Porter's boarding preparations obstructed a possible departure

Porter could have requested a departure that required the British ships to remain in the neutral harbor for twenty-four hours. Essex was considered faster than Cherub, although Phoebe retained the speed advantage over her. A head start therefore offered an opportunity that an ordinary chase did not. Essex's preparations for grappling and boarding made her harder to ready quickly for sea, and Porter failed to use the opportunity while Phoebe completed her preparations. Escape would still have left him vulnerable to reports of his movements and approaching British reinforcements.