▁additional ▁guns , ▁so ▁high ▁above ▁her ▁water line , ▁made ▁her ▁sail ▁poor ly , ▁leading ▁to ▁her ▁nick name , ▁El ▁P onder oso . ▁It ▁was ▁even ▁suggested ▁by ▁some ▁naval ▁officers ▁that ▁she ▁should ▁be ▁restricted ▁to ▁def ending ▁the ▁Bay ▁of ▁C ád iz . ▁ ▁Sant ís ima ▁Tr in idad ▁remains ▁notable ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁four - de cker ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁ever ▁built . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁constructed ▁the ▁four - deck , ▁ 1 3 6 - gun ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁French , ▁the ▁ 1 2 0 - gun ▁Val my , ▁( both ▁with ▁similar ▁flush ▁deck ▁arrangement ). ▁The ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁planned ▁— ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁build ▁— ▁the ▁ 1 7 0 - gun ▁four - de cker ▁Duke ▁of ▁Kent . ▁ ▁Service ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 7 7 9 , ▁Spain ▁declared ▁war ▁on ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁joining ▁France ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁colon ists ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence . ▁Sant ís ima ▁Tr in idad ▁became ▁the ▁flags hip ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁fleet , ▁taking ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Franco - Span ish ▁operations ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁Channel ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁summer ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 7 8 0 ▁she ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁capture ▁of ▁ 5 5 ▁ships ▁from ▁a ▁British ▁con voy ▁of ▁ 6 3 , ▁esc orted ▁by ▁the ▁ship ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁HMS ▁Ram ill ies ▁and