After her arrival in France, "Confiance" was commissioned as a merchantman under Paul Castanet from May 1802. By late 1803, she served in Muros, Spain, under Captain Roque and later under Papin. On 4 June 1805, HMS "Loire" attacked the town of Muros, in Spain, and captured "Confiance", as well as her consort "Bélier". "Loire" had six men wounded in the landing party that captured a fort, a battery, and the two vessels, and nine men wounded on "Loire" by fire from the batteries before the British could capture them. The Spaniards lost 12 men killed, including the commander of the fort and "Confiance"s 2nd captain, and 30 men wounded, including most of "Confiance"s officers. Captain Frederick Maitland, of "Loire", reported that "Confiance" was a "very fit Ship for His Majesty's Service; is reckoned to sail excessively fast; was to have gone to Sea in a few Days, bound to India, with a Complement of 300 men". Maitland burnt "Bélier", which he described as also fitting for sea, "supposed to be destined to cruise to Westward of Cape Clear." The action led to promotion to Commander for Lieutenant James Lucas Yeo, who commanded the cutting out party. Lloyd's Patriotic Fund awarded a sword worth 150 guineas to Maitland, and two swords, each worth 50 guineas, to lieutenants Yeo and Mallock. The British commissioned "Confiance" into the Royal Navy in June as an 18-gun sloop under the newly promoted Commander James Yeo, and for the Channel. ("Confiance" kept her status as a sloop until 1807, when the Admiralty re-rated her as a sixth rate. She remained at Plymouth from 19 June to 14 March 1806 undergoing fitting out.)  "Confiance" shared with , , and in the proceeds from the recapture on 11 January 1807 of the schooner "Monarch". On 18 August, as "Confiance" was sailing to Oporto, Yeo received information that the "Reitrada", a small Spanish privateer lugger that had been active along the coast of Portugal, was anchored at La Guardia. Yeo sent in a cutting out party in "Confiance"s boats. They captured the lugger, which was armed with one 12 and two 4-pounder guns, and had a crew of 30 men.