Fear not, Rick, we've probably all gone down that path; personally, I've been down that road many, many times! This is one reason I scan my models before building, because invariably something goes astray and it's a do over. You might catch a comment in a few of my build threads about having to start over, sometimes a few times in the same project...I'm a slow learner.
It's not a waste, though, because something is gained from the experience that helps the next time around, like your comment about reinforcing the decks...something for me to keep in mind if I ever try this model.
I did enjoy your progress very much and hope you will consider tackling this ship again in the future, but only if you want to...after all, we do these models for our own enjoyment. In any event, I look forward to seeing your next build, they are without exception wonderful to see, including this one.
Cheers!
Jim