After reading this thread:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/228...x-or-just-plai

I found these quotes:

After reading the Aubrey/Maturin series I did a lot of research on the best balanced (fun game/realism) miniatures rules. Initially I tried close Action (not strictly miniatures, but can be played with them) but them came across Post Captain. This really is an excellent game - read some of the AAR's on the web (poss via TMP) and you'll find you're hooked. Gives a really good narrative - refined but easy to implement sailing model, plus a very granular damage model.
Makes for great games, with a large number of scenarios & a vast array of vessels, from sloops to 120 gunners. Also has boat & even land actions. For an age of sail gamer, IMO a must have.
We also looked around for a suitable one-to-one or small squadron set of rules. We decided on Post Captain. I produced a detailed illustrated AAR on the game with an explanation how it works - might help you decide.

Link to BBG document

We use War Artisans paper models which look good and are cheap!

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This is an interesting discussion. Back in the day, I played a lot of WSIM, but it was a little cumbersome for larger fleet actions. Now for fleet actions, I play Flying Colours. Flying Colours has some generalisations and simplification compared to WSIM but it does play quick and gives a reasonably historical result. I don't think Flying Colours works well for small or one-to-one ship actions, even using the Serpent of the Seas content. I picked up a copy of Close Action and liked the rules but for the jump-up in complexity, I just didn't like the constraints of a hex grid - which is why I ended up using miniatures and the Post Captain ruleset.
I've played several rulesets/games including Close Action, Post Captain, Heart of Oak, Sails of Glory & WSIM plus a multitude of free games out there. I like age of sail so I enjoyed/enjoy them all, though they cover a broad spectrum.
However, if I were to write a set of rules that encompassed all of the good points from the above games, whilst trying to match playability with enough complexity & historical accuracy to make the game satisfying for the historical nerd in me, I think I'd come up with something very like Post Captain.
I suspect this was the exercise its designers went through, and it shows. Its a very clever, slick & well designed piece of work, which should appeal to gamers & age of sail readers alike.
Heres another AAR

This system seems like a FANTASTIC step up from Sails of Glory, and by adding clear bases to the SoG ships, i dont even have to change scale, terrain, or ships. I recently purchased and printed the rules, and It already seems fantastic.

This wont replace SoG. The rules are just so easy to teach, and so scalable from Beer and Pretzels to serious, but Post Captain seems like the perfect full fledged game, with rules for signaling, shore actions, and the full range of Age of Sail goodness