HEIC. AAR. A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING.

[Bligh]

He explained that the ships would avoid the British cruisers by hugging the shore of the gulf and moving mainly at night to avoid detection.
After a discussion with the Governor of Bombay and the HEIC Board, Commodore McBride decided to intervene in these activities. With both the Bombay and Aurora requiring extensive repairs, and the rest of his Squadron deployed on other service, he decided to sail himself, at once, to stem the flow of munitions and equipment, bidding the other ships to join him as soon as they had been repaired.
Consequently two days later he set out in his flagship HEIC Nottingham bound for the Strait of Hormuz.

[Bligh]

McBride had decided that was the only place a solo ship could survey both sides of the waterway at the same time. He was soon to realize the flaw in his plan.

[Bligh]

He closed on ship after ship only to see them slip out of his clutches behind the sand bars flanking the coast in to the shallow waters where the draught of his ship would not permit him to follow.

[Bligh]

On the few occasions when the Nottingham did come within range, loosing off a shot across the bows with his chaser had little or no effect on the runner.

[Bligh]

By the time the Nottingham was as close as they could get, the shallows prevented them from coming within range of the quarry, and their broadside invariably fell short.

[Bligh]

Commodore McBride concluded that a new strategy was urgently needed to solve this problem, and withdrew to Bombay to reconsider his options.

[Bligh]

On his arrival , the first good news that the Commodore got was that the repairs and refitting of the Aurora had been completed by the Bomanjee shipyard in double quick time and he consulted with his Captains as to their next move. After taking onboard some extra ordinance and an extra Company of Bombay Marines in both ships they set off back toward the Gulf.