Boarding Ships
During a boarding action the crew of one ship will attempt to take over another with a combination of melee and support from missile troops. With your own ship selected, click on the boarding button and then pick a target vessel to order your ship to close with it and send an armed group aboard to capture it. Boarding actions call for a high degree of skill and courage in the troops taking part, and can be cancelled at any time by de-selecting the button or by issuing a contradictory order.
Capture of Ships
Following victory in a sea battle, and dependent on having an empty space for a ship in your fleet, there is a chance that the vanquished enemy's ships will be captured. If this occurs they will appear on the post-battle statistics panel. The crew will be replaced by your own men.