Just an FYI... anyone looking for relatively cheap and close to scale ship models I've discovered a small selection of 3D Puzzle Ships that look like they are going to work pretty well. You can scan ebay to find most of them, but some will show up on Amazon or other places. Best prices I've seen is on ebay however. They run about $15-$20 each.
I've ordered five ships from four different models all made from a company called "CubicFun". There are more, but I picked up a "Xebec" type ship by the name of "Mystic", a "Black Pearl", the "Santa Maria" and a "Yacht Mary". I'm probably going to take a sharp knife and some superglue to them and modify the bottoms so they sits close to what the water-line would be.