Carroll A. Deering: Lost Ghost Ship

It was found on the last day of January 1921, marooned off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. One of hundreds of ships wrecked in the notoriously treacherous shallow waters known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. In generally good condition, her sails set, and with dinner ready, but without a single hand on board. This is the tale of the Carroll A. Deering ghost ship. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the Deering ship mystery.

So, what caused an otherwise shipshape vessel to run aground? And what happened to the crew of the Carroll Deering? We’re navigating these murky waters, searching for answers.

The Carroll A. Deering, sometimes known simply as the Carroll Deering, was a cargo ship launched in 1919. At the time, both steam and steel were on the rise, their advent meaning she was among the last wooden sailing ships ever constructed for commercial use. Built by the G.G. Deering Company in Bath, Maine, she was named after the youngest son of its owner, Gardiner G. Deering.

Measuring 255 feet and weighing 1,879 tons, the five-masted schooner was an imposing sight. However, barely two years into her service, the impressive vessel was found wrecked off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It was a discovery that would leave a lasting legacy. So, what happened on the Deering’s last voyage?

Deering’s last voyage began on 2nd December 1920. Having successfully delivered a shipment of coal to Rio de Janeiro, she set sail from Brazil with twelve men aboard, including the Captain, W. B. Wormell. The vessel made a stop in Barbados, where Captain Wormell told a friend and fellow ship’s captain of an unruly crew that he believed might be plotting mutiny. Nevertheless, the Carroll Deering set sail once more, heading for Hampton Roads, Virginia.

On 29th January 1921, the Deering schooner was sighted off the coast of North Carolina as it passed the lightship of the Cape Lookout Light Station. The Cape Lookout team reported a somewhat chaotic scene on the Carroll Deering, with crew milling about the deck in an undisciplined manner. What’s more, one crewman hailed them to report that the ship had lost both its anchors. Some accounts say he used a megaphone and that he asked them to inform the ship’s owners. There was also speculation that he did not seem like an officer and that English was not his first language.

The final sighting of the sailing Carroll A. Deering occurred on 30th January at approximately 5:45pm. This time she was southwest of the Diamond Shoals Light Station and said to have been steering a peculiar course. Then, she vanished. But the Carroll Deering disappearance was not prolonged. Not even a day later, she was found run aground, and seemingly abandoned.

The dawn of Monday, 31st January 1921 was a stormy one. Yet, despite low visibility, a member of the US Coast Guard spotted a large schooner run aground off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

At the time, the ship appeared to be in good condition and, somewhat strangely, its sails were set despite there being no signs of life on board. Beyond these factors however, it was not abnormal for a vessel to wreck in the shallow waters around Cape Hatteras. Known as the Diamond Shoals, they are notoriously perilous, the ever-shifting sandbars under the waves being incredibly difficult to navigate. Combined with the region’s notoriously stormy weather – and that it’s where two strong ocean currents collide – and they’re thought to have caused up to 600 shipwrecks, earning them an altogether more sinister moniker: The Graveyard of the Atlantic.

So, why the mystery? Surely the Carroll Deering was a tragic casualty of these dangerous shoals. However, on 4th February 1921, after days of being deterred by violent seas, the Coast Guard finally boarded the Carroll Deering. And what they found, and didn’t find, has baffled maritime experts and armchair detectives ever since.

When they boarded the Carroll A. Deering, the coast guard found a ghost ship, with not a single crew member in sight. And yet, wherever they’d gone, they’d left behind an entirely untouched meal of spare ribs and pea soup. There was even a ready pot of coffee.

Most of the ship seemed in order, but Captain Wormell’s quarters were in disarray. And his log entries ceased on 23rd January, replaced thereafter by another’s writing. Other findings included the discovery that distress signals had been sent up. And, although there were no human souls on board, at least one cat remained.

Then there were the things which were never found, which were equally notable. The lifeboats were missing. So too were the anchors, seemingly confirming the account of the sighting by the crew of Cape Lookout. What’s more, personal belongings had been taken, as had all crucial navigational tools and documents. As for the ship herself, her keel was buried 14 feet deep in the sand, indicating a tremendous force of collision.

So, what happened to the lost Deering schooner crew? What, or who, made them leave the Carroll Deering in good condition in such a rush? And was the captain with them?

The Deering ship mystery, particularly the sudden and unexplained disappearance of her crew, has never been explained. And, despite extensive searches, no bodies were ever found. But there’s been widespread speculation as to what might have happened, with theories including:

Mutiny

One of the most widely accepted theories is that the crew mutinied. After all, Captain Wormell had expressed exactly such a possibility earlier in the trip. There was also the account of the penultimate sighting of the ship involving the suspicious crew member who did not appear to be an officer. But why would a mutinous crew abandon a ship in such good condition?

Piracy

There were suspicions that the ship had been captured by pirates, especially after a message in a bottle was found claiming “Deering captured by oil-burning boat.” But it was later determined to be a forgery.

Bermuda Triangle

Although the Carroll A. Deering did not wreck within the traditional boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle, she did pass through it. This proximity and the mysterious nature of the incident have led some to speculate on a connection.

Evacuation

Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one. With both lifeboats gone, it’s possible the crew simply abandoned ship after it grounded on Diamond Shoals and were swept out to sea in their lifeboats.

Despite extensive investigations by multiple government departments, including the FBI, the true fate of the lost Deering schooner’s crew remains unknown. And the Deering ship mystery has become the stuff of maritime lore, a haunting puzzle that continues to captivate and confound.