I'm in dire need of design ideas or some basic layout for laying the groundwork for a bigger base.

I don't know what is your main issue so let me just throw some ideas:
- diesel machines don't reqiure electricity, if you use them you can create network of ships that distribute fuel between islands
- try to use barrels as transportable power source
- coconut have long shelf life, you can make whole islands dedicated just too farming
- use delivery drones to help with expansion
They should be good at providing you with "this single stack of items you forgot but now ypu are far away from base"
- new concrete recipe allows you to make orbital station that makes concrete
- 1 island = 1 thing. You don't have a lot of space so build dedicated mining, farming, processing islands etc
- poison rockets should not hurt nests, it could be usefull when farming eggs for copper
- electric pumps can be connected directly to oil rigs to use them with tankers(without wooden platform, foundation or landfill)
- if 2 or more oil rigs are close you can connect them with pipe so they share fluid tanks space

Thanks for the ideas
I guess i was trying to expand before unlocking all pelagos related techs, so I didn't have the machines/ethanol beforehand
Making dedicated islands is a great idea even on early game

Another question, i've noticed that the small boat from the Cargo Ships is using solid fuel when placed on waterways, is that intended for earlier automation?

Another question, i've noticed that the small boat from the Cargo Ships is using solid fuel when placed on waterways, is that intended for earlier automation?

it's not intended. I did not notice it before

Another question, i've noticed that the small boat from the Cargo Ships is using solid fuel when placed on waterways, is that intended for earlier automation?

this should be fixed in 0.14.0
now it uses diesel fuel