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Nosy Neighbor: What’s the story with the ship docked at Pier 25?
C. wrote: “There’s a new ship docked at Pier 25. What is it? Is it staying?”
Turns out the brothers who own Grand Banks, the wood schooner docked on Pier 25, and Pilot, docked in Brooklyn Bridge Park, (and Holywater on Reade) have acquired another relic, this time a three-masted schooner named Victory Chimes, the last surviving ‘Chesapeake Ram’ schooner and a national historic landmark.
The ship is on Pier 25 only temporarily, for three months. The Pincus brothers intend to convert it to a restaurant but the location is TBD.
Built in Delaware in 1900 by George K. Phillips Co., the ship was originally named Edwin and Maud after the children of her first captain, Robert E. Riggen. As Edwin and Maude, she served in the cargo trade until 1945 and was converted to carry passengers in 1946. After she was purchased in 1954, she was renamed Victory Chimes and used for charter in Maine and Minnesota. The owner of Domino’s Pizza then bought it in the 1980s, renaming her Domino Effect. The name reverted to Victory Chimes in the ’90s, when it was used as a traditional sailing ship.
And for all you sailing nerds, the traditional “ram” rig includes a standing jib, flying jib, staysail (also called a forestaysail), foresail, mainsail and spanker (or mizzen), which Victory Chimes carries today. There’s a centerboard that allows it to move in shallow waters. The boat does not have an engine at this point, but it has in the past.
The vessel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 and was designated a national historic landmark in 1997.
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Cool! Keep it at Pier 25 as a coffee shop in morning and bar in evenings.
So glad to see the Victory Chimes saved ! I have watched it sail passengers for over 60 years in my summers in gone state of Maine ! Hope they can convert it to a 5 star restaurant on the Hudson near South Street similar to the Moshulu in Penns Landing in Philly!
It is magnificent ship and deserves to live on!
She will be missed in Penobscot Bay. But wonderful to have this historic piece of Maine in NYC. I often saw her cruising the beautiful waters around Camden and Islesboro. I look forward to boarding her for a meal in the future.
Good to see this update on her. I was crew on for five seasons, back in the 90s, two of those as mate.
One slight correction: she has never been fitted with an engine for propulsion. Instead, she had a yawl boat to push her when she wasn’t sailing. I spent many hours at the controls of that boat, following commands shouted down from the quarterdeck.
It’s very sad that she’s left Maine and will likely never sail again, but I’m glad to see her preserved in some form, at least. She needs major repairs to remain in one piece and afloat, and unfortunately there just wasn’t a way to make the math work out in the tourist trade. Turning her into a restaurant is better, in my mind, than seeing her rot to pieces on a mud flat.
I wish the best of luck to her current owners and everybody else who works on this restoration. I’ll have to come visit her when they get this project up and running.
I agree with Jeff. Though I don’t like referring to her as a relic, as if she were something found by archeologists. She was very functional as a sailing tour vessel, until the repair needs built up, and was much loved in Rockland.
As a former deck crew and Second Mate (1973) under Captain Guild, I want to thank the new owners for preserving this piece of maritime history.
I look forward to visiting and enjoying a “glass” on deck.
Was also owned by Jerry Jubie of Duluth.MN.
I have pictures I took of Victory Chimes in 1960, in Brooklin, ME. Lots of water under her keel (and mine) since then.