Currently we are assigned a ship, one of three standard types, when we log in. But what if unique, empty 'unowned' abandonned ships could be found in the world, and commandeered. Ships that are not "tied" to any one player, and therefore can be hijacked, or borrowed, without fear they will be scuttled by the owner. They would be "owned" by whomever is sailing them at any given moment.
So the idea is you find a new, unique abandonned ship out in the world that is not "tied" to a player. It is literally there for anyone to take or steal, and use for their own purposes. It could be of a unique design and quite different in style and capability from our standard ships we choose when we log in. It may also have pre-loaded supplies, cargo, loot, or nothing.
It could have special sails, armor... could be made of iron or other metal, could be old and delapidated, or brand new, ... whatever. It could be really funky and different than anything we have seen before in ship design.
The catch is that these abandonned ships, if sunk, are sunk permanently. They do not respawn. They have one life only for your current gaming session. But you should be able to pass them on to another player if you wish.
Occasionally, another new, unique abandonned ship may appear randomly in the world. Like the rowboats we find, but should not be as numerous as rowboats. These should be rare.
You could then split up your crew and control more than one ship, as a crew. The new ship could be used as a decoy, a trap, or just another ship to add to your "fleet" and carry abundant amounts of loot in one go. Or you could create a fierce fighting force.
They would have to be taken and accepted "As is" though. They also cannot be scuttled by anyone, only sunk. If you were to quit game, they would not sink, unless you destroyed them yourself.
Once sunk, the player would have to mermaid to their "assigned" standard vessel, or find another new abandonned one somewhere else in the world, if one was available.
Thoughts?