obliged Rear Admiral Miguel Grau to renounce to attack and to adopt a harassing strategy, avoiding by all means a direct encounter with the bulk of the Chilean navy. Aboard the monitor Huáscar, Grau made several incursions into Chilean waters, successfully challenging the enemy's domination along the coast. Under his command, Huáscar sank or captured 14 transports, one of them carrying an entire cavalry regiment. This last setback was considered a humiliation by the Chilean public opinion, and sparked several protests against the government. Besides, the Commander of the Chilean fleet Juan Williams Rebolledo resigned on 5 August. His poor command left his ships incapable of sailing without important repairs. The Chileans lost almost a month restoring the vessels to combat condition again. Therefore, the newly appointed Commander of the Navy, Commodore Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas, couldn't sail until September. By 30 September, Riveros was notified that the corvette Unión was sailing to Panamá to escort five small ships with torpedoes bought from the United States. The Chilean fleet sailed again on 1 October, now carrying War Minister Rafael Sotomayor. The preceding week, the government had ordered the fleet to hunt down the Huáscar at all cost. In a council held aboard Riveros' flagship, the armored frigate Blanco Encalada, it was decided to set course to Arica, hoping to find Huáscar there. But, on 7 October, Riveros was informed that Grau had been sighted sailing north at Coquimbo, halfway between Arica and Valparaíso. Therefore, a new strategy was set up to capture the Peruvian monitor. Divided in two divisions, Riveros with the slower ships would move close to shore, while Latorre would sail about 35 km from shore with the faster ships. So, the fleet was divided as it follows: 1st Division—Commodore Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas. Armored frigate Blanco Encalada: Commodore Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas Wooden schooner Virgen de Covadonga: Lt. Captain Manuel Orella Transport Matias Cousiño : Lt. Captain Augusto Castleton. 2nd Division—Commander Juan Jose Latorre Armored frigate : Commander Juan Jose Latorre Corvette O'Higgins : Lt. Captain Jorge Montt Alvarez Gunned Transport Loa : Lt. Captain Javier Molinas Gacitua. Chilean strategy On 1 October, Riveros gathered his officers and communicated the order of hunting down the Peruvian vessel at Arica. The same day, Grau in his flagship Huáscar ordered to sail along the coast as far south as Coquimbo, accompanied by the corvette Unión. Since the Chilean fleet sailed close to