Hello, I'm fairly new to the pirate faction and enjoy it completely. I love the rundown feeling of the island but have a few suggestions that I believe could help. Granted I'm fairly new to the island and have no clue about programming 
so grain of salt on that.
First, removal of the portal to sencliff. Now, I understand for balancing the portal is there for non inked players to come to sencliff attack reave and shop, etc, etc. But it's also a home of pirates and sailors. So making access only available by ship, or smuggler would make sense. Most retaliatory strikes against sencliff end up effecting newer low leveled players who are doing writs on the island, as majority of high leveled players are out at sea for there attacks. Making it harder to get access to the cliff in itself could balance it out for newer players to the faction at low levels.
To balance the removal of the portal, I suggest having a north and south dock. This in turn would make defending harder as people would be split between both docks in the event of an attack. As the pirates are a sea faction I also believe these changes would force other settlements to utilize there ships more in pvp stirring up sea battles. As of right now majority of retaliation is through ground raids coming from the portal leading to the problems listed above.
In mind of a new dock, I feel it could be utilized to bring in new player quarters, derelict ships. Unfit to sail the sea they could be strapped to the dock, or on the shorelines and used for improvised player homes, which imo is fairly fitting for the pirates. Also, because every DND sea fairing campaign I have played seems to have had one. A Galleon turned into a tavern with smaller rentable rooms.
Lastly, a defense bell system like the ones implemented in Brog, and Guldo. To raise awareness in town about attacks.
I understand that the pirates are mostly at sea, so defending the island seems like a moot issue, but as a player I'd like to see the island thrive, and anytime there is an attack the cliff becomes barren as there is little to do other then hide or run to the ships.
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.