more craziness in Salem harbor

[Rockport24]

Vandals break into cruise boat and set it adrift

By Chris Cassidy
STAFF WRITER


SALEM — Police are searching for vandals who broke into a cruise boat, stole nearly all the liquor, then cut the boat loose to drift aimlessly in the harbor.

A passing lobsterman spotted the boat belonging to Mahi Mahi Cruises & Charters bobbing about 100 yards from Peaches Point in Marblehead shortly after 5 a.m. yesterday.

The Salem Harbormaster Department responded and towed the unmanned boat, the Finback, back to the Salem Willows pier.

The vandals took "about 90 percent" of the liquor, valued around $1,000, from the boat's cabinet, according to owner Will Cole. Police say they then untied the boat and set it adrift, then apparently returned to the Willows pier in the boat's skiff before pushing that into the ocean, as well.

The harbormaster found the skiff floating off Juniper Point.

Police were able to recover multiple fingerprints on the boat and said the investigation is ongoing.

Yesterday, Mahi Mahi Cruises, which relies on the one boat for its Salem Sound sightseeing tours, was back up and running, and Cole was staying upbeat.

"I'm pretty confident the boat itself is in pretty good shape," Cole said. "All things considered, things went well. ... All that stuff is replaceable. It could have been a lot worse."