Quote Originally Posted by Durallan View Post
I can only guess that it may be that these ships have carpenters on board and that when a ships hull gets that low, they need to do some emergency repairs?
That's true... all ships would have a carpenter and carry plugs of various sizes (drat, there's a word for it and I can't remember!), and spare timber for repairs. It could also be just a gameplay decision to give the player a little more challenge when attacking, so it isn't a one-shot kill, and at least a chance when on the defensive.