Historic vessel mysteriously sinks in NYC — just days after schooner-turned-bar met similar fate

The Victory Chimes, a 126-year-old National Historic Landmark, was found submerged on Sunday, just days after the schooner-turned-bar Pilot sank at the same location on July 1. Both ships were moored in the basin awaiting restoration. Local maritime observers had previously noted visible deterioration on the wooden hulls of both vessels, including decaying planks and rusting.

Crew, the company that operates floating restaurants like Grand Banks and the Fireboat at Brooklyn Bridge Park, stated that the ships began taking on water during a Friday squall. The company has hired maritime salvage experts to raise the vessels and determine the cause of the sinkings.

The Victory Chimes was once the official windjammer of Maine, while the Pilot recently completed a stint as an oyster bar at Pier 7. Advocates from the Gowanus Dredgers have questioned if the owner exercised enough oversight to prevent the loss of the historic relics.

Summary by Dispatch AI — read the full story at Nypost.