Model accomplishment

Ed Averkieff was 9 years old when he first stepped aboard the U.S. battleship Constitution. It was 1931 and Old Ironsides was being towed around the country in an effort to raise money for a massive reconstruction of the historic battleship. Averkieff, now 84, was collecting pennies for the ship’s restoration.

It was the “thrill of his life” to visit the ship when it pulled into Long Beach 75 years ago, and it was an experience that never left him.

“I had it in my heart ever since,” said Averkieff of La Habra.

Now a small-scale model of Constitution — along with three other ship models hand-carved by Averkieff — is displayed inside the Newport Beach Central Library, as part of the city’s centennial celebration.

Some of the models are examples of ships that once came in and out of Newport Harbor, said David Muller, executive director of the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

The models, accompanied by photographs of old Newport, show that ships are an important, fascinating part of the city’s history, Muller said.

“Newport Beach has been a sailing community since the beginning,” Muller said.

Averkieff, who is a member of the Ship Modeler’s Assn., said he enjoys sharing his artwork with the public.

“When they brought the models down there [to the library], I couldn’t believe — the place almost went silent with awe,” Averkieff said.

Averkieff started building ship models after he retired from a career as a flight test engineer. Since starting the hobby, Averkieff estimates he’s built 22 models. Just like Constitution, Averkieff pours the same interest and historical significance into every ship model he carves. Before building each model, he researches the history of the boat.

“To complete one [model], you can do that, but without knowing the background and the story and people behind it, it doesn’t mean a heck of a lot,” Averkieff said.

One of the models on display at the library, Brigantine Orleans, has family ties to Averkieff. His wife’s great-great-grandfather was aboard the ship on a historic, nine-month voyage from the East Coast to California. Before building the model, Averkieff poured over a diary written by his wife’s relative during the journey. He learned that the trip was filled with storms and that passengers nearly starved to death. “It was a remarkable story of perseverance,” Averkieff said.

Building the ship models has been more than a fascinating history lesson for Averkieff — it’s also a mental escape.

“When I work on a model, the world could come to an end and it wouldn’t matter to me.”