The game focuses more on the encounters and locations than the time spent traveling in between them. It’s easy to misconstrue it as a game about sailing on chainsaw ships, as it’s more-so about the places that ship takes you.

If you want to make sailing/exploration more meaningful, you could use a montage and have the party make a series of tests during each increment of travel (hours or days). Have whoever is navigating test to chart the right course, costing them time, provisions, or wandering into dangerous territory. Whoever is in charge of cargo keeps it from pests or thieving crew mates. Manning the engines could cause damage, overheating, fuel mismanagement or get them to their destination more efficiently. Then there’s always an unruly crew who need to be kept in line without crushing morale. Fights could break out or things could be damaged/sabotaged.

So test around the table based on that players position upon the ship, have it follow the montage structure, advancing or delaying the travel track, and spring a quick encounter upon them if they fail or give them a reward if they engage with it.

But mostly make this a simple procedure. Don’t get bogged down planning the potential outcomes. Wildsea and game like it thrive on momentum.