Very interesting considerations Shipmates. Like most of you I tailor the rules which I include to the type of game I am playing and audience. However until crew numbers diminish I always treat actions as automatic. it is only when the cost of the action becomes critical that such considerations are made. This speeds up a game considerably whilst a lot of ships are in action, and as they are gradually lost there is more time for the niceties with those remaining.
Although i play to the rules on fire power I have always felt that not being able to load and fire the guns because all the crew were engaged in other tasks a bit of a double jeopardy because you lose firepower steadily as the ship is damaged anyway. From my readings when the guns fall silent it is usually about the time that the ship strikes .
Rob.