Someone broke into a boat tied up at 63 Long Wharf in Boston Harbor on July 10 and made off with alcohol stored aboard, and detectives still haven't identified who did it a month later. District A-1 investigators have released photos of the people they believe were involved, hoping a tip from the public can help close the case.
According to a Boston Police Department post, officers assigned to District A-1 responded to the breaking and entering report at 9:09 am on July 10 after the boat's owner called to say his vessel had been broken into at the dock. Detectives are investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident, the department's post states.
Where the Break-In Happened
The address sits along Boston Inner Harbor and serves as a passenger ferry pier and commercial maritime hub, home to operators including the Provincetown Fast Ferry near the New England Aquarium, according to Giftly. Boston police haven't said whether the boat that was broken into was a commercial ferry, a charter craft, or a private vessel, leaving that detail unresolved.
Community members can share information anonymously through Boston Police Crimestoppers, by texting TIP to 27463, or by calling 1-800-494-TIPS, per the department's post. Anyone with information can also reach District A-1 detectives directly at (617) 343-4571.
The Legal Stakes for Whoever Did It
Breaking into a vessel with intent to commit a misdemeanor carries up to six months in jail and a $200 fine under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266, Section 16A, according to the Massachusetts Legislature. But if prosecutors determine the break-in happened at night with intent to commit a felony, state law allows for up to 20 years in state prison, per Mass.gov.
District A-1's station house at 40 New Sudbury Street holds primary jurisdiction over Downtown Boston, the Waterfront, Chinatown, the North End, Beacon Hill and Charlestown, according to Boston.gov. Out on the water, the Boston Police Harbor Unit's commanding officer serves as the city's official harbormaster, coordinating waterborne security with land-based detectives like those handling the Long Wharf case, per Pax Centurion, a Boston Police Patrolmen's Association publication.
A Waterfront With a Property Crime Problem
Property crime and larceny remain the most common offenses in Boston's dense downtown and waterfront corridors even as overall violent crime sits near multi-decade lows, per Alarm New England. Just across the river, Cambridge saw Part I property crimes fall 26 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the City of Cambridge's BridgeStat report, a sign the trend isn't uniform across the harbor's edges.
District A-1 detectives have leaned on public tips and surveillance footage to crack break-in cases before, including a downtown burglary arrest in January and a string of overnight break-ins solved in the neighboring North End in April. Long Wharf made headlines again in June, when a harbor ferry operating out of the pier prompted an evacuation off Castle Island, detailed in Ferry Scare Off Castle Island.
What Investigators Need Next
Detectives haven't said whether they've identified anyone from the released photos. The case stays open, with investigators hoping someone recognizes the individuals pictured before the trail goes cold.
