Add a workshop, a new crafting station on the ship which will require planks to craft these items. Pirates were known to have carpenters on their ship for such a purpose.
Crafts
- Rowboat
For when you can't find any. - Keg
To store more grog, can be filled up at taverns. - Barrel
Very heavy to carry, large inventory, destructible, repairable, resource specific, cannot be sold to merchants. - Crate
Easy to carry, destructible, repairable, resource specific, can be sold to merchants when filled. - Ram Upgrade
Will do increased damage when ramming into ships. - Hull Upgrade
Ship is less likely to obtain holes from colliding damage. - Repair Hull
Takes away all the holes on your ship, putting planks should only band-aid the problem. Holes should become bigger and generate more water as shots get fired within it.
And much much more...


