Centurion needed repairs that were difficult to undertake at Tinian with so few fit men. After Anson went ashore, the ship blew out of the anchorage and disappeared for 19 days, prompting an attempt to rebuild a small Spanish vessel as an escape craft. Centurion's return allowed the expedition to continue to Macau, where local craftsmen could repair the battered hull. There was no Admiralty message or stock of rope awaiting Anson, and returning home with little prize money threatened the expedition's purpose and his career. A renewed attempt on the Acapulco galleon offered a way to recover the situation. Centurion's 24-pounder gun deck strengthened negotiations for supplies and craftsmen, while international recruits raised the available crew to only 227 men, about a third of the proper complement.
Notable Point · 56:06-58:10
Keeping Centurion at sea: Tinian repairs and Macau diplomacy
Centurion's damaged hull and depleted crew make repairs, local negotiation, and international recruitment prerequisites for another attempt on the treasure galleon.