How best to Island naval invasion rush

I've played a few games where I'm on an Island map of some kind. And I've tried a few times to dark or feudal rush the enemy Island, usually either so I can make towers and wall off their eco and other such shenanigans or just harass villagers and such with militia or even use my own villagers with loom to kill their villagers without. I also sometimes try to steal their resources.

Sometimes this works. Sometimes not. But regardless it does seem like they usually wipe out the colony eventually. Although hopefully by that point their eco has all but collapsed and my navy, something they can't afford, is containing them.

What I want to know is, how should I do this sort of very early game attack in a way that puts me st a decisive advantage?