Wouldn't worry about the gunboats too much. True, they are small, but remember that NPC coding doesn't fire those guns continuously. Hide inside one of the less powerful arcs and you should be fine. I think Orcas would be more painful to PCs, especially bigger targets that trigger the forward gun. NPC Bottlenose? Couple of torpedoes does the trick. Does the trick for any NPC funboat.
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.