His Love of Ships Is 'Model' Affair

   BATH - Carroll A. Deering was not one who might be considered a sea-going man in his early youth.

   As a matter of fact, Carroll, now 83, never did go to sea in spite of the fact that his late father, Gardiner G. Deering, had a hand in building nearly 100 sailing vessels.

   Carroll and a brother, harry, stuck to the land, working in the shipyard office.  Another brother, Frank, served as a yard foreman.

   "I guess I was and still am what you might call a home fellow," explained Carroll.  "Harry took a few trips as a passenger, but never signed on a crew."

   It may well be that his very reluctance to make an ocean voyage is reflected in Carroll Deering's hobby.  He buys kits of various types of vessels and fits together the pieces.  When he feels the model does not conform perfectly with the original, he makes altercations.  This holds true particularly with sails and rigging.

   DEERING HAS collected more than 30 such models, ranging in size and type from the Endeavor, built in 1768, to the atomic powered ship, USS Savannah.  He has made models of the battleship Maine, Admiral Dewey's flagship "Olympia," the liner USS United States, and New York fireboat reportedly the largest in the world.

   They even named a schooner for Deering.  As a matter of fact, the Carroll A. Deering, a 3500 tonner completed April 4, 1919, proved to be the last ship built by G. G. Deering Co.  But the fact that this five-master carried the name did not tempt him.  He struck to the mainland.  The Carroll A. Deering was lost with all hands on Diamnod Shoals at Cape Hatteras Jan. 31, 1921.

   HE NEVER HELD another job after the yard closed.  "There was still work to be done at the office, hadling books for several of the ships that we managed for the shareholders," he explained.  "We had some tails ahanging and I stayed on to wind things up."

   When he's not working on models he sits by the window dreaming of those sailing ships.  From his place by the window where the shipyard once stood, less than half a mile away.