So after much fighting...I came to a realization and put it to practice and it really does work.
There's no situation I can think of in a boarding fight where you want food on board your ship.
Now let me clarify. You dont want fruit.
You want uncooked meat/fish. Uncooked food does almost no healing so it's perfect for storing future health (over healing or if you're desperate to replenish your personal inventory).
It's really a hillarious strategy omg. I watched so many PvP'ers drop dead on my ship this weekend because I left them NO food.
The way it works for you is you over heal and keep 5 of the best fruit you can on your person. Pineapples for instance.
I reasoned that this would work amazingly well, because there is no scenario where food ON YOUR ship gives you ANY advantage.
It's only an advantage for the enemy boarder.
First. If you are boarded one of two things will happen.
You will die, or you will kill them.
If you kill them, they are gone for quite some time and you can reassess your situation.
If you are dead here is where the no food strategy gets them real good.
Spawn campers rely upon ONE thing. Your food.
Without it they will die quickly from attrition.
This allows you to more quickly recover your ship.
Which is the real threat. Not the boarder.
We all know what being anchored or demasted means.
But if they have to send more players to camp, or dont have more players, then advantage you.
The over heal is best used for resurrections.
Because you come back with what...25% health?
And the over heal makes you more useful.
Over heal never seemed useful in a fight because it doesnt advantage you until you win the fight.
And if you're anchored you better win.
And if you dont. You better not have left 25 beautiful pineapples for your tormentor to live off of while you try to fight them spawn camping you.
I urge everyone to think of this logic.
Having fruit helps you in no way. None.
You're just feeding your enemy. While as a last resort you have infinite health for the price of a little ferryman to take you to your spawn point.