The Boothbay Harbor lobster boat, J BUG, which sank at the town dock off Commercial Street on Wednesday, April 8, was recovered by friends of the boat owner, Steve Hodgdon, on Saturday, April 11, according to Boothbay Harbor Harbor Master Jeff Lowell.

"Campbell Marine (Robbie Campbell) and Mike Cusumano did an awesome job recovering the boat," said Lowell. 

Jennie Mitchell Plummer, who was at the recovery scene, added, “They got her pressed up against the rocks in front of the Pink Lady booth and when the tide went last night, lifted her up high enough to get her pumped out,” Plummer wrote in an email to the newspaper on Sunday. Plummer also said Sunday that J BUG was brought across the harbor to the town fish pier off Atlantic Avenue and plans are in the works to truck the boat to Hodgdon’s home.

Lowell said, according to the initial investigation into why the boat sank, the stern stuffing box was filled with water and the boat's battery failed which caused the bilge pump to fail. On boats, the stuffing box seals the propeller shaft to prevent the entry of water, while allowing the shaft to rotate. On Monday, Lowell said Hodgdon and others were still assessing the damage to the boat.

Lowell said the U.S. Coast Guard Pollution Prevention team from South Portland arrived and found minimal environmental damage with the boat's sinking. 

"The Coast Guard worked well with Robbie, Mike and the others and the community was supportive to everyone involved," said Lowell.

Lowell got the call about the sunken lobster boat early Wednesday morning, April 8.

When Lowell arrived at the dock, some local residents had already gathered and a plan was being made to right the situation to bring the boat out of the water.