UK Salvage laws?

[Mr. X]

Last January a huge amount of sawn timber was deposited on Sussex beaches. Then the container ship Napoli went down near Branscombe, leaving many containers to wash up on the beaches. This January a Russian ship just deposited another huge load of sawn timber, this time onto Kent beaches, & it is expected to reach the Channel shipping lanes & even round to the Thames estuary, as well as Sussex & possibly Dorset.

The UK authorities seem a little confused & bemused by what to do. The media are pushing shore-based salvaging as theft this week -- but is it? I suspect not, because there have been few if any arrests and there is now talk of changing the "ancient" salvage laws. Despite a lot of discouraging talk in the media, wood is being taken in quantity & I've not heard of any arrests yet. I did hear that some hardware stores/builders merchants are collecting it (there was hoodie with his face covered actively taking it behind a TV news reporter in the early morning darkness last week!) and filling in a form. Apparently that makes it ok. I guess the idea is that the owner (which might end up being a UK-based insurer) can then contact you about collecting their property, upon suitable payment for your troubles & storage. I'm just hypothesing based on my observations. What are the rules on salvage?

 

[Mr. X]

This site has a nice overview of the role of Receiver of the wreck & some key terms (flotsam, jetsum, derelict, lagan) & a little on the Napoli:

The Receiver of Wreck

This bit is interesting:

"It is a legal requirement that all recovered wreck landed in the United Kingdom is reported to the Receiver of Wreck, whether recovered from within or outside UK waters and even if the finder is the owner. The Receiver of Wreck will investigate ownership. The owner has one year in which to come forward and prove title to the property. During this period it is common for the finder to hold the wreck on behalf of the Receiver of Wreck while investigations are carried out.

Wreck which remains unclaimed after a year becomes the property of the Crown and the Receiver of Wreck is required to dispose of it. Often the finder is allowed to keep items of unclaimed wreck in lieu of a salvage award"

 

[apneaboy]

I think they should leave it where it is so the rightful owner can collect it, it doesn't grow on trees that stuff you know!

 

[Pav]

there is an unwritten rule locally (although it maybe originated from ancient laws.. Can you find out Mr X! , you are a Google Master )

"If you pull it up above the high tide mark you reserve the right to go back and collect said object".

You will often find Pots reserved in this way along this coast and logs in the estuary that people collect.

Also local boat owners have told me to take care when accepting a tow as you may be subject to salvage costs later!

You would have to google to see if this is correct.

 

[scottwilson]

Pav can you explain the pot thing a bit more

 

[Pav]

rofl nothing to smoke here!

Lost lobster pots (no rope / no bouys). They often appear on this coast after big storms. Often damaged, but sometimes you can salvage them. It is odd that you find them like this (as singles).

Probably private single pots left out during the summer and then forgotten as the winter storms hit?

I do remember last year a complete string of pots washed up on the beach nr. Falmouth. I was suprised how long they were left there. No attempt it would seem for the owner to salvage them. They just sat on the beach and were slowly covered by shingle / sand.

 

[Mr. X]

I found a large commercial pot above the high tide mark on holiday but when I tried to lift it I noticed it had a 7" poured concrete base. Extremely heavy. The sea must have washed it up -- you'd need a tractor to pull it up, and there was no vehicle access to the beach.

Pav, now you mention it, I am sure I have heard warnings to boats about salvage rules before. In his biography, the Moons a Balloon, the actor David Niven describes how he ruined at least part of his Hollywood career by giving a friendly tow to one of the Hollywood moguls and then "jokingly" sending him a large salvage bill. The mogul didn't see the funny side of it.

 

[Mr. X]

I saw part of a documentary on Wrecking last year. The gist of it seemed to be that deliberate wrecking was probably less common than is sometimes portrayed but enthusiastic salvaging was commonplace. I didn't see it all but one section described how the Salvage laws of the time (which might well be the same as now) indirectly discouraged saving human life. However, I didn't catch what aspect of the law had that affect, perhap the part about the owner having a year to prove title. Apparently in some of the remote Scottish islands the disincentive was even higher, as they often had little food to see them through the winter, so while flotsam was a welcome boost, additional people (survivors) threaten the survival of all.

 

[abusingelves]

here, anything you lug above the high tide mark is yours (not exactly law) .

if you're going for a piece of wreck and someone else is also going for the same piece, then the first one to touch it owns it until they have to leave it, or get it above high tide mark.

if you are waiting for a piece of flotsam/jetsum to come ashore, you can throw a rope onto it, which makes it yours, and no other party can throw a rope onto it. if your rope is washed off, then it is again fair game.

these are fairly local, but an accepted way of settling between people where there isn't much official authority.

if you need a tow in a boat, always throw your own rope, and have the rescuer use that, instead of accepting a tow rope, so that salvage can't be claimed.

also i think that salvage is worked out depending on the value of the vessel and the degree of personal risk which the recoverer entered into to salvage it.

 

[scottwilson]

Does the "using your own rope" apply in England? Very interesting info

 

[Pav]

I am going to spend the summer throwing ropes at tourists to assist them from the harbour wall until I hook myself a Boat to salvage :blackeye !

 

[apneaboy]

I'm going to get a ferry.

E aar mate, catch this and tie it on for us will yer'

rofl

 

[Mr. X]

A few little gems of info. in this article: BBC NEWS | England | Wreckers warned not to touch wood