Hello!
OK, here's what I would do:
- try to get a plan and/or paper mode of a ship as similar as possible (regarding type, size and year of construction)
- draw a plan of the hull and superstructure from pictures - calculating the proportions with the help of proportions from the plans mentioned above
- for details and fittings I would use the appropriate details from the plans/papermodels of similar ships (e.g. bollards, life boats, hatch covers)
You said that you sailed on this ship so I suppose you know the basic facts about it like measurements, type of hatch covers and so on.
A great book on details and fittings of cargo ships (but most examples are from ships built before 1950) is 'A ship modelmaker's manual' by John Bowen.
If I find a plan of a similar ship in my archives or catalogues that might be helpful to you then I will post it if you are interested.
Are you planning to build a waterline model? And which scale?
I am building RC scale models for many years, my scratchbuilt-project for the next year is MV Queen Of The North of BC Ferries which sank in 2006 (my last trip with her was only a few weeks before the sinking).
Best regards,
Michael.