Mystery man appears to be living in canoe on Boston Harbor

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

A man living in a canoe in the Boston Harbor isn’t making many waves, so to speak.

“Our focus here is on whether there are any safety or security concerns,” said Coast Guard Lieutenant Joe Klinker. “Right now, there are no major concerns.”

The man was recently spotted near the New England Aquarium and the Coast Guard has seen him in the water for a couple of days, he said.

Klinker said the man has camping gear on his canoe and seems to be paddling around the harbor, figuring out where he is allowed to be.

But the man hasn’t broken any laws yet, Klinker said.

The man has tied his canoe to a floating dock in the harbor and pitched a tent, but Klinker is not sure who owns the dock or if the man intends on using it as a sort of home base.

“I don’t know if that’s his or if it’s public or privately owned,” he said.

The Coast Guard is keeping an eye on the situation and deploying its usual patrols, he said.

“This is what our guys do every day,” Klinker said. “If we thought there was a concern, we’d be out there.”

The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the man and support Boston police, he said.

Klinker said in his career, he has not seen someone live in the harbor on a boat as small as the man’s canoe.

“Living on a canoe in Boston in the winter is not a good idea,” he said.