Me: Sends 50 guys out to steamroll a ripe town.
Ripe town sends out 30 naval vessels
Me: Pillage rapes, 9 ships needed for the lewts.
Naval Battle Commences
Me: victorious pillaging party is turned away due to ongoing naval battle
Me: withdraws army/ships in military/cargoship panel to avoid a possible bashing (they were turning back to the attacked city)
Army gets sucked into black hole. Down 9 ships @ 11/20 and there is no ETA whatsoever of my ships/army.
Try blockading whomever turned you ships away, full eight hour version. I had a war fleet go missing similarly once, they turned up after a long 'cade.