I tried to add some structure to the hull using self-adhesive aluminum tape cut to the requisite size. I found that burnishing the tape to the hull using Q-tips or a glass fibre eraser worked quite well. The large mounting holes in the hull for the davits were filled with styrene rod.
Having added a lot of aluminum foil, and drilled open all the scuttles, it was time to look into further assembly. I did not correct the underlying errors in the kit as I found that too much for my skills. So the basic height of the decks remained as it was.
I added homemade boat davits with PE from the GMM Liners PE set, plus some hint at scrambling nets. The boats were covered with awnings made from white glue with a central piece of wire giving shape..