Sails at War

From BoardGameGeek:

A fast, card-driven game of ship-to-ship combat in the age of sail. No miniatures, no measuring - just a deck of cards, a table, and a fleet you're willing to risk. Warship types include Ships of the Line, Frigates, Sloops, and Pirates. Each ship card contains a historic name and country of origin. Merchant ships are created by generic types in the age of sail, during the 1700s to early 1800s. The game play main mechanic is driven by a simple "Draw a card", "Play a card" mechanic. The player can also choose to sell merchants to gain more Warships, or send a Pirate out to capture a merchant. Victory points are gained by each player in a series of rounds. Points are obtained by sinking enemy warships, and shepherding their own merchant fleet to safety. -description from the designer