What if the quickest weekday route from the Seaport to Logan were a $2.40 boat from the Harborwalk? On a weekday morning it is. The MBTA's F10 Harbor Loop leaves Commonwealth Pier at 6:35 a.m. and reaches the airport at 6:45. After work, the same trip on the same route takes 45 minutes. The 3:55 p.m. boat from the Seaport doesn't reach Logan until 4:40.
The boat is the same and so is the dock. Only the direction changes. That one design choice decides when the Harbor Loop is the best way out of the neighborhood and when it isn't worth the walk to the water. It matters more now that the summer ferry season has wound down: the MBTA's fall service update confirms the Harbor Loop keeps running on weekdays year-round.
The Loop Turns Around at Lunch
The F10 started on Monday, June 29, 2026. It links four stops: Lovejoy Wharf by North Station, Central Wharf by the Aquarium, the Seaport at Commonwealth Pier, and Logan Airport. Bay State Cruise Company operates it. In the morning it runs counterclockwise from 6:10 to 11:30 a.m. In the evening it runs clockwise. Nothing runs between 11:30 a.m. and 3:55 p.m. On the current timetable, the first evening boat leaves the Seaport at 3:55 p.m. and the last one leaves at 7:35 p.m., ending its run at Lovejoy Wharf at 8:05.
From Commonwealth Pier, the order of stops is what counts. In the morning the boat arrives from Central Wharf, stops at the Seaport, and heads straight to Logan, then on to Lovejoy Wharf. In the evening it leaves the Seaport first and calls at Central Wharf and Lovejoy Wharf before it reaches the airport, then finishes back at the Seaport. The current timetable took effect August 17, 2026, replacing the launch schedule. Here is how long the trips a Seaport resident is most likely to make take on that timetable:
| Trip from or to the Seaport | Morning loop | Evening loop |
|---|---|---|
| Seaport to Logan | About 10 minutes, e.g. 6:35 to 6:45 a.m. | About 45 minutes, e.g. 3:55 to 4:40 p.m. |
| Logan to Seaport | Not direct; the boat goes on to Lovejoy Wharf | About 10 minutes, e.g. 4:40 to 4:50 p.m. |
| Seaport to Lovejoy Wharf / North Station | About 35 minutes via Logan, e.g. 6:35 to 7:10 a.m. | About 25 minutes via Central Wharf, e.g. 3:55 to 4:20 p.m. |
| Seaport to Central Wharf / Aquarium | Not direct; Central Wharf comes before the Seaport | About 10 minutes, e.g. 3:55 to 4:05 p.m. |
So the morning loop is a Seaport-to-airport express, and the evening loop is an airport-to-Seaport express. Everything else on the route is slower from this dock.
Flying Out Before Noon
For a morning flight, the departures from Commonwealth Pier fall at 6:35, 6:57, 7:35, 7:50, 8:25, 8:45, 9:20, 9:40, 10:15, and 10:30 a.m. They reach Logan at 6:45, 7:05, 7:45, 8:00, 8:35, 8:55, 9:30, 9:50, 10:25, and 10:40 a.m. The two later morning boats, at 11:05 and 11:30 a.m., are marked drop-off only at the Seaport and do not continue to the airport. That makes 10:30 a.m. the last useful boat for a flight.
The boat doesn't drop you at a terminal. Massport sends ferry passengers to the Water Transportation Dock, where the Route 66 On-Airport Shuttle runs to every terminal. According to Massport, the bus runs regularly during ferry service hours. The shuttle also comes with a perk. Ferry riders get a "Ticket to Skip" on the bus, which sends them to the front of the security line once they have checked in.
A morning departure by boat comes down to this order:
- Walk to the Seaport stop at Commonwealth Pier, which the MBTA lists on the Harborwalk.
- Pay on board with contactless Tap to Ride, cash, or a credit card, or buy ahead in the mTicket app. CharlieCards are not accepted on any ferry route.
- Ride about ten minutes to the airport, then board Route 66 at the Water Transportation Dock.
- Get the Ticket to Skip on the shuttle and use it at security after check-in.
Coming Home After Four
In the evening the advantage moves to the return trip. The clockwise boats reach Logan at 4:40, 5:10, 5:35, 6:05, 6:30, 7:00, and 7:25 p.m. and arrive at Commonwealth Pier ten minutes later, at 4:50, 5:20, 5:45, 6:15, 6:40, 7:10, and 7:35 p.m. Massport's Route 66 runs in both directions. Arriving passengers follow the Ground Transportation signs to the terminal curb and board the shuttle to the dock.
The last useful evening boat leaves Logan at 7:25 p.m. The two boats after it end their runs at Lovejoy Wharf and don't go back to the airport. A weekday flight that lands mid-afternoon and clears the airport by early evening fits the ferry well. A flight that lands at 9 p.m. doesn't fit it at all.
The fare is the same either way. A full one-way fare is $2.40 and a reduced fare is $1.10, the same as the subway and Zone 1A Commuter Rail. Commuter Rail passes for Zones 1A through 10 are valid on the boat. Massport adds that children 11 and under ride the inter-harbor ferries to and from the airport for free.
Where the Loop Works Against You
Since the timetable is built around the direction of the loop, its gaps are predictable. From the Seaport, the Harbor Loop is the wrong choice in these cases:
- Morning arrivals at Logan. After the airport, the counterclockwise boat goes on to Lovejoy Wharf, not back to Commonwealth Pier.
- Evening departures to Logan. The trip runs through Central Wharf and Lovejoy Wharf first, which takes about 45 minutes.
- Midday. There is no service between 11:30 a.m. and 3:55 p.m.
- Weekends. The MBTA describes the F10 as a weekday route.
The same pattern applies to trips that have nothing to do with the airport. A morning ride to the Aquarium isn't direct, because the morning boat calls at Central Wharf before it reaches the Seaport. In the evening that trip takes ten minutes. From Central Wharf, the MBTA points riders to connecting ferries for Hingham/Hull, Lynn, Winthrop, Quincy, Charlestown, and East Boston, as well as to the subway at Aquarium Station. Several of those routes are seasonal. The fall update says Lynn, Winthrop, and Quincy weekday service, and East Boston weekday and weekend service, run through at least November 26, 2026. The same update confirms year-round weekday service for the Harbor Loop and Hingham/Hull, and year-round weekday and weekend service for the Charlestown Ferry.
For trips the loop can't handle, Massport lists Boston Water Taxi as an on-demand option that serves the Seaport District. Reservations should be booked for a pickup at least 35 minutes ahead of when you need to be at the airport.
The Other Ferry on the Harborwalk
The Harbor Loop isn't the only commuter boat on this stretch of water, and the two are easy to confuse. The MBTA says the F10 adds to the existing Seaport Ferry, which the Massachusetts Convention Center operates, and does not replace it.
The Seaport Ferry uses different docks. Fan Pier is on the Harborwalk between Harbor Shore Drive and Marina Park Drive, and Pier 10 sits at the end of the Drydock Green Space. On its North Station route, morning boats run from Lovejoy Wharf to Fan Pier, then Pier 10, then back to Lovejoy. In the evening they run from Pier 10 to Fan Pier and on to Lovejoy Wharf. A second route links Fan Pier with Lewis Mall Wharf in East Boston. Its morning boats leave Lewis Mall between 5:55 and 9:55 a.m., and its evening boats leave Fan Pier between 3:15 and 6:55 p.m., roughly every 20 minutes. Neither route goes to Logan. The public fare is $5 each way, and children under 12 ride free with a paying adult. Employees and tenants of companies that help fund the service may qualify for a free monthly pass.
As of early October, the Seaport Ferry's website shows a banner saying the North Station route is on reduced service, every 40 minutes, until further notice. Its posted March 2026 schedules show more frequent boats than that. The live website and app are the more reliable guide to actual departure times.
For a Seaport resident, the choice comes down to the trip. To get to North Station from Fan Pier or Pier 10, the Seaport Ferry has a direct route. For the airport, or for an evening ride to the Aquarium, the Harbor Loop from Commonwealth Pier is the only scheduled boat of the two. Ridership numbers haven't been published. NBC Boston's coverage of the July launch quoted riders who called the trip smooth, clean, and uncrowded.
The ferry timetable is one of the details that shapes life in the Seaport, along with how close a building is to Commonwealth Pier or Fan Pier and how far the walk to the Harborwalk really is. If you're comparing Seaport addresses with that kind of practical detail in mind, The David Green Group can help you see how each location works from day to day. Contact Us.
