 From England, the Fleet sailed southwest to Rio de Janeiro, then east to Cape Town and via the Great Southern Ocean to Botany Bay, over the period of 18-20 January 1788, taking 250 to 252 days from departure to final arrival.During the period 25-26 January 1788 the fleet moved from Botany Bay to present-day Sydney.Convicts were originally transported to the Thirteen Colonies in North America, but after the American War of Independence ended in 1783, the newly formed United States refused to accept further convicts.