Take a look inside this historic ship featured on US quarter as it goes up for auction
A historic ship — the last of its kind — is heading to auction in Maine.
Following a century-long career carrying cargo and passengers up and down the east coast, the 128-foot Victory Chimes will be up for grabs, according to the Keenan Auction Company.
“It’s the last remaining Chesapeake Ram schooner,” Stefan Keenan, an auctioneer broker with the company, told McClatchy News. “But it’s got a tremendous amount of life left.”
Built in 1900 during the administration of William McKinley, America’s 25th president, the vessel was designed as a cargo ship, Keenan said.
Due to its narrow width, the three-masted ship, then called Edwin & Maud, was able to ferry goods up and down canals around the Chesapeake Bay.
“They would haul a lot of lumber and gravel,” Keenan said. “You name it, they probably hauled it with this vessel.”
But as competition with railroad companies increased, demand for schooners — ships with two or more masts — decreased, Keenan said. So the Victory Chimes was converted into a recreational vessel in 1946.
And for the last 50 years, it’s been used for pleasure cruises up and down the coast of Maine, transporting passengers who walk its decks back to the turn of the 20th century.
The vessel was purchased by Tom Monaghan, the owner of Domino’s Pizza, in 1987, according to the Portland Press Herald, and renamed the Domino Effect.
Cruises were used as incentives for the pizza company’s employees, according to the National Park Service.
In 1990, the vessel was sold and its new owners renamed it Victory Chimes. Seven years later it was designated as a National Historic Landmark, according to the National Park Service.
As of 1997, it was “the largest historic vessel still sailing in the United States,” according to the agency.
In 2003 the ship was featured on a Maine quarter, pictured sailing along the state’s rocky coastline, according to the U.S. Mint.
“The problem that she’s faced with right now is they’ve pulled the certification for her to remain a passenger vessel,” Keenan said, adding “If you wanted to sail it right now you could. You just can’t take any passengers.”
Because significant repairs are required before the vessel can take on guests again, the owner made the decision to auction it off, Keenan said.
But rather than spending a small fortune repairing the vessel, Keenan said buyers have plenty of options.
“You could keep it docked as a dining or lodging vessel like they’ve done down in the Long Island area or down in Boston,” he said. “There are other options as well: putting the vessel on land and turning it into a museum or attraction.”
Online bidding for the Victory Chimes begins April 23 and closes May 8, according to the Keenan Auction Company.
“Personally it’d be great to see it still sailing the coast of Maine, but as long as it’s still around, people can view and enjoy the history,” Keenan said.
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