Thanks again for the input....I am gonna throw this out so you can all have a laugh with me, because this is the reference my rendering in the original post is based off of. After several hours of picture-browsing, I've come to realize this image was...well, kinda useless.
Can't remember the site I got it from, but after looking at lots of pictures, and even looking in the Janes Fighting Ships book I have, I noticed that this is probably NOT the source I want to be using.
Edit: bezobrazov, thank you for the apology, though I really didn't take any offense to your comments, actually. I don't have a reputation as being one of the more skilled artists on this forum. I am smart enough to realize this, and also to realize that going from an AU artist with only 1 real design (the Proteksan Turqouis yacht) this project is going to stretch and test my skills.
That said, I do feel like a real idjit for not doing more homework to start with before drawing from such flawed reference material.
Yes I would not use this drawing as a reference... for one thing you have to scale it UP which always results in problems. I would use the Indianapolis drawing BrockPaine posted earlier to get the dimensions etc.
. They have Portland in 1944.
Then you can measure the plans with a ruler and know you have gotten it 100% correct.