Note that sometimes in coastal waters, small (coastal) boats seem to trump big (deep sea) ones (or I just have a lot of bad luck ) Straits of Gibraltar and the Adriatic seem particularly bad for this. In one recent battle (as English, attacking Spanish fleet) I lost a 4* barque to a 0* barque, then lost 2 barques and 2 caravels to the same one (which had gained a star from the previous battle!) This was in the dreaded SoG. So beware