Part of the problem to me at least is the fact that there is no clear definition between warships and merchant ships. I almost wish there was.
Warships of the era came in all sizes, from very small to very large. They generally had three duties: 1.) Blockading enemy harbours (which doesn’t really apply here.); 2.) Patrolling the sea lanes; and 3.) Convoying the merchant ships from place to place. The larger the ship, the more likely she would be found away from the coastlines.
Merchant ships also came in different sizes and shapes, from small coasters with no guns and inefficient gunnery crews, through poorly armed ships with large fighting crews, to well-armed ships with poorly trained crews, to ships like the Dutch and Honourable East India Co's ships which were well armed and well crewed and considered about equal to some of the nations’ warships.
The merchant ships, of course, would sail from port to port. Some of the richer ones would be escorted by a warship. Others might be put into convoy and escorted by groups of warships.
So to my way of thinking, there should be some kind of distinction between merchant ships and warships. The warships could be patrolling the coastlines or the sea lanes or escorting the more important merchant ships. The merchant ships should be sailing from port to port. You should have to get through the warships to get to the merchant ships – at least the ones carrying reasonably valuable cargos.
I would guess that the cursed ships should all be warships, and should be patrolling the sea lanes.
None of them should be sailing around in circles.
Crimson Rose
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