A three-decker could fire downward into the exposed upper works of a two-deck opponent and disrupt the people needed to resist boarding. Attackers who gained the main deck also gained the wheel, masts, and sails that controlled the ship's movement. Sailors remaining below then had to fight upward to recover the vessel from a severe disadvantage. Boarders could compound the problem by entering through lower gun ports while another party attacked from above. These mechanics help explain why ships of the line were more often captured than sunk. Close-action doctrine becomes a struggle for control of the ship's operating spaces rather than a simple comparison of gun totals.
Notable Point · 1:26:31-1:28:29
Boarding mechanics and the capture of ships of the line
High gun decks, raking fire, and control of a ship's deck and sailing machinery explain why wooden warships were often captured rather than sunk.