The invasion plan depended on joining the Armada with the Duke of Parma's Army of Flanders, but shallow waters and Dutch blockade forces restricted the army around Dunkirk. Parma needed the Armada in position to cover an embarkation, while the Armada lacked a safe anchorage in which to wait. Without rapid long-range communications, coordinating the two forces at the required moment was extraordinarily difficult. The resulting operational trap left the Spanish fleet exposed off Calais while Dutch action prevented the army from moving freely.
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The Calais and Dunkirk coordination trap
The Armada cannot safely wait off Calais while Parma's Army of Flanders cannot embark from Dunkirk without precisely timed naval protection.