I can answer a few questions, but I have to take off for a bit:
and the last question, specifically: Yes, you can retrofit the starter craft to an existing blueprint. The only danger is that it may lose its heart stone. There's ways around this, like using prefabs, but I like the simple solution: build a simple raft you can hang out on while the main ship is refitted. It would need material storage and tentacles too, of course...