Forward on the main deck there is storage for two inflatables, one on its own davit ready to be launched using an electronic remote control winch. Around the doghouse, which leads to the forward berthing area, there are numerous custom built dockboxes. The hydraulic deck windlass handles the 400 ft. of 5/8" chain and a 500 lb. Navy style cast iron anchor.
In 1994, during a major haul out, it was determined that the bow stem was dry rotted and needed to be replaced. Bill decided to add a pulpit in the process, giving the bow a nicer flair than the original bullnose profile. During the same haul out, he made all the appropriate repairs to replace the forward mast that steps on top of the doghouse. The original mast was removed due to poor condition. A new mast is being fabricated out of steel and will be hot dipped galvanized to lessen future maintenance.
The original decks on Ocean Quest were Norwegian Fir, as is the entire vessel. However, they had received much abuse over the years and were now a maintenance nightmare. Bill came across a product called "Truck Glove," similar to another product called "Rhino Liner," at an automobile accessory show and decided that it would make a good deck surface. He prepared the decks and coated them with 1/4" of the product. He hasn't had to do any maintenance on them since. They are completely water-proof, gas proof and diesel proof, and the contrasting color brings out much of the warmth and charm in the vessel that the wood decks must have done when new.
Bill believes there are only eleven Romsdal Trawlers currently in the U.S. All of them were built between
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1959 and 1965. However, the design has come back in style. Both Nordhavn and Cheoy Lee are currently producing ocean going trawlers with the "North Sea trawler" look.
Ocean Quest's rehabilitation is now 85% complete. With a little more work on the mast, workshop, and some fine tuning of the electronics, she'll be finished. Bill plans to take her north to the San Juans and Alaska in the near future, to do some exploring. Then, they'll head south out of San Diego and, as Bill puts it, "not look back." After all she's been through, Ocean Quest deserves it.
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