How much does "maritime law" apply to a shooting war where the entire goal is "if he won't strike sink the other guy by ram if need be," though?

Personally, I'd be tempted to flip a shallow turn one way then hard the other trying for a center-broadside rake... question is would I rather direct it into hull or rigging? May not be realistic, but in Sid Meier's Pirates my favorite trick was a drive-by chainshotting then hit with more raking chains from range, then rake with grape until the decks were as much a slaughterhouse as Bucentaure after Nelson's 68# double-shotted-carronade opening salvo.