ROCKPORT – The sinking of a lobster boat early Friday appears to have been intentional, according to the town’s harbor master.

The Brenda Lee, a 34-foot boat owned by Frank Dodge of Rockport, brother of harbor master Leroy Dodge, was discovered foundering early Friday by Carl Small, the town’s assistant harbor master.

Leroy Dodge said there was no visible damage to the boat. He said he was not sure whether his brother had insured the boat.

Efforts to contact Frank Dodge on Friday were unsuccessful.

Small, who fishes for lobster, saw the boat about halfway out the harbor from the landing, he said Friday.

Small towed the boat, which he said was half full of water, to some rock ledges, hoping that when the tide went out, it could be pumped out. Later, others tried to move the boat and it sank in 55 feet of water, he said.

The boat later was raised and placed on shore by Rockport Marine.

The Brenda Lee had been moored near Harbor Park, Small said, but it appeared the mooring line had been cut and the boat towed out into the harbor.

Small said it appeared that a wash-down pump had been used to bring water from outside the vessel into its bilge.

He speculated the sinking may be related to feuding between lobstermen.

“There’s been, over the years, some bad blood between a few of them,” Small said.

Rob Busby, a marine science technician with the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Bucksport, would not comment on the cause of the sinking. His office will investigate, he said, as it does with the sinking of all commercial vessels.