Ten of the forty English blockade ships had returned home for repair and refit, while twenty-two of the remaining thirty were at Lisbon when the convoy appeared on 8 September 1656. The Spanish force had waited two months at Havana for escorts that the Cadiz blockade prevented from sailing. A westerly gale had pushed Stayner away from Cadiz Bay, but his inshore squadron still sighted the convoy that evening. The Spanish mistook the English ships for fishing vessels and did not evade, allowing three attackers to engage at dawn.
Chapter · 34:24-37:44
The treasure fleet arrives without its escort
Blockade pressure leaves the Havana convoy without reinforcing warships, and a mistaken sighting lets Stayner close during the night.