I've followed the CR instructions pretty faithfully and everything has fit together nicely. While at first glance the project seemed a little daunting, in realityit has been a swift and relaxing build. I've hand brushed almost all the paint except the deck and the results have been more than satisfactory. One of the details I didn't find in the kit was a compass card for the helm's binnacle. Taking a cue from some of the build threads on disneysub.com I downloaded an actual 1:1 compass card image and shrank it in PhotoShop. The hard part was cutting the tiny thing out. But once affixed with a dab of white glue it really looked good -- in my opinion.
Here's a shot with the wheelhouse exterior in place, taken through the aft window. The rails will be added next along with some lighting to make the details easier to see. Collison speed -- full!