Dans Papers - May 25, 2007 - One Man's Hobby, Restoring A Submarine

Submarines are amazing sea crafts. They are able to cruise through the water like any other sea going vessels and they also cruise underwater, some with capabilities down to 10,000 ft. In Greenport, at Brewer Sterling Harbor, John Re, of East Hampton is keeping the former USS Deep Quest, a 1967 deep sea rescue submarine that once had capabilities to do rescues down to 10,000 ft below the surface. Already around $700,000 has been invested to restore the submarine. Mr. Re may need to spend another $800,000 to restore the Deep Quest back to being a submergible vessel. It seems that while being used in the movies such as blockbuster hit "Titanic," the submarine was gutted of its capabilities to submerge.

Mr. Re is a man of many talents. Once a rock guitarist who sat in with Jon Bon Jovi and Leslie West of Mountain fame, Mr. Re has distinguished himself in the field of restoring and discovering art. Besides dealing with the works of such notables as Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollack, and Willem De Kooning, Mr. Re also speculates on lesser-known masters, seeing value in art in front of the curb. It is in this talent that perhaps Mr. Re saw his diamond in the ruff when he purchased the former USS Deep Quest from Universal Studios for $70,000. With the support of his family, Mr. Re has turned this project from a speculation investment into an extensive and expensive hobby. Because of his success in the business world, Mr. Re is able to spend both time and money on this project with both love and intensity. In fact, he brought the submarine to Greenport from Galveston, Texas navigating the vintage submarine through hurricane Ernesto, all without the ability to submerge. That alone cost Mr. Re $15,000 and took 58 days. However once the "Deep Quest" regains its ability to navigate long distances under sea adventures such as that one will be less dangerous, because hurricane winds do not blow underwater.

In Greenport, the birthplace of the famous USS Monitor of Civil War fame, the locals seemed thrilled and curious about the Lockheed built, former naval submarine. Matt Culen a former U.S. Naval Lt. and new owner of the Schooner Mary E docked at Preston's in Greenport says it is, "pretty cool" and to have and be able to see the submarine out there on the North Fork.

John Re has big plans for the Deep Quest once he finishes the projected $1.5 million dollar restoration. Besides experiencing some private Jules Verne's moments with his family who has supported his efforts, he intends to make the Deep Quest available for the United States Coast Guard, out on the North Fork to be able to do deep sea search and rescue missions. It was on such a mission back in the 1980's that the USS Deep Quest first located the area where the wreck of the famed Titanic was eventually pinpointed. During the cold war, deep sea rescue capabilities were needed do to the growth of submarine warfare post the deployment of the Polaris missile.

Since it may take up to two years to fully restore the Deep Quest, the submarine sits floating above the surface at the Brewer Sterling Marina in Greenport poised and ready to take Mr. Re and his guests on fun surface level excursions.

Being a collector of fine art, John Re has both sides of the submarine's hatch door surround by Burmese wood sculptures that were a gift from a friend who lives in Texas. There is further speculation that in the future it may have to be removed so that the art not be destroyed submerging. There is also speculation of some sort of innovative audio speaker capabilities being designed within the idea of a torpedo. Also regular maintenance to keep the bottom of the vessel from rusting is always being monitored and done. Attention is always paid to the humidity inside the submarine because humidity is one of the biggest enemies of the interior of a submarine, capable of causing huge amounts of damage to the electrical and computer systems on board.

When in the area of the Brewer Stirling Marina in Greenport see if you might spot a small piece of U.S. Naval, as well as film history. The former USS Deep Quest is docked there. It is more than a toy to a successful man; it is his quest to restore some glory to a vessel, that with brave naval sailors served this country. If John Re's vision comes into fruition, the submarine Deep Quest may have a few move search and rescue missions in her.