The Admiralty worried about supply and the cumulative wear on ships kept off Brest. Rather than return the entire fleet to Torbay, it considered sending ships into nearby anchorages two at a time for provisions. Reports from a frigate captain and an escaped British sailor indicated nineteen French ships of the line, additional frigates, and tens of thousands of troops assembling for a possible expedition to Ireland. Bridport simultaneously complained that too few frigates were available to watch and communicate. Maintaining the blockade depended on provisioning ships without opening a gap in the watch and on obtaining reliable reports of French preparations.
Notable Point · 2:39:05-2:40:59
The rotation and intelligence behind the Brest blockade
Keeping the Channel Fleet off Brest required rotating ships for provisions, finding enough frigates, and interpreting reports of French preparations.