Battle or full sails during combat ??

[Rook]

Its pretty obvoius we all use the same technique by sailing under full canvas. I myself do teh same as everyone else, I just differ my stratagy a little. I'm a war ship guy, usually chasing down Morgon and taking the pink slip to his Heavy Frigate happens early on in my games. Needless to say, that is a lot of canvas that will take a beating, so I really do switch between the two sail states through out the battle. If my prey does not have chain, I worry less and tend to stay full sail. Usually however, after my second or third salvo of chain, they tend to lose the motivation to fire back. Despite my ship size, I usually wont take too much damage overall.
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Loyal subject to the Ruler of the Raging Main
"Imperium Neptuni Regis"

Rook
Managing Editor/Writer
www.hookedgamers.com

[Carey Bean]

Like most other pirates, I think the answer is:
It depends.
I almost always close the enemy under full sail. But as I approach the about-to-be prize, I check whether it has chain shot or not. If not, then I don't need to worry too much about extra damage; if yes, then I do need to worry.

With a 250+ crew aboard my frigate or capacity crew aboard a sloop, I usually reef to turn, so I can keep close enough to the prize to keep grapeshotting its crew to Valhallah.
And usually, when fighting a lumbering old galley or fluyt, I need to reef to sail slow enough not to outpace the enemy.
But if the enemy does have chain shot, I try to keep off its quarter to windward, sails reefed, so I can hammer away without receiving fire myself. I just have to be careful not to pepper galleys with too much roundshot, because they tend to explode and sink, which disappoints my greedy crew.
Carey Bean,
Currently doing business as
Vincent, the one-eared Dutchman
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In Sid we trust, all others pay doubloons

[Airsaw]

and luffing. I use my sails like I'd use a clutch and accelerator. There are no brakes. I fight a maneuver/fire sorta combat. I use my evasive move to approach my prey. As I swing about and set into the next evasive/approach move, I fire. (ideally)

Sometimes, however, current, wind direction (sort of prey), and how beat up you are at the point you should be delivering a coup de gras, (having such accurate gunnery that the approach is the coup de gras,) won't allow you to stick to this sort of blanketing of the enemy. But, it's what I go for, first, and if I see it's not going to work I try to come up with plan B at THAT time. To make this tactic function one must use what wind one has, and the sometimes unfriendly maneuvers of your "prey" make even that iffy. SO, I use the sails like a one-levered throttle/clutch depending on what I think I can pull-off.

Sometimes I get into the position of being chased downwind. I can pivot real fast, unload my cannon, then pivot back real fast to continue to BE chased. I can say...use chainshot with some accuracy, and each hit slows the ship down. At a point, you almost have to use furled sails so as not to race so far ahead you're out of range for chain or grape shot.

It's also helpful to any skipper to be able to approach dead into the eye of the wind and come about at such an angle and speed so as to not LOSE speed headway. Sails again.

Raising them just AS a load of chainshot is coming YOUR way can also prevent sail damage, and prolong the life of your vessel in a combat.

There's enough billowing about billowing, eh?
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[headrock]

You know, I've been zipping around in a canoe today for the first time, and I must say I really like it. It's a whole new way of playing which is so much fun.

But nothing,
and that means nothing,
is worth smacking a Spanish Flag Galleon with a full 48 cannon broadside from maximum round shot range.

And you need your full sails to do that.

[kipmeister]

You just have to be carefull that your full sails don't get so damaged that you are then unable to close and board that tempting target whose crew you have severely damaged with multiple rounds of grapeshot. Like some others here, I prefer to get directly ahead or astern of the target, zigging back and forth pounding them. I've also found it advantageous to go ahead and fire a partial broadside if you are in a good position but would not be in so good a position if you waited for all guns to be loaded.

P.sS. Bring on those scurvy pirate hunters!!

[Airsaw]

[SirMac]

Normally I sail with full sails. I only change in battle when I have Head wind and the opponent has a smaller (faster) ship so he can outmanouver me.