After being on the books of the guardship at Plymouth for more than a year, he was, on 5 October 1781, appointed to the Yarmouth, which, in the beginning of 1782, accompanied Sir George Rodney to the West Indies, and participated in the Battle of the Saintes off Dominica on 12 April.

He continued in her for nearly three years, and on 30 December 1793 was appointed to the frigate Andromache, in which he served on the Newfoundland Station, and afterwards with the fleet off Cadiz under Lord St. Vincent.

His promotion was not confirmed until 24 October 1799; but he continued to command the Ville de Paris until May 1800, and for a great part of the time with Lord St. Vincent's flag at the main.

Having brought home the Pitt, rechristened Salsette, he still commanded her in the Baltic in 1808, and in July 1809 was employed in escorting part of Lord Chatham's army to Walcheren.

The accident of position caused the Genoa's loss to be very heavy; her list of killed considerably exceeded that of any other ship in the fleet, and included Bathurst.