The fluff text says HMS Dover is England's standard
ship. If so, that's a pretty high standard. The
Dover is in good shape to fight, collect gold, ram
and board, or any combination of the three, for a
very fair price.
I have to compare her to a similar ship, the
Darkhawk II, which is usually considered one of the
best ships in the game. Both have the same point
cost and masts, and similar cannons (the Darkhawk
has 2S instead of 3S). The Pirate ship also has a
much bigger cargo hold, while the Englishman is a
bit faster and doesn't slow down when she's full.
I'd go so far as to say this is the English Darkhawk,
high praise indeed.
The Dover ought to have a Captain, or one of
England's combination captain/world-haters like
Hermione Gold. A Helmsman could be worthwhile if
you're going to fight and gather gold on the same
cruise; I'd leave him off if your sole goal is
fighting. With just the Captain, HMS Dover's
sail-away cost is only 13 points, very reasonable
indeed for a ship that can execute any mission.
Include her in your fleet if you can.
