Coast Guard Launches Marine Casualty Investigation into ‘Spirit of Boston’ Fire

The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a formal marine casualty investigation into the fire that occurred aboard the Spirit of Boston passenger vessel on Friday.

The Spirit of Boston is a 153-foot vessel that can hold up to 675 passengers and crew. On Friday evening, the ship caught fire while it was docked at Commonwealth Pier in Boston. Although there were no passengers aboard, the vessel suffered significant damage.

Rear Adm. John Mauger, First District Commander of the Coast Guard, authorized the investigation on Monday under Title 46, United States Code, Section 6301 and its accompanying regulations. The lead investigator, Cmdr. Mason Wilcox, has been appointed to oversee the inquiry.

The purpose of the investigation is to fully understand the events that led up to the fire and to prevent future incidents from occurring.

The Spirit of Boston is operated by City Experiences, part of Hornblower Group, the same company that also operated the Spirit of Norfolk which in June 2022 caught fire on the Elizabeth River with 108 people on board, many of whom were school children on a field trip. Thankfully no injuries were reported.

The company expressed thanks to the Boston Fire Department for their quick response in a Facebook post. “We are so thankful for the collective rescue efforts taken by our Crew and local authorities,” it said.

The Coast Guard is encouraging members of the public and other interested parties to provide information, ask questions, and offer comments related to the investigation via email at: [email protected].

Upon completion of the investigation, the Coast Guard will release a report of its findings, including collected evidence, established facts, conclusions, and recommendations regarding the marine casualty.

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