@br0crastinat0r said in PSA: Don't leave your loot on the island even, even during Captain battles because if you merge; you lose it. Put them in the rowboat instead, they go with you.:
@personalc0ffee just out of curiosity, was your anchor down when they occurred?
I know where this is going and I have to put this to rest. Having your anchor down does not enable you to be merged and keeping it up does not prevent a merge. This is an urban myth. If the system is going to merge you, you're going to get merged.
You can be merged on an island, if the anchor is up, if people are climbing the ladder and if the anchor is down; it literally does not matter. If the system has found a place to put you for a merge after it's determined it is required; The player can not take or do actions to prevent a system merge, once it has begun. The only thing that can stop a merge, is the merging system itself and I"m pretty sure that doesn't happen.
Now, someone can absolutely correct me on this but I think the only time you will not be merged is if you have crew in open water and not on anything like a rowboat, an island, or the ship. I believe if someone is actively swimming in the water, it will not merge you if it is trying but you will be merged ASAP once conditions are met like if all crew return to the ship, for instance.
It's all tall tales and urban myths built on misinformation that you can stop or prevent a merge. You can not.