Why ships keep fighting in dangerous seas

How bad must the sea be before ships stop fighting and focus only on survival?

Incredibly bad; ships would normally try to manage the sea and continue fighting at the same time.

Conditions would have to be extraordinarily severe before opposing ships stopped shooting to concentrate only on avoiding being swamped. Crews would normally attempt to handle the ship and continue fighting at the same time. Combat pressure can force seamanship, damage control, and weapons employment to proceed together.