 He was appointed in command of the destroyer HMS "Spiteful" on 11 January 1901, as she was serving in home waters, and was in charge when she ran aground near the Isle of Wight the following month and during a collision with sister ship HMS "Peterel" in October.After a year with the "Spiteful", he was appointed in command of HMS "Dove" on 24 February 1902, serving in the Channel Fleet as part of the Portsmouth instructional flotilla.In May 1902, the ship hit a rock off Kildorney, and had to be towed by her sister ship HMS "Bullfinch" to Queenstown, and later back to Portsmouth for repairs.