Josiah,
I hope you don't mind some criticism. I think this is part of the group build process, and let me emphasize that everyone has only a point of view but never the solid truth. (Unless you think Spitfires are better looking than Zeros: if you do, then you're wrong.)
Your Mo was a very good and very clean build. You did a good job with Measure 21 which can be easily botched. And there is no such thing as an easy ship. But I think a good build could have been better.
1. Rig the ship. Check out YouTube or probably a few hundred articles on this board much less Model Warship on how to approach it. I'd say that simple is far better than none. Maybe a dozen lines connecting masts to hull, or masts to masts, (the variations are endless) will make a huge difference. Use whatever line you'd like. Depending upon scale I'd using fly fishing tying line, but mono works: so does very thin sewing thread. In the real world WWII warships' rigging varied greatly depending upon the situation and weather. Also, in the real world, you can't really see rigging clearly from a distance. But it's there and you can see something. I like simple knots (like single cross) and ISP or CA, but others use stretched sprue. It doesn't mean that many, but it will change the look of your model a lot.
2. Railings: Ship loonies spend tons of money on PE. (I've just spent $80 on a super PE/wood deck set for a 1/700 Flyhawk Derfflinger and think I might be nuts.) Is this worth it? Ship loonies are even more detail oriented than armor loonies, but the answer is no. I've hung out with my betters on Model Warship for some years and have concluded that three things are true. A.) A ship can be made out of the box if rigged. B.)Railings are easy, cheap and almost essential. You can get generic railings for any scale ship for under $10 - well worth it, but I think it's fine to skip PE catapults, boats etc that will cost you money and lots of time. But the railings you see - like the rigging. Other stuff you don't.
3. Masts: completely optional. Meister uber-builder at Model Warship is Jim Baumann - if there's a better warship modeler in the solar system I've never heard of him - does everything - all scales, scratch, resin etc etc. He does argue that you should duplicate masts in styrene models with brass/metal. Easily done actually. Brass masts/yards are much easier to rig even if you sacrifice a tiny bit of detail.
4. I've done a lot of work on water bases and like your idea of lentils a lot - I've done similar things with oat flakes and it didn't work as well. However, there's a step between texture and color. No matter what you base is ultimately made of (oat flakes, plaster, lentils, whatever) it must be covered by some kind of white paper. (Unless the base is thin, hard and flat and will be covered with a white acrylic.) I think Flodman on Modelwarship is right that you should cover a surface with ripped up typing paper - stuck with thinned white glue - and then put the paint on top of that. Pretty easy (especially if in small bits) and the resulting paint will be the color you want it.
Anyway, fine model and keep making ships.
Eric