Similar to that of most rpg games where you can socket gems in to swords to make them stronger.
You can socket weapons and machinery to ships to make them stronger, examples below.
How it works
Each type of ship have different max socket slots numbers.
Howker - Sloop of War (1 slot)
Galleon - Merchantman (2 slots)
Trade Galleon - War Galleon (3 slots)
Frigate - Flag Galleon (4 slots)
Large Frigate - Ship of the Line (5 slots)
We could have tech or voodoo that increases the max slots limit or decrease it.
You can spend 20 credits to buy 1 random object for socketing.
You can sell them to the game for 10 credits each.
You can remove them from a slot with 5 credits.
You can earn them by completing achievements, winning a fight against a npc fleet, plundering ships that has already a socket.
You can't remove a socketed item from a ship that is in a fleet with 3 or more danger.
Examples of the weapons and machinery :
Greek Fire
Max number on a ship : 1
Increases damage of dealt by ship by 10%
Silk Sails
Max number on a ship : 3
Increases travel speed by 5% and increases chance of evade shots by 1%
Max stack bonus : Increases travel speed by 5%
Steam engine
Max number on a ship : 1
Increases travel speed by 10% and increases chance of evade shots by 5%
Hmm, I hope I didn't miss anything.
That's all I think.