A depiction of a ship of the Honourable East India company, in starboard-bow view and apparently starting to take in sail on her foremast. She is flying a masthead pennant at her main truck and the red and white striped jack and ensign of the Company, and has an ornately carved lion figurehead. Figures can be seen on the deck and several members of the crew are at work in the rigging. Land is visible on the far right, with the depiction of a tower close to the cliff edge. Lower land is shown on the far left, where a British warship in starboard-quarter view can be seen in the distance and another at anchor on the horizon. Since Monamy was trained as a house painter it has been suggested that this painting may have been part of his decorations of supper-boxes at Vauxhall Gardens. However, engravings of the work he did for Vauxhall show this was not the case, although the curious composition suggests it may originally have been part of a larger picture.

Monamy, a self-taught artist, was influenced by van de Velde the Younger, and may have worked in his studio. Signed 'P. Monamy'.