I honestly think it depends on what they'll be doing (if anything) with the next Pillars. If the setting is a place like Rauatai which - if I'm not mistaken - is also divided between a mainland and several peripheral islands, then keeping the ship as a stronghold is a good idea. However, if the idea is to follow the game in the Living Lands for example, I don't feel a ship would fit the setting all that much. In that case you could either make a "colony" you start building in the lands your stronghold, or, alternatively, the explorer's caravan that would follow you about as you delve deeper into the jungles and so on. Either of them would present some pretty logical and organic options for a base that you could upgrade and expand and improve and so on, within that particular setting. But again, it really falls down to what we're really looking at as a follow-up.