I have been on the server for a year now, and honestly, I agree. Teleporting is super useful, but I think removing it would be more beneficial in the long term.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but this has been asked for and rejected by the owner multiple times. Staff is currently, as he has said before, working on a world without teleportation to allow better use of the ships (and no, I do not know when it will be done), but the server will not be removing teleportation from the server we have. Let’s say we did; we’d also have to remove the /warp, /homes, /tpa and /tpahere, /back, and more. Basically, we’d have to remove all of those because any of them could and would be used in place of teleportation (obviously /tpa and /tpahere is the teleportation we have rn); it would completely change (and break) most of the server. I for one have always advocated more ship usage, to the point of using ships to trade between other players and crews rather than teleportation (when applicable; obviously, someone on the far side of the server that wants to trade a stack of food for a stack of wood or something I would just teleport to).
This does not mean, however, that I believe completely removing all forms of teleportation would be good for the server (as would be required for ships to have use in the way that you are asking). Something that has been said before by the owner I will repeat: “Just because you can teleport to the shops doesn’t mean you have to…” (it goes on for a while). The same principle is true when applied to ships (in part because that was a large part of the question he was answering, ships going to player-made markets) – Just because you can teleport doesn’t mean you have to.
Finally, I would like to wrap up my argument by going over what would change if you were to remove teleportation (and by necessity explain why we are not going to be removing it from PMC). Firstly, homes, including many spawners, towns, cities, and other constructs players have made over the course of 8 years would be lost. I speak on a personal level when I say that I would lose multiple towns if homes were removed. Warps? If you remove warps, you remove access to the market and shops that so many players use. This would probably destroy our eco, forcing players and crews to produce what they need by themselves or be forced to go thousands of blocks by ship to trade for what they need. This, of course, assumes that they are on the water. If not (and many players won’t be, as the waterside areas have filled up over the course of the server), they will be forced to trek over land before going to the water, possible having to get permission from another player/crew in order to use their docks. In other words, uselessness to our eco, crashing it into oblivion. This, I would hope, is obviously not good. /back is a donator perk that would cease to exist, something that has been frowned upon by the owner many times over. Newer players would not be able to play together without walking immense amounts of blocks (how many times have you heard deckhands asking to be teleported to one another because they want to play together?), and probably losing them in the process.
All of this, and more, are the reasons we should not and will not be removing teleportation to force ships to have a use. Ships do, however, already have a few uses.
Firstly, friendly ship battles take place on occasion; you could either see if you could join one, or, if you’re interested, even host one yourself. Just ask around and see who would want to participate!
I know that ship races have happened before, and I’m sure that given enough time, another one could be organized. You would just have to ask.
Finally, as I said earlier, we have traded with ships before, and occasionally trading fleets will go out from various ports. Ask around, maybe join up with one that you might enjoy? It isn’t that we have a lack of use of ships (though, as I previously stated, I do wish they were used more than they are now regardless). It is simply a matter of finding what we DO have already, and doing it.
Teleportation could be removed, but it wouldn’t be worth it, not with the heavy cost it entails. Rather, I would steer you towards trying to find a ship activity already being done and participating with that. If I can answer any other questions, don’t hesitate to let me know. Thank you!

I have been playing for quite a while and has the sailor rank. my base where i have multiple people living has shops but everyone always does /warp shop. I think some teleports should be kept such as /Home /warp spawn. and stuff like /warp should be gone to encourage small player owned markets and shops. and local trade and more involvement rather than. It might eve improve the economy and make crew have a new trading front for politics! overall some teleport need to be deleted and some should stay.