> There are only so many ships, after all. One of the reasons they kept their bench full, rather than firing the men on it, was because they would try to take

> There are only so many ships, after all. One of the reasons they kept their bench full, rather than firing the men on it, was because they would try to take enemy ships as “prizes” rather than sink them. That meant they needed trained captains and crew at the ready. So at time of war the Royal Navy could grow rapidly.