Shipyards reduce labor hour requirements instead of requirement (with exceptions).

[Cragger]

I feel that the current requirement to have a shipyard to produce any ships is both a heavy entry fee at 50,000 just to build a cutter to new players lacking experience and likely to have setbacks as well as being unhistorical.

 

Many unrated ships, sixth rates, even some ships of the line where built on simply the beach and not in any specific shipyard facilities or ways. I remember the Dutch building or at least rebuilding one 64 gun ship on the beach near Java, though the name escapes me. I will try to research it.

 

Now for the truly large ships such as 3rd,2nd, and 1st rates making ship yards being a requirement for some investment might be a good thing and would reflect in some ways the facilities to properly fit and rig such ships.

 

Discuss your thoughts. 

Edited March 11, 2016 by Cragger

[Henry d'Esterre Darby]

I think I'd be ok with producing 6th rates without a yard.  Once you go up to 5th rates, it's time to own a shipyard.

 

While I'm sure larger ships were careened or repaired without a yard from time to time, building them without a perfect surface on which to lay the keel probably didn't happen.