André Geraque Kiffer 
Naval Battles In The 17th Century [EPUB ebook] 

From the beginning to the mid-seventeenth century, several navies, especially those in the Netherlands and England, began to use new combat techniques. Previously, as we have noted, battles were often fought by large fleets of ships approaching and boarding enemy ships as opportunities presented themselves. The evolution of naval cannons during the first half of the 17th century soon led to the conclusion that the fleet needed to try to fight in a single line to make the most of its firepower, without one ship getting in the way of the other. The tactic was used by both sides in the Anglo-Dutch wars and was codified in instructions for combat, which formed the basis of the entire tactical system of the 17th and 18th centuries in the naval war. The search for the height advantage given by the bow and stern castles has been reduced, now that approach combat was less essential. The need for maneuver in battle made the castles weight and center of gravity a disadvantage. Then they shrunk, making the ship of the line lighter and more maneuverable than its ancestors, with the same firepower. As an additional consequence, the hull itself got bigger, allowing the size and number of cannons to also increase.