Viewed from Galleon's Point on the north side of the Thames, the 50-gun ship, with the stern of a bomb ketch visible beyond her, is lying at the lower end of Woolwich Reach. Both ships fly the red ensign and on the larger one the crew are depicted working on deck. A ship's boat full of men is rowing towards these vessels from the right A small hoy is anchored in the foreground to the left and in the foreground to the right two men are shown talking over a fence. One with a white shirt and red breeches holds a stick in his right hand and the other leans on the fence and gestures with his right hand towards the river. Behind them other shipping is visible, with Woolwich parish church and the Royal Dockyard upstream of it (to the right) on the south bank of the river. On the far left two more ships are at anchor in the distance off the buildings of Woolwich Arsenal. The painting is signed and dated 'T. Mellish Pinx 1748'