I know to be wary of DHS/CBP arbitrariness, but they aren't against all visits, just those that run afoul of often-stupid regulations.
If they know...
• the ship itself has no contraband
• the business visits are short in duration
• the presence of the ship (and the ship's economic interests) makes it even more likely you'll stay exactly for your stated duration and no longer
• the employment technically is outside US jurisdiction
...they might actually prefer orderly visits from a ship, over more complicated less-understood visits from faraway. Provide CBP with a non-threatening, transparent, technically-compliant model they can understand, and they may not be your enemy.
If they know...
• the ship itself has no contraband
• the business visits are short in duration
• the presence of the ship (and the ship's economic interests) makes it even more likely you'll stay exactly for your stated duration and no longer
• the employment technically is outside US jurisdiction
...they might actually prefer orderly visits from a ship, over more complicated less-understood visits from faraway. Provide CBP with a non-threatening, transparent, technically-compliant model they can understand, and they may not be your enemy.