This is Naval Action. If you sink in PVP, you need to replace your ship, your repairs, your upgrades and your cannons. You need to replace *everything*. And you get no reward.
It would be completely frivolous to reward players just for their time spent in the game and replace their ship just for some pocket change that is smaller than the reward of a lost battle so everyone walks away with a profit. I mean what is this, World of Tonks? Nope, it's Naval Action Lege... aw damnit, I almost had it.
By the way, I'd suggest that instead of reinforcement zones spawning first rates, battles in reinforcement zones stay open forever for the defending side, and every time defenders join, a one minute timer for the attacker starts for them to bring more ships in.