Treating the sailing technicalities as technobabble was my approach to O'Brian, too. I can believe that it's accurate, but at least after the first book it's easy not to let it get in the way. I remember that I read the first book and wasn't wild about it. Then I started the second -- and stopped with an effort four or five books later, so that I could ration out the rest at a rate of one a month or so.