Pirates is not an event for the weary. Already on Server one, people below 2-3 million power have simply quit sailing at all, to avoid "feeding" the bigger players. If you have any in-game enemies, don't count on getting across 3 or 6 times daily. Still, with this stuff happening, I don't see a reason to change it much, or at all. It's simply not intended for the faint of heart.
Consider it something to aspire towards, or ignore it and use Guild Warfare to get those last 5 gems daily.