Battle of Cape Spartel - Aftermath

Aftermath

Gibraltar had been under long-standing siege by the Franco-Spanish ships and needed supplies badly. Howe succeeded in his main aim, ensuring that the convoy arrived safely, and returned to England. The successes in resupplying the hard pressed garrison at Gibraltar ensured its survival at a time British forces were suffering a demoralising succession of losses at Minorca, Florida and the Bahamas.

The sailing qualities of their ships enabled the British to decline an action and from then-on the Spanish Navy struggled to build faster ships to avoid these situations such as that of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent – the Moonlight Battle - two years before, when Rodney's "coppered" 18-ship fleet chased down and engaged de Lángara's 11-ship fleet. The Spanish navy had been slow to begin coppering its own vessels. It was also limited by the slow speed of some its heavier ships, like the Santisima Trinidad.