Switching Modes
Once a naval chase catches its quarry, the pursuer sets the terms for switching to sailing or boarding combat, so it can't slip away.
Parent page Naval Conflicts
You might want to transition from one type of naval conflict to another. Most commonly, this happens when one crew in sailing combat wants to move to boarding combat. Check at the end of the round whether the ships are close enough for the crews to board one another.
If one ship is pursuing another in a naval chase, you might switch modes when they catch their quarry. Let the pursuer decide the terms on the engagement, including whether they jump to sailing combat or boarding combat and where their ship ends up positioned. This is especially important so that a faster ship cannot simply run away again after being caught.