Hi this is coming on nicely, the detail looks good. Before I began posting on this site, I like you built this model from D'Agostini. It took me a long time to build, (not quite 13 years though) but I did find the magazines really helpful and almost fool proof interms of the instructions. The magazines also provided some good back ground of naval history.
Once I completed the Victory I then moved onto the Cazador. I found this to be more of a challenge as the instructions were no way as informative as the ones for the Victory. I was very much reliant on Pauls build log of this particular model and of others comments on this site to help me through that build.
It was the build of the D'Agostini Victory hat encouraged me to consider the San Fillipe, again from D' Agostini and Model Space which I am currently building. However there are no magazines to this build, it is all on-line. The instructions are clear with photographs of which I find helpful.
I hope, now that you have restarted your build that you will finish. I remember well the painstaking task of copper tiling the hull, but well worth it when complete. This is a loveley model when complete but being the scale that it is finding the room to display it is a challenge in itself.
Please keep posting so as we can follow your build to its conclusion