Schooners that graced a Maine-themed quarter or hosted Cousteau rest at the bottom of a NYC canal
Summary
Two historic schooners, the Victory Chimes and the Pilot, sank in a canal inlet near Brooklyn, New York, in early July 2026. These boats, more than a century old and with significant maritime history, are currently underwater while efforts continue to assess how to recover them.Key Facts
- The Victory Chimes dates back to 1900 and is featured on the 2003 Maine state quarter.
- The Pilot is about 121 feet long and a little over 100 years old.
- Both schooners sank near the Gowanus Canal, an area known for pollution, after strong storms.
- The boats were owned by Crew, a New York City company that turns historic ships into floating bars and restaurants.
- Crew is working with experts and insurers to decide how to raise the vessels, which is a complicated and costly process.
- The Victory Chimes is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the last surviving Chesapeake ram schooner.
- Maritime groups and local communities want the ships saved and more information on why they sank.
- The Pilot served important roles, including ferrying pilots in Boston Harbor and supporting the Coast Guard.
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.