Hello mikenescot, and welcome to the forum
If you want to create your own missions then you can download the mission editor. If you do not wish to do so you don't really need to. This mission editor runs seperately from SS08 though, so it doesn't need to be installed somewhere in the patching order. (AFAIK)
Do you own SS2006 and the SS2006 Addon pack too? If so, you can get a downloadable version of the soon to be released SS2008 Addon (the 06 conversion). To do so you have to have both the 2006 Addon AND SS2008 license keys registered in your forum profile.
more about that in this thread: http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,3052.0.html
If you do not own the SS2006 addon then disregard the above. In that case you can just install V1.1 first, and then v1.3.
It's true that there are still some bugs that need to be ironed out, but the next update(s) will fix a lot, if not all of them. So we just have to be a bit patient and in the mean while there is more than enough to enjoy.
Also, the problems you have encountered may allready be solved to an extend when you have patched the game.
Good luck with that and happy sailing!
Kind regards,
Fred