Hello

you can get a rat totem (it protects you from cargo being destroyed) early on

STEP 1) read the first post on this site (http://www.piratesahoy.net/threads/rat-problem.15711/)

i went to Martinique and talked to Ami (might be random it probably is but select the third option when talking to a prostitute untill one reacts positive) have sex with her and go to tavern to skip a day and go back to have sex with the same prostitute and repeat 5-8 times until she gives you the location of a treasure

YOU WONT GET A LOG ABOUT IT SO READ AND REMEBER IT

my hint was (near belize gulf of death) gulf of death = shore of death all the way in the north of belize

there you will find a ship on the beach SWIM AROUND IT (took me a wile to figure it out) then you are standing on the beach behind the broken ship and walk to the back you see a chest behind a rock and in that 15000 gold and some other ites BUT MOST IMPORTANT the RAT TOTEM