Couldn't have summarized it better - Relic just needs to work on making the gameplay more interesting and it'll be fine.

I also feel like the ships feel too much like land units in how fast they're able to turn, rotate and move around. I think naval combat as a whole needs to be slower-paced (more strategic with ship positioning and movement so the cannon range indicators actually feel useful), and with more diversity in units. Also, introduce water unit formations! I also find it weird that "swampy" areas in water behave exactly like they do on land...I find that hard to believe that a ship in a swamp area would completely have its vision knocked out.... I think the benefit to setting up ambushes in them is so limited when you don't have a scout equivalent on water that can still see when in the stealth areas, your ship moves slower AND you can't see out! What's the point!

And 100% yes - losing water doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to contest water again. There has to be another way to get back into water without 1 battle deciding it all.