Morard's mission was two-fold: protect inbound convoys depredation of the Royal Navy; and establish a watch and blockade of those departments tempted by Chouannerie. These instructions were in fact contradictory: protecting convoys entailed sailing in the open sea, while blockading the Chouans required ships as close to the shore as possible; therefore, Morard could not fulfill both missions without splitting his forces, but from the station where he was ordered, off Quiberon, between Groix and Belle Île, he could perform neither. Morard wrote in vain to Navy commissioner Jean Dalbarade to argue for a blockade of the England shores instead. Rear-admiral Kerguelen wrote: