The historic schooners The Pilot and Victory Chimes sank in early July while docked at Brooklyn's Henry Street Basin. The vessels, owned by the company Crew, are now submerged near the toxic Gowanus Canal, sparking outrage from maritime preservationists.
The legacy of the 128-foot Victory Chimes and the Pilot
The Victory Chimes is a vessel of immense rarity, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the last surviving Chesapeake ram. this specific design of flat-bottomed schooner was engineered for the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and its cultural importance is highlighted by its appearance on the 2003 Maine state quarter. Steve Bromage of the Maine Historical Society has described the sinking as a heartbreaking blow to American maritime heritage.
Similarly, The Pilot carries a century of history, having served as a ferry for maritime pilots in Boston Harbor and performing duties for the United States Coast Guard during World War II. In the 1970s and 1980s, the vessel transitioned into a research ship, famously hosting the French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. Together, these ships represent a vanishing era of wooden shipbuilding and wartime service.
Crew's conversion of historic hulls into floating oyster bars
Both ships are currently owned by Crew, a New York City-based firm that specializes in transforming historic vessels into commercial venues like floating bars and restaurants. According to the report, Crew acquired The Pilot in 2015 to operate it as an oyster bar , while the Victory Chimes was purchased at auction roughly three years ago. This business model has drawn criticism from maritime experts who argue that commercial repurposing is not the same as true preservation.
Alex Pincus, the CEO of Crew, has stated that the company is working with marine surveyors, insurers, and salvage experts to determine a path forward. Pincus noted that raising wooden ships of this scale is an extraordinarily complex task. However, members of the maritime community, including Brad Vogel of the Gowanus Dredgers canoe club, have questioned whether there is a genuine commitment to salvage the ships or if they will be abandoned to the elements.
Toxins in the Gowanus Canal and the loss of rare timber
The location of the sinking adds a layer of environmental urgency, as the ships are submerged near the Gowanus Canal , which is widely considered one of the most toxic waterways in the United States. While a long-term cleanup of the canal is underway, the prolonged submersion of the wooden hulls in such a contaminated environment may accelerate their decay.
Even if the vessels are raised, the prospect of restoration is bleak. Charlie Weidman of Charlie's Marine Service in Rockland, Maine, pointed out that the specific timber used in the original construction of these schooners is no longer readily available. As the report says, this scarcity makes any attempt at authentic restoration far more expensive and logistically difficult than standard ship repair.
The silence of the Coast Guard and New York City officials
A significant gap in the current narrative is the lack of communication from public regulatory bodies. Requests for comment sent to the Coast Guard, New York City officials, and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation—where the ships were previously docked—have gone unanswered.. This silence leaves several critical questions unresolved: Was there a failure in safety inspections, and did the ships meet docking requirements before the squalls hit?
Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the city will intervene to protect these artifacts if Crew decides that salvage is financially unfeasible. Without a public mandate or a clear directive from the Coast Guard, the fate of the Victory Chimes and The Pilot rests entirely in the hands of a private company whose primary interest is commercial utility rather than historical curation.
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