A couple of suggestions from me.
I have tended to find myself stuck in and around the English Harbour area, couple of reasons for this, one is the time I have to play and the fact that I have ships there I want to use. For me to relocate elsewhere would be a big time sink. It took me 2 days of my playable time to get to Jamaica from there once. Anyway, so I was wondering if it might be a good idea to have a way of allowing a player to relocate a ship from one outpost to another. I really wouldn't want to manually go back and forth for best part of my working week ferrying my tiny fleet from the capital to wherever I've chosen to set up shop just so I can sail which ship takes my fancy that day. Doesn't have to be instant, wouldn't mind if it took a couple of days ( real time ), they could teleport invisibly or could sail under AI control ( as long as they get there! ). Or perhaps allow me to add them to a fleet and tag along with my on the Journey. Anyway, think it would be useful ( obviously im not talking about you being able to transfer trade goods or such like this way) and allow people to spread around the map for readily and still have access to their ships. It would I think encourage rather than stifle exploration, as you would only be able to do this to go to an outpost and you can only purchase an outpost in a place you are.
Secondly. Please, please, please, please get rid of shallows in the immediate vicinity of deep water ports. I find it hugely frustrating struggling to get close enough to dock when the wind is against u and there seems to be nothing but one free block of deep water available for u to get into, but you cant as you cant tack cos of the shallows and oh blah blah blah . Just find it irritating, and it serves no gameplay purpose. Or extend the zone the dock button appears in out a little.
Anyway, there you go.