Tone's roughly written and cramped journal of the voyage is the most vivid account of the French expedition to have survived, and its accuracy is confirmed by the accounts of the other officers. Aside from the continuing disagreements and a remarkable run of bad weather, what emerges most forcibly from these accounts is France's naval ineptitude by contrast with her astounding military record. ‘We set sail like children getting out of school’, wrote one officer, and within sight of port a number of ships, including the Fraternité, collided. Disaster struck before they had even reached the open sea. To avoid the blockading British fleet, a decision was made to sail south, at night-time, via the Pointe du Raz with its treacherous reefs and turbulent seas. Tone learnt from Bedout that the Indomptable had almost struck a rock, in which case ‘we should have gone to pieces in a quarter of an hour’, and Bedout admitted he would rather endure three sea engagements than pass through the Raz again at night.

Others had not been so fortunate. The Séduisant (a 74-gun ship of the line) had foundered near the same spot, with the loss of all but 45 of the 1,300 men on board. Fog and poor visibility the following morning scattered the fleet. Only 17 ships remained together of the original 43, and worst of all the Fraternité was missing, Morard de Galles's signals for a change of course having become confused with the distress signals of the Séduisant. On the night of the 19th they separated again, and in moderate weather, which augured ill for their fate when bad weather set in on the 20th. Tone by this stage was too upset to partake of the military company he so enjoyed, choosing instead to walk alone in the gallery.By then the Fraternité had been blown out into the Atlantic.

The loss of Hoche was irreparable, particularly since he had kept his intentions so secret that many officers did not learn of the expedition's destination until they opened their sealed packets on the 20th.