Porter sent his purser ashore to order goods, creating the impression that Essex would remain in port. He also sent a boat out with blue lights and rockets to suggest a departure to leeward. Hillyar saw lights without ships and treated them as a decoy. He moved Phoebe and Cherub to windward, the direction in which Essex hoped to escape. A shore boat may also have followed the American boat, although the information Hillyar received from it is uncertain. On 28 March, the British ships held the weather point of the bay with room to maneuver.
Notable Point · 1:45:14-1:47:39
Blue lights and rockets failed to draw Hillyar away
Hillyar saw decoy lights without accompanying ships and moved Phoebe and Cherub to windward, covering Essex's intended escape route.