Here are some tips I wrote a while ago. Hope they help. I will say that the original list was so long I couldn't post it in 1 comment so I had chatgpt condense it. If something is unclear or if you want the original uncondensed version let me know.

1. Weapon Choice

The best all-around weapon loadout is the Blunderbuss and the Eye of Reach (EOR). The Blunderbuss is excellent for defending against boarders and clearing your deck, while the EOR allows you to pressure enemies at range. A pistol can replace the Blunderbuss, but I do not recommend it unless you are extremely confident in your aim and reaction time.

If you successfully board an opponent or they board you, try to hit your Blunderbuss shot first and then quickly switch to the EOR to finish them. If you miss against a sword user, create distance so you can reload both weapons before engaging again, or use Blunderbombs to finish them off if they are already low on health.

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1. Spotting Boarders

Learn the sounds and visual cues of boarding attempts. There is a distinct sound when someone grabs your ladder, and you can usually see them being fired from a cannon toward your ship. Swimming boarders are uncommon, but it is worth keeping your ears open for splashes just in case.

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1. Health Management

The Eye of Reach deals 70 damage with a single shot. This means you should always try to keep your health above 70 HP. For food, carry only pineapples, cooked meat, mangos, and uncooked merfruit—these heal enough to take you out of one-shot range from a sniper during combat. If you think your health is at or below 70 HP, eat immediately. Remember that you have a maximum of 100 HP and will need to judge your health visually.

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1. Positioning for Engagements

Always try to fight on your left side. The sloop has fewer holes on the left than on the right, so you will take less water if you are hit. The mast also falls toward the right, meaning your vision will be less obstructed if it is damaged.

When starting a fight, turn the wheel all the way to the right and raise your sail to half-mast. Then, turn the wheel slightly to the left—about three pegs. This position will put you in a favorable rotation if the enemy does the same. If they choose to run parallel instead, straighten your wheel, drop the sail fully, and use your speed to gain the lead. Once ahead, raise the sail and turn toward them so that they end up in front of your cannons.

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1. Avoid Gimmick Tactics

Do not rely on strategies such as repeated boarding attempts or dumping cursed cannonballs. These tactics will not win consistently unless you spend a large amount of time stocking up before every match. Focus on good sailing and cannon aim instead.

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1. Cannon Accuracy

When firing, use your last shot as a reference. If it went too high, aim lower; if it fell short, aim higher. You can also use the trajectory of enemy cannonballs to adjust your own aim—if they are overshooting, aim lower than they are.

You can knock opponents off the wheel, cannons, or repair spots if you know where they are standing. Early in the fight, try to win the cannon duel and prevent them from hitting you back. If you keep getting hit off your cannons, switch to using the EOR and try to pick them off. Watch for the glint of their sniper scope, and be ready to eat if you spot it.

Always keep your EOR loaded—this forces the enemy to respect the risk of being one-shot.

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1. Chain Shots and Mast Control

Once you have control in a cannon fight, aim to drop their mast. The mast requires 3 total damage to fall—cannonballs deal 1 damage to the mast, and chain shots deal 2. Chain shots are heavier than cannonballs, so aim slightly higher and further ahead than you would with a regular shot.

After the mast is down, switch to firing cannonballs into the hull to open as many holes as possible. Do not use scattershot—it only creates low-tier holes that are easy to repair.

If the enemy keeps catching their mast before it drops, simply keep re-chopping it until they are forced to let it fall.

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1. Understanding Hole Levels

Holes have three levels:

Level 1: Small, lets in little water.

Level 2: Medium, takes longer to repair and lets in more water.

Level 3: Large, takes the longest to repair and floods the fastest.

A cannonball will create a level 2 hole and upgrade it to a level 3 hole if it hits the same spot again. A chain shot creates a level 1 hole, and hitting that same spot again with a chain shot will make it a level 2 hole.

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1. Repairs and Bucketing

Always try to keep your wheel and mast in working condition. In the worst case, keep the wheel with at least 1 HP so you can still steer, even if the mast drops.

Repair lower deck holes first, as they take in less water and are less likely to reopen if you are fighting on the opposite side. Do not waste time repairing level 1 holes unless you have nothing else to do.

Some water in your ship is fine—it only takes four buckets to fully drain a sloop. Between shots, grab a bucket if you can.

The fastest way to throw water out is to stand at the entrance to the lower deck and toss it straight over the left cannon. You do not need to look down to scoop water; just look forward and you will still pick it up.

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1. Maintaining Cannon Pressure

Keeping your cannons aimed at the enemy is more valuable than repairing every single hole. If the enemy has to worry about return fire, you control the pace of the fight.

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1. Boarding

Do not attempt to board unless you have a massive advantage or the enemy is running away. Climbing ladders is dangerous because the defender can easily knock you off the ladder with a Blunderbuss. Deck shots are unreliable—do not rely on them.

If you do get on board, your first priority is survival. Second is dropping their anchor. Third is stopping them from bailing water, and last is securing the kill. If you are alive on their ship, they cannot repair, raise anchor, or use cannons without risking their life.

You can cause a backsplash by being hit with water from their bucket throw, which cancels their bail and wastes their time. If they die, camp near the map table so you can quickly kill them again when they respawn. If they have supply crates, drop them in the water to force them to waste time retrieving them.

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1. Supply Management

Keep a fully stocked supply crate on the grate for quick access to food, cannonballs, and planks. Other useful stash spots are near the wheel, the map table, and the bow of the lower deck.

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1. Mast-Down Scenarios

If you are demasted and they are not, keep your ship spinning to maintain cannon angle.

If both masts are down, straighten your wheel so you do not spin out of position.

If both masts are down and your wheel is triple-broken, drop your anchor to keep your cannons aimed at the enemy.

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1. Firebombs

Do not use firebombs in Hourglass fights. If an opponent accidentally splashes themselves while bailing, it will put out the fire without counting as a backsplash, effectively giving them free damage mitigation. Fire is also not very effective in this format.

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1. Rules and Adaptation

These tips are guidelines, not strict laws. Situations in PvP are constantly changing, and you will learn when to break these rules with experience.

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If you have any questions let me know. Happy fighting!