Simple fact was that you weren't prepared to get all 8 Provinces. Super thin decks choke really hard on green, especially ones like yours where you have to line up Shanty Town and 2x Pirate Ship in each hand, and Shanty Town doesn't typically draw cards.
With all due respect, I don't think that argument holds water. Starting at turn 12 (in which I bought my 1st province), I bought a province every turn except 18. I grant you that if I could have bought Province on 18, I may have won, and that may be what you are trying to tell me. But a province every turn is not my definition of a deck choking. Do I need to rethink my definitions?
I'm not trying to be argumentative, and I can see how your statement about thin decks would be true in general (I don't have much experience with thin decks). Are you saying this specific deck choked on green? I had (some) drawing power in Shanty Towns, and IIRC had turns where I purposely didn't play remaining Shanty Towns as they were unnecessary. Unfortunately, that was not true for Turn 18, and that may be your point. I'm also open to the notion that you're telling me I'm lucky my deck didn't choke harder.
Thanks very much for the post. I hope you will elaborate.