 Drury commanded Neptune for the next two years , until his promotion to rear @-@ admiral in 1804 . He departed the ship on 13 May 1804 , and the following day Captain Sir Thomas Williams took over . Neptune spent the rest of 1804 deployed with the Channel Fleet , blockading the French Atlantic ports . During this time Captain Williams ' health progressively worsened , and he was invalided back to Britain on 7 May 1805 . He was replaced by Captain Thomas Fremantle on 8 May , and was sent to join Robert Calder 's force blockading Ferrol , after the Franco @-@ Spanish fleet had arrived there after the Battle of Cape Finisterre . Calder decided that his eight ships were not sufficient to resist Villeneuve 's fleet were it to come out of harbour , and instead went north to join Admiral William Cornwallis 's fleet off Brest . Shortly afterwards Nelson 's fleet returned from the West Indies , bringing 12 more ships , and Calder was given 18 ships , including Neptune , and sent back to Ferrol to search for Villeneuve . By now Villeneuve had put into Cadiz and Calder 's force was ordered to join the hastily assembled British fleet under Vice @-@ Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood , that was blockading the Franco @-@ Spanish fleet at Cadiz . As the British fleet settled in for a long blockade Fremantle commented on Neptune 's sailing qualities . She had the reputation of being slow , and Fremantle complained that he did not like being in ' a large ship that don 't sail and must continually be late in action . ' During the battle however , Midshipman William Baddock commented that ' The old Neptune , which never was a good sailer , took it into her head that morning to sail better than I ever remember to have seen her do before . ' Neptune went into the battle 18 men short of her complement . 
