An inventory of the individual improvements Bill made to the boat would be overwhelming to list or read. Generally, all machinery was rebuilt or replaced. Electrical and plumbing systems were replaced and upgraded, a series of jobs that included swapping out rusted galvanized-steel water tanks. Damaged or rotted wood was removed, and new planks were installed. Dirt and grease were replaced by paint.

A house battery bank of a dozen 8Ds, a major part of the new electrical system, will carry boat systems for 24 hours through an inverter.

Little things show.

The driveline has a bunch of zerk fittings for lubrication. Not keen on crawling around in the bilge with a grease gun. Bill fabricated a remote lube system that is serviced easily while standing up in the engine room, which is large enough for several people to work and move around in.

The engine room and other lower deck spaces are protected by an automatic fire suppression sprinkler system, and all AC outlets aboard Ocean Quest are GFCI protected. In the engine room and throughout the boat, everything is labeled, leaving no question about what a device or electrical connection does.

On the other side of a stout door with a view port is an engine room annex, housing two diesel Yanmar generators, a bank of electrical switches and controls, and some of the watermaking equipment. There's also a temperature monitor that warns of overheating, the engine room is equipped with a similar sensor. Bill uses Murphy gauges to provide early warning of engine pressure or temperature changes.

The bilge is spotless and coated with paint, all the way down to the keelson. There is no dust, dirt, or grime. I saw about half a cup of water in the deepest section of the bilge. Should flooding occur, a battery of bilge pumps will lift 18,000 gallons overboard each hour.

Forward along the lower deck companionway are large storage lockers for food, parts, fasteners, tools, and medical gear that might be needed for extended cruising, including a defibrillator, oxygen supplies, and suturing materials. "I've never needed more than a butterfly bandage," Bill told me.

Farther forward is the space where Romsdal put the master stateroom and which the Navy used as an equipment. Bill made it a 10-by-12 foot shop equipped with a vise, dripp press, grinder, air compressor, and an array of hand tools. During my visit, he was building a gasoline-powered watermaker that would be used by residents of Mexican fishing villages that have no power or water. A stacked washer-dryer fits in a niche, pull the unit out (it's on wheels) to find a major battery

bank. A glass "doghouse" overhead opens electrically to provide ventilation.

Moving along toward the bow, there's a bunk room on the starboard side, and a large stateroom with a queen bed to port. Bill moved a bulkhead to make that arrangement work. The sleeping areas also can be reached via a trunk on the foredeck. A head is in the bow.

The new toaster stateroom and head are farther aft, below the saloon, and are reached by a stairway from the galley.

Trawlers built for the North Sea are round-bottomed and will roll uncomfortably in beam seas. Bill decided to stabilize Ocean Quest but determined she needed only a single 12-square-foot stabilizing fin (from Wesmar), rather than the usual pair of fins. On my day aboard, the single fin worked well during a brief exposure to some stiff north winds and significant swells on the Sea of Cortez.

More challenging was the installation of an Imtra Side-Power bow thruster. Cutting through the bow of a wood boat is serious business because of the concentration of heavy framing. To achieve proper alignment, Bill started with 1/4-inch pilot holes on each side of the boat. After many measurements, he and the yard crew cut 1-inch holes and used a laser level and doweling to make sure everything was precisely where it needed to be before cutting openings for the 14-inch tube.

The framing was reinforced, concrete ballast was restored, and the thruster was sealed tightly. It, too, does the job well. Better, Bill adds, "it never has leaked."

Another shipyard visit was necessary for replacement of the stem and addition of a new anchor pulpit. When the job was finished, Ocean Quest had more flare in the bow, and her length overall had increased about 3 feet, Bill told me.

A LIVELY WELCOME

Bill boasts that he has a triple intruder alarm to warn him when people step aboard the boat he describes as the "Hummer of the Seven Seas." I expected cameras and laser beams, but instead I met Sasha, Maggie, and Lacy, a trio of diminutive, noisy and friendly miniature poodles. All would fit easily in the kind of canvas tote we take grocery shopping. 

They swarmed my feet, smiling (I swear) while barking an alarm. Taking cues from Bill, they soon quieted down and dashed into the deckhouse ahead of us. Excitement over, the tour began.

Bulwark entry gates are opposite the deckhouse doors, and it's only a couple of steps from the dock to the home-size galley at the forward end. A counter and stools provide dining space for four.