He started sailing in the French Royal Navy in 1774 as a boy, serving on the corvette Flèche, the frigates Flore and Sultane, and the ship of the line Tonnant in 1778.
[3] On 3 February 1794, he joined the Navy of the Republic as an Enseigne de vaisseau non entretenu on the fluyt Dordogne in a squadron under Captain Leissègues, tasked with retaking Guadeloupe from the British.
On 27 November, HMS Lapwing intercepted the flotilla, destroying Vaillante and capturing Décius, only to scuttle her the next day to escape two French frigates.
[3] On 29 August, he was given command of the 74-gun Borée and fought in several campaigns, notably Ganteaume's expedition to Corfu and the Battle of Maguelone in October 1809.
[4] Siding with Napoléon during the Hundred Days, Senez was given command of the frigate Dryade, and tasked with ferrying Letizia Ramolino, Joseph Fesch and Napoleon II to France.