Madras was too exposed an anchorage for Hughes's fleet during the monsoon season. He sailed for Bombay with the whole fleet in the early days of the monsoon. Some ships took two months to arrive. Bombay's repair facilities offered a means of restoring the damaged ships, although reaching them required a prolonged voyage.
Notable Point · 44:48-45:14
Hughes takes his damaged fleet to Bombay as the monsoon begins
The monsoon made Madras unsuitable for Hughes's damaged fleet, forcing a lengthy passage to Bombay's repair facilities.