel of the Dutch and English fleets, before returning to escort across the invasion army in its transports.
