As the balance of power on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812 shifted between British and American forces, the naval effort turned to one of preservation.

The opposing commanders on the Great Lakes, Sir James Yeo and Isaac Chauncey sought to build larger vessels to overpower the other while preventing an attack on their lines of communication.

[1] In an effort to bolster the British squadron on the Great Lakes in 1813 following the loss at the Battle of Lake Erie, the British government created a plan where four pre-fabricated warships would be constructed in shipyards in Great Britain, dismantled and transported to Lower Canada where the vessels would be then transported up the Saint Lawrence River to Kingston for re-assembly.

This plan came about due to the excess of material, builders and facilities available in Great Britain and all lacking in Upper Canada.

Prévost attempted to ease strain on government supply lines by hiring the private contractor William Forbes to move Frigate B (Psyche) up the Saint Lawrence River to be assembled at Kingston.

The decision by the Admiralty was based upon the belief that there was a lack of suitable white pine growing around Kingston to build frigates this large.

[6] Meanwhile, after receiving Prévost's communications nixing the plan, the Admiralty re-directed the two pre-fabricated sloops to Halifax, Nova Scotia and cancelled the construction of the frigates.

[4] The speed at which William Forbes and his workers transported the frames of Frigate B to Kingston earned him a £1,000 bonus.

The Rush–Bagot Treaty of 1816 limited the navies on the Great Lakes to one gunboat armed with one gun, which led to the remaining fleet being disarmed.