Porter decided he had to move before additional British frigates turned containment into an even more hopeless problem. Hillyar appeared unsurprised by the planned sortie, supporting the suspicion that he had helped the accurate reinforcement news reach Essex. Porter sent a boat carrying blue lights and rockets to leeward in the hope that the blockaders would chase a false ship. Shore observers told Hillyar no vessel had left that way, and the British ships shifted to windward instead. The deception failed because the opponent had local surveillance and a better picture of the escape routes. By the morning of battle, Phoebe and Cherub were already positioned where Essex actually needed to sail.
Chapter · 2:14:37-2:25:49
Planted intelligence and a failed leeward decoy
Porter hurried to escape after learning that British reinforcements were coming, then sent lights and rockets leeward only to find Phoebe and Cherub already waiting on the windward route he needed.