I think this would be even harder. Whilst the ship has a lot of kinetic energy that needs to get dissipated, it also has a huge momentum that needs to be partly

I think this would be even harder. Whilst the ship has a lot of kinetic energy that needs to get dissipated, it also has a huge momentum that needs to be partly overcome to redirect it. You’d also need a material with enough structural strength to turn the ship. Materials that can crumple or deform (like huge concrete blocks or earthworks) are great at dissipating energy, but they aren’t great at deflecting things.