Sailboat Reported Stolen; Investigation Underway

Liberty Harbor Marina is in Jersey City, and a sailboat was reported stolen. A Boat Watch post later identified the vessel as SV Pathfinder.

The supplied reports do not establish what the suspect was wearing or provide a public contact number for the investigation. Troopers from the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau Carteret Station responded to the marina after the boat was reported stolen on August 22 at approximately 11 p.m., according to a statement from the New Jersey State Police.

Boat Theft Investigation

The supplied reports do not establish whether the sailboat's Automatic Identification System was switched off, where it was last spotted, or how much fuel remained.

Liberty Harbor Marina is in Jersey City's Morris Canal Basin, near Manhattan, according to Hudson County View. That location provides context for the reported theft, but the supplied sources do not establish the boat's route or whether anyone noticed its departure.

A Rare, Historic Yacht Worth Up to $300,000

The Hinckley Bermuda 40 is no ordinary sailboat. Designed by naval architect William H. Tripp Jr. and introduced in 1959 by Maine's Henry R. Hinckley & Co., it holds the record for the longest production run in U.S. auxiliary sailboat history, with 203 boats built from 1959 until 1992, according to Good Old Boat.

Well-maintained examples of the model remain prized among collectors, per Practical Sailor. The circumstances could have legal implications for whoever is caught.

An Unusual Target in a Harbor With Prior Incidents

The supplied sources do not establish how often large sailboats such as 40-foot classic yawls are stolen nationwide. They also do not establish whether the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the NICB maintain a centralized database linking Hull Identification Numbers to owner and build records.

The New York Harbor area has seen unauthorized vessel incidents before. A PIX11 report described an arrest involving a tugboat and a sailboat on the Hudson River. Whether SV Pathfinder's thief intended to sell the boat, relocate it to another port, or simply use it as transportation remains unknown, and investigators have not said where the vessel is believed to be now.