Originally posted by GeoForce:

Originally posted by onebit:

The more you put in the hold the more likely a sea serpent will appear.

LOL Maybe you're right. I have never come across a sea serpent in all my previous sailing, but with 4 stacks of tin in the hold one attacked me while crossing a fairly narrow stretch of water. Chased me all the way to shore and didn't manage to destroy my boat, but severely damaged it even though I ran it ashore in shallows.

If you're quick and lucky you can take them out from shore with a bow. I've gotten a couple that way.

FWIW, the longship survives much better against sea serpents. They're not cheap to build, but they're well worth it when you get to a point when you can build one.