In 1796 Hinxt was given command of the ship "Beschermer". This was a ship of war with 56 guns, and a crew of 350 men. The ship became part of a fleet under Admiral Jan Willem de Winter, which was made ready for an invasion of Ireland. The fleet was meant to sail for Brest first, to combine with a French fleet. But a Royal Navy blockade prevented the Batavian fleet from leaving port. In the summer of 1797, the Batavian fleet was stationed near Texel. At this time, Hinxt, his wife, and his daughter Anna Maria (born in 1778) were all aboard the "Beschermer".