IMO, the capstan determines too many ship vs ship fights.
there are now more options to slowing down a ship, including damaging masts, the helm, and the capstan itself with accurate cannon hits. to not include what was recently added, forcing a ship to run into an obstacle or dealing with the actual crew before doing anything are effective and bold strategies (i could go on). but because dropping the anchor of another ship is a lot easier than recovering from it, this has been the meta strategy since day one. it is just too rewarding.
i could also argue that it has become even more of a meta since players can now damage the capstan and force it to drop while damaging its handles. this is too much for ships with a lower elevation than the galleon.
thus, i feel as if the capstan needs a re-balance.