Built in 1937 at Teddington and initially moored at Bourne on the upper Thames, Quest was constructed at a cost of £750, which included cutlery, crockery, and bedding. At the time of her construction, she was fitted with a Gray-Marine petrol engine.

In 1940, Quest was requisitioned by the Admiralty. After inspection and preparation at Tough’s boatyard, she was sent downriver to Ramsgate to participate in Operation Dynamo. During the Dunkirk evacuation, her role was to transport troops from the beaches to larger ships positioned offshore. Following the operation, she returned to Tough’s boatyard and was subsequently restored to her owner.

After World War II, likely in 1947, Quest was relocated to the West Midlands of England, where she operated on the Rivers Avon and Severn. Her immediate post-war owner used her for holiday cruises in the Bristol Channel and Devon.

By 1980, after being laid up for two to three years, Quest was acquired by new owners, Maureen and Alex Patch. The vessel required significant restoration. At Judge's boatyard, where she had been laid up, her hull was restored to deck level. The owners then completed the refurbishment of the topsides and interior. The mahogany interior paneling, which had been over-painted with white paint, was carefully stripped and re-polished to a like-new condition. Following these efforts, Quest won three trophies for best-maintained boat at their yacht club.

Maintenance has been rigorous, with the vessel slipped every three years for hull stripping to bare wood, repairs, and repainting. In 1983, the original Gray petrol engine was replaced with a BMC Captain 4-cylinder diesel engine. In 1996, the decks, cabin roof, and wheelhouse roof were stripped and replaced with marine plywood covered with glass-fibre matting.

Currently, Quest is maintained in first-class condition and is prepared for cruising on the River Severn and the Gloucester Ship Canal. The owners are members of the Severn Motor Yacht Club based in Worcester. In 1969, the club received an Admiralty Warrant granting its members the privilege of flying a defaced Blue Ensign. Quest flies this ensign except when engaged in ADLS activities, during which a Red Ensign is flown.