Fleet canister is missing!

[cesteman]

Don't know if this has been pointed out yet but I created a fleet canister for the USA and moved it to the Norfolk area where I had to frigates operating. I joined them all together and then selected blockade Norfolk. On the next turn, the fleet canister was gone! I created anoter one and sent it to the same operating area and once again it went MIA. I am using the beta patch so I thought I'd post my question here. Ideas?
Christian

[dude]

Was there a fleet already at sea off Norfolk?  I see all the time where I chose blockade and for a turn perhaps they show up bockading (sometimes not) but then pop back into the sea zone.  I may not notice this happen if there's another fleet at Sea in the same zone.  They all wind up stacked together even though one is suppose to be blockading.  Then I'm not sure if the fleet I sent to blockade is still blockading or not but it will be in the Sea Zone and has orders to blockade.
 
Dude.
 
 

[RB]

That has happened to me before. The same exact thing, the fleet has disappeared. I assumed the rebs took them out.

[cesteman]

No other fleet was operating in the area when this happened. Maybe the Rebs did take the the fleet canister out. The two frigates were left in place.
Christian

[Erik Rutins]

Fleet containers seem to be removed if they are at sea without any ships. I'm not sure if this is a bug or by design, Eric will have to answer that. However, to avoid this, when you build a new fleet container first move the ships to it while it's still in port and only move it out once it definitely has some ships/frigates/ironclads.

Regards,

- Erik

[cesteman]

So I guess I will have to port everything until I am ready to depart. Interesting problem. I had two frigates at sea and then moved the feel container to them and then joined them as a group. Strange but maybe your answer is what I was looking for. I wonder, if this is a bug, will it be addressed in the next patch?? Maybe Eric can answer that one.
Christian

[ericbabe]

It's actually not a bug -- the intention was that empty fleets be destroyed at sea, similar to the way that empty military groups are destroyed in enemy territory.

[cesteman]

OK eric, point taken but I think you misunderstand what I was complaining about in my first post. I moved the fleet canister to where I had to frigates operating and joined them all together. Next turn the fleet canister was gone. Could it have been destroyed before they were joined? I am going to take your suggestion and build them all at once and then move them to where I need them.
Christian