Gondor's Navy - through the Years

[Valandil]

The Numenoreans were great sea-farers, and the twin kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor were established by sailing men. We don't see much of this by the end of the Third Age, at least in the recounting of LOTR. But some hints are present.

My initial thinking was that Gondor had largely ceased to be a naval power after the events of the Kin-Strife - about halfway through the Third Age. In 1447, Castamir's sons, their kin and other followers sailed their fleet away from Pelargir - to Umbar, and there established themselves as a separate kingdom. It is stated that;

"(King) Eldacar had no ships to beset them by sea". (Appendix A - on Gondor)

That seemed to signal the end of any effective Gondorean Navy. But I've changed my mind on that. Because, some 500 years later, when Earnil II sends a great fleet to the Grey Havens to counter-attack those of Angmar who had over-run Fornost and the last of Arthedain;

"...there was joy and great wonder among both Elves and Men. So great in draught and so many were his ships that they could scarcely find harborage, though both the Harlond and the Forlond also were filled." (also Appendix A - on Gondor)

So apparently - Gondor re-built an effective navy! And then some. Looking at the map, 'the Harlond' and 'the Forlond' are not THAT close to the Grey Havens - at least in terms of clustering of ships. There must have been many, many, MANY ships! And these ships were large... they're described as being great in draught. (I envision the great Numenorean and Gondorian ships resembling more the 'square-rigged' behemoths of the late 1700's, early 1800's - like HMS Victory, only without cannons - instead of like Viking ships. Elven ships may have looked more like Viking ships)

Even the Elves were blown away! And these would have been ship-building, sea-faring Elves!

I searched through Appendix B, and found these dates somewhat relevant to Gondor's Navy:

Second Age:
3319/3320 - Destruction of Numenor / founding of Arnor & Gondor
3429 - Subsequent to Sauron's attack on Gondor, Isildur goes north with his family to Elendil. He sails (it says he escapes down Anduin). I wonder about his route in the north - assuming Elendil was at Annuminas. Did he sail to Tharbad, then go by land? Up Baranduin as far as possible - either to Sarn Ford, or switching there to a shallower boat (still w/ sail). Or up the Lhun - especially if Elendil happened to be at Emyn Beraid, where he spent a considerable amount of time.

Third Age:
830-1149 Reigns of the Ship-Kings (possibly the height of Gondor's Navy - for Gondor is said to have reached the time of its greatest power during the reign of the last of these): Tarannon Falastur (to 913), Earnil I (to 936), Ciryandil (to 1015), Hyarmendacil/Ciryaher (to 1149)
1437-1447 Kin-Strife; reign of Castamir the Usurper (who had been Captain of Ships - and preferred Pelargir over Osgiliath), ending with his death and the flight of his heirs - apparently with the full Navy of Gondor - to Umbar.
1634 King Minardil slain at Pelargir by Corsairs of Umbar (Indicating that Gondor's Navy was still weaker? Maybe - or else a successful surprise attack. Or - maybe this action spurred Gondor to resume greater ship-building efforts).
1636 Great Plague devastates Gondor (almost certainly hampers ship-building efforts)
1810 Telumehtar took Umbar by storm. This had to be naval-based, given the distance, the lands between, and the apparently defensibility of Umbar from land-based attacks (Gondor at times held it while all lands around were enemies).
1851 Attacks of Wainriders begin - certainly shifts Gondor's attention to land-based forces.
1944 Great battle at Dagorlad and "Battle of the Camp" - large land-based battles, Earnil II succeeds Ondoher, who dies in battle.
1975 Earnil II sends Great Fleet to Grey Havens.

And, much later...
~2980 Aragorn (as Thorongil) leads attack of small fleet to burn many ships of the fleet in Umbar, and himself slays the Captain of the Havens. This sounds like a small guerilla operation against a superior foe - so apparently Gondor had little use for/ability to maintain its formerly large fleet in the 1000 years since crushing Angmar's forces in the North.

Any thoughts?