Guys!! I've...only...gone...and...bleeding...done it!!!!
Well gosh! After a week of trying and failing and frustration. All I can at least say is a massive thank you to sublynx for creating the mod and helping as much as possible with the problems I was encountering and of course Robin40 for the final successful method.
Guys I don't know how you understand all this computer programming (I certainly will never create a mod) and especially how you work out what problems may lie beneath the surface (a pun?) but I'm glad subsim has people like yourselves prepared to help basically a noob with limited knowledge in computing.
You might be hearing from me again next time I have a modding problem (more than likely).
Now I can at least relax over the weekend and sink these merchants with a game designed the way I've always wanted.
Happy hunting guys and I'll see you both in the Atlantic!