I feel like this game would really do with one last feature in the form of another piece of equipment: a friggin' rope with a grappling hook, much like what was added by Ubisoft in Far Cry 4. It could be used for exploration, climbing cliffs and such, but also, and mainly, for boarding other ships. By adding a couple of "anchoring" points across the ships, let's say at the tip of the mast, the yard, the gaff or the boom, and also all across the railings on the sides of the deck, players could easily attach themselves to passing ships in an effort to board them. Awesome action scenes would unfold with players swinging from one mast to another, adding a great element of verticality to boarding battles. The tool could also be used for a plethora of other features added later on: attach a smaller ship you've taken from another player to tow behind your bigger boat (to sell maybe?), trail behind your own boat while exploring the ocean's depths (I've seen this idea posted before), etc.
TL;DR - Add ropes and grappling hooks for boarding/swinging action sequences!
