Twelve Hours Missing: How a Lobsterman's Boat Came Home Alone

Twelve Hours Missing: How a Lobsterman's Boat Came Home Alone

A woman’s boat returned to harbor at 6:14 AM with its lights off and no crew, navigation lights she had never neglected, and thirty-eight traps left untouched fourteen miles away - so how did the Ledger come home alone? The single detail that would supposedly tie the whole night together remains officially unresolved.

In this episode, we lay out what was found on the Ledger, who discovered it, and the concrete timeline from Angela O’Brien’s departure to the boat’s return, asking whether the physical evidence points to accident, interference, or something else.

Person: Angela O'Brien
Date: July 9, 2019 (boat found at 6:14 AM)
Location: Crale waterfront / Burnt Cove Ledge (trap site ~14 miles northeast)
Boat: Ledger - purchased for $11,000; 40 gallons of fuel filled at 9:40 PM July 7
Autopilot: Documented "ghost heading fault" logged 18 months earlier

- Angela left the marina at approximately 11:00 PM on July 7 and did not reach Burnt Cove Ledge.
- Her 38 traps at Burnt Cove Ledge were confirmed untouched by 10:00 AM on July 8.
- The Ledger was found at its mooring at 6:14 AM on July 9 with navigation lights off and engine cold.
- Hauler hydraulic line on deck was warm to the touch while the engine was cold, indicating recent trap-hauling despite the engine being off.
- Investigators found six sets of rubber banding/wire used for lobsters and bait barrel pieces of arenque cut in a pattern different from Angela’s usual baiting.

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