I remember one of the RR batter tasks being in a pretty obscure place and wondering how anyone ever found it after I stumbled across it.

It was a long time ago though and this might be a memory of something else entirely, but if I was searching for it again, I'd be looking somewhere through and out the other side of the Captain's Quarters first.

>I had a look around and just found some crates by the dock. Batter didn't think the Captain would look kindly on breaking them, though maybe I don't have the right assignment:

Thats another batter task. If you are intending to progress batter while in RR remember where they are. Sometimes you get wood tasks and sometimes metal.

Armor shops, weapon shops, forges are the sorts of places the metal plates are found in general, (and crates are in general found around docks in other towns) but if you haven't found an alternative exit to the Captain's Quarters and searched out there yet, I'd still do that.