By night he steered thevessel back to the west and the north, hoping to stay near the islands of theCaribbean and the coast of North America in order to be intercepted andsaved. After eight weeks, he got his wish: a U.S. Navy survey ship capturedthe Amistad off Culloden Point, Long Island, and carried the Africans, theSpaniards, the cargo, and the schooner to New London, Connecticut.
This moment really changes the game in the Amistad story when the U.S. Navy finally catches up with the ship. The navigator tricked everyone by sailing west and north at night, which kept the Africans stuck at sea longer than they thought they would be, showing how both vulnerable and strong they were. Once they were captured near Long Island, the whole situation shifted from the ocean to American courts, meaning the Africans' future would depend not on navigation anymore, but on legal battles, politics, and the larger fight over slavery and freedom.