He's got some photos that give a pretty clear view of how the figurehead is intended to fit with the overall buildup of the stern and I now understand what the kit designers intended, but there's no going back on that now.
I just looked up the build myself. His ship looks great, but when it comes to a ship that we have few sources about on its appearance and specifications, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making deviations in the design that make sense to you. He also didn’t refine the figurehead like you did, so it I think your own interpretation will work quite well.