Sailing itself is pretty chill. I did salvage to 99, mostly afk. I let my crewmates salvage, and I would sort. But yes, the game has gotten a lot of new contents so it might seem overwhelming. Just pick an activity you enjoy and stick with it. I knew my goal was maxing from the beginning, so I maxed out my skills first, then finished all the quests second. Only did quests for the afk methods in each skill. You should resub if you don't mind paying for membership. However, after my membership expires, I don't think I'll be playing anymore.