Complex sentence: Hotham's ships anchored in the Gulf of La Spezia after the action, and on 17 March were struck by a heavy gale, in which the damaged "Illustrious" broke the tow rope to the frigate and began to drift towards the coast.
Split into simpler sentences: Hotham's ships anchored in the Gulf of La Spezia after the action, and on 17 March were struck by a heavy gale. The damaged "Illustrious" broke the tow rope to the frigate and began to drift towards the coast.