Druids are fine front-liners by default. You need to decide if you want to focus on shapeshifting or using your own weapons. The druid weapon choices aren't great, but you could always take a feat or race option to get a better weapon.
Yes, you'd need the Natural Spell feat to cast while wild shaped. If you do decide to go that route, the Polymorphamory guide is pretty good and lists most of the best forms.
If you want to forego wild shape, the Nature Fang archetype gets rid of it and some other abilities for Slayer abilities, which could be good for a frontliner, and you can still keep the companion if that fits your concept.
I mean, I feel like it's hard to go wrong with the ol' Giant Octopus. Just. An absurdly effective wildshape option. Especially since a lot of games seem to ignore that the creature is aquatic.
I've heard plenty of good things about the Kraken Caller. I assume that would mesh well with your natural shape-shifting abilities?
Not familiar with S&S, but...what about a flying companion? They can help out over land and sea, just not underwater. The Roc is a highly efficient companion.
The party's animal companion, Dwayne "the Roc" Johnson, was very useful to them in Kingmaker. I can only imagine that it would be just as good, if not better, in S&S...
As a Kraken Caller, I'd shoot for Deadly Grappler/Greater Grapple, and start with 2 levels in Tetori Monk (free unarmed strike and improved grapple, wis to AC, and Stunning Pin at level2)
Something like this:
Lvl1TetoriMonk: Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike, Feat: Improved Grapple
Lvl2TM: (BAB1) Feat: Stunning Pin
Lvl3Druid: Feat: Deadly Grappler
Lvl4D: (BAB2)
Lvl5D: (BAB3) Feat: (Unreserved, pick any feat--- Suggested: Savage Slam or Dirty Fighting)
Lvl6D: (BAB4)Wild Shape, Two tentacles
Lvl7D: Feat: Natural Spell
Lvl8D: (BAB5)Four tentacles
Lvl9D: (BAB6)Feat: Greater Grapple
Lvl10D: Six tentacles
I'm only calling out BAB above because Greater Grapple requires BAB6.
Lvl11+ If you got Dirty Fighting at level 5, you could start going into the Imp Dirty Trick, Quick Dirty Trick, Greater Dirty Trick, and Dirty Tricks Master feats too. Kraken Callers get some nice bonuses to DT maneuvers (+1 DT for each Tentacle grown)
There is a Skinshaper Druid archetype.
You can stack the Green Scourge archetype with Skinshaper, take the Flame Blade Dervish feat at level 5... on second thought Flame Blade can light ships on fire... don't do that.
Wolf Shaman Druid with the Travel Domain and Dimensional Savant? Still using Flame Blade... light THEIR ship on fire. Lol. Teleport pounce is cool, regardless of which weapon you use.
Be a Wild Whisperer Druid, use an Impervious Whipwood Longspear, take Combat Reflexes/Bodyguard and the Helpful trait, grab the Effortless Aid Investigator Takent at level 8. Equip people with Rings of Tactical Precision loaded with the Harrying Partners teamwork feat... or VMC Cavalier (Order of the Dragon) for Tactician to hand out Harrying Partners to everyone. May not be a melee monster, but you will be useful on the front line.
Regardless of which Druid you choose, you could also VMC Barbarian for some Rage if you can't figure out what else to do with half your feats.
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Green Scourge combines well with one level of monk, since a shillelagh is a club and you can flurry with it. If you change shape into something large with hands (say, a dire ape) then you get even bigger damage dice on it.
Monk also gives you wisdom to AC, and gives easy access to Snake Style (sense motive check for AC, since defending yourself is important to a frontliner) as well as Weapon Trick: Stylish Riposte (gives free extra attacks when enemies miss you). Giant octopus is probably better but getting five attacks per round (regular, iterative, haste, flurry, riposte) with a 4d6 shillelagh is pretty effective.
Aside from that, Ki Throw + Greater Ki Throw + Greater Trip is a highly effective combo regardless of class, and moreso on a ship!
(edit) Oh, and rage is good... there's a few domains that the druid can take that give you rage, e.g. Destruction/Rage subdomain (via saurian shaman) or anger inquisition (since inquisitions are a valid pick on a druid).
Green Scourge combines well with one level of monk, since a shillelagh is a club and you can flurry with it.
Fortunately a shillelagh can be a quarterstaff, since monks can flurry that but not a club.
What archetype and build did you decide to go? And what level are you currently at?
The thing about a Skinwalker melee Druid is that if you do not go the Wild Shape route, you have no built in bonuses for combat.
You don't have Weapon Training, Studied Combat, or Sneak Attack/static precision damage to add to your attack or damage, so you are just a 3/4 BAB stat block with a weapon. And while certain builds can still be effective in melee as nothing more than that, I am guessing you are looking for something more.
Yes, Druids can buff up with spells, but those are a precious resource. It is usually best to have something, anything really, built into the character's chassis that helps support their chosen role without expending resources other than action economy.
Nature Fang's Studied Target instead of Wild Shape is the obvious choice if you don't want to turn into an Octopus every encounter...