Why I like Byzantines the best.

[Brainiac18]

It's a seafaring bonus. Dromons and other ships of seafaring civs are less likely to sink in unsafe waters than those of non-seafaring civs.

oh, right. So its just seafaring bonus, the dromon itself doesn't reduce the chance of sinking in the sea or ocean..

 

[Optional]

I think it goes 66% chance of sinking for a non-seafaring, 50% for seafaring, but just my experience, it seems like it is even less. I'm currently doing a 20K game as the Byzantines, and my Curragh made it across the first time..

That's just my experience as well. Of course, what makes the odds for seafaring better is that their vessels are faster, so they need to make less stops in unsafe water. Where your seafaring curragh had to make 3 stops, a non-seafaring curragh would have had to make 4 or 5 stops, each with a 2 out of 3 chance of sinking. Such odds can easily make those chance runs become frustrating, and if I'm in a bit of war - which is the usual - I rather build catapults if I'm not seafaring.

 

[Calis]

I am not 100% sure, but I believe the seafaring vessels have a 75% chance to stay on the right side of the surface

 

[Brainiac18]

Ddromons really are good! They can kill by bombarding, just like stealth bombers, in C3C, bombard to the death!

 

[Optional]

I am not 100% sure, but I believe the seafaring vessels have a 75% chance to stay on the right side of the surface

Yes, you are right, and I was wrong, as I found this: http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/sinking_chances.php
In short: 75% chance of survival for seafaring, 50% for non-seafaring (of each interturn in unsafe waters). Difficulty level has no effect.