An English ship shown in a gale, together with other shipping. To the left is a small ship with men in the rigging shown furling the sail. In the right foreground a Dutch fishing craft known as a hooker is bringing down her sail. In the left middle-distance is a ship with a number of figures on deck and several more in the rigging. In the right background is a ship at anchor. She has a pendant at the main and a flag at the fore. There are several other ships at anchor in the distance all riding out the storm. Although there is some blue sky immediately above the ship, the rest of the sky is filled with dark and heavy storm clouds.