The second battle restored the Cádiz blockade

British casualties in the second engagement were light because Superb maneuvered faster than her opponents could coordinate their fire. The Franco-Spanish force initially expected San Antoine to arrive at Cádiz and did not immediately understand that the two first rates had exploded; later French efforts to present the action as a victory became untenable as the losses and renewed blockade became clear. The victory erased the reputational damage of the first battle, brought Saumarez parliamentary thanks and a knighthood, and won promotions and prize rewards for his officers and crews. Parliament also granted him a £1,200 annual pension, a practical state reward for distinguished service rather than a purely ceremonial honor. Veterans still living in 1847 could claim the Naval General Service Medal for their service at Algeciras. Strategically, the loss of the two Spanish first rates removed the heaviest units in the combined force and allowed the reinforced British blockade to keep the surviving ships in Cádiz.