"Fénix" was commissioned under Captain John Carter Allen in February 1780 and renamed HMS "Gibraltar" on 23April. She joined George Darby's fleet in the English Channel until 29November, when she left for Samuel Hood's squadron in the West Indies under Captain Walter Stirling. In 1781, under Captain Charles Knatchbull, "Gibraltar" became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Francis Samuel Drake and was present at the Capture of St Eustatius in February. Following the outbreak of war between the Dutch Republic and Britain in December 1780, Rodney received orders from London to seize the island. A British expedition of 3,000 troops from St Lucia, under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir John Vaughan, arrived off St Eustatius on 3February 1781. Rodney, in command of the naval forces, positioned his fleet so as to neutralise any shore batteries, but instead of disembarking the troops and launching an immediate assault, Rodney sent a message to Governor Johannes de Graaff suggesting that he surrender to avoid bloodshed. DeGraaff agreed to the proposal and capitulated. The only shots fired were from "Gibraltar" and , both of which, without orders, briefly engaged "Mars", the only Dutch warship in the roadstead.