Cargo ship stuck/ containers washing ashore

[AOSDC]

I saw the news tonight. Hundreds of people on beach taking items from containers from motorcycles, oak barrels , diapers and etc.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,245338,00.html

 

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[diggummup]

I saw that.And they call us Barbarians! They look like a bunch of savages over there.Try that over here and you'd be arrested for looting before you got to your car.Where's the law at,no cops? When I first saw it, before I knew it was in England,I figured it was in Russia or something!

 

[privateer]

just a few months back on hatteras island they had the doritos incident-a container washed up on the beach with a load bound for export-there where chips all over the island, everyone had them.It happens in the us as well.

 

[cryptodave]

just a few months back on hatteras island they had the doritos incident-a container washed up on the beach with a load bound for export-there where chips all over the island, everyone had them.It happens in the us as well.

They were corn chips.... The Frito Lay company probably just looked at it like a promotion. Big difference between corn chips and motorcycles, perfumes and explosive items.

 

[Salvor6]

I read the article in my local paper today. It included a picture of two British police officers watching a man drive off with a BMW motorcycle in the back of his truck. They didn't try to stop him. They are not savages diggummup, just still in the 16th century.

 

[ThTx]

Nothing like understanding other people's culture and law before jumping to conclusions about their barbarity.

 

[Night Stalker]

Finders keepers...it would have eventually sank to the bottom. I'm sure their insurance covered the loss ~ why not let the people have it who found it.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Can you keep ship-wrecked goods?
WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...



Salvaging is not illegal, but concealing goods would be
Beach-combers have been told to stay away, but scavengers are out on Branscombe beach in Devon, where booty is washing up from the stranded ship MSC Napoli. So can they keep what they find?

Brand new BMW motorbikes have been wheeled out of the shingle by keen treasure-hunters. Wine casks, perfume and car parts littering the shore have been rolled clear or tucked under the arm.

People are picking through the contents of spilt containers from the cargo ship MSC Napoli beached off the Devon coast and at night, the area is lit by flickering torches as they scour the area for goodies.

Warnings that chemicals such as battery acid, pesticide and oily liquids have also washed up, are proving little deterrent against the lure of "free stuff" littering the beach. But can people keep it?

So far, police have not closed off the beach to stop them coming.


WHO, WHAT, WHY? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6287047.stm

A feature to the BBC News Magazine - aiming to answer some of the questions behind the headlines


People take beached goods

And there is, says Stephen Askins, a partner with maritime lawyers Ince and Co, a right to salvage property. Someone could argue they are recovering goods from the beach to protect them, as they would be in a poorer state come four or five tides' time.

But, before they clear the car boot and head to the coast, they should be aware of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. It states clearly that if they try to conceal or keep the booty they are breaking the law.

If they ignore the advice to leave it alone and report it to the coastguard, they must fill in relevant paperwork. But that still doesn't allow them to keep it.

The goods still belong to their owners, whether they are stuck in containers on the stricken vessel, or washed up on the shore. Contractors have already been brought in to clean up the beach and return anything to its rightful home.

Flotsam and jetsam

But when Joe Public decides to "help", as seems to be the case all over Branscombe beach, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Receiver of Wrecks steps in.

The job title goes back to the previous 1854 Merchant Shipping Act, which also set out rules on picking up flotsam and jetsam.


Casks of wine have been washed up on the beach
Salvage, and indeed deliberate wrecking of ships, around our island nation has a long history. The principles governing ownership and recovery go back at least to the 1300s says Alison Kentuck, the MCA's deputy receiver.

If people take the cargo, they fill in a "report of wreck and salvage" form, with their contact details, what they found, where and when. "It's available from pretty much anybody in uniform down on the beach", she says.

Her role is then to reunite owner and property. A reward to the finder could be offered, depending on the value of the goods, the condition they are in after rescue, and the effort involved in recovering them from the beach. Wheeling something home, she stresses, is "not classed as a huge amount of effort".

Hiding the goods and not giving them back is a criminal offence, with a possible fine of up to £2,500 per offence.

Plus, the hot-fingered beach-comber, would waive their right to a salvage award, and have to pay the owner twice the good's value: "In the case of a BMW motorbike, it could be quite expensive".

As for paddling out to see what the remaining 2,000 containers may hold, it is of course highly dangerous. And, would-be pirates note, there are official salvors charged with recovering the cargo stuck at sea, and the damaged ship itself.

 

[ScubaDude]

There is a big difference between salvage and looting.

 

[Monty]

I heard on lthe news last night that one crate contained 20,000 rubber duckies. Wouldn't it be funny if they all were set afloat at once? LOL I can just see them floating about and coming into shore. Monty

 

[Narked1]

Good post Gypsyheart,
Hopefully the people taking the cargo off of the beach will find out that they can receive a reward for salvaged goods (probably not, but who knows?). I would imagine that trying to register a salvaged BMW motorcycle would be difficult in England without the proper paperwork. I would suspect that most of the cargo will be written off by the insurance carrier and that most of the items, if they are generic in nature (casks, diapers, rubber duckies, etc). Too expensive for the insurance company to look for each and every item I would imagine.

I have to agree with ThTx's post concerning barbarity and pre-judging the culture. And the Rednecks? Heck ya'll there're "rednecks" in every country in the world! They just go by different names depending on the language. Human nature is human nature And I will add that one shouldn't judge a book.....et al. Just look at the work vs. income in England for the working class and one may understand. It's darned expensive to live there! (Been there, done that)

I do like the rubber duckies post though. "Hey Cap'n, where's the wreck?" Just follow the rubber ducky...third one to the right."

 

[welshman]

I saw the news tonight. Hundreds of people on beach taking items from containers from motorcycles, oak barrels , diapers and etc.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,245338,00.html

I found this and it bothers me that not once has it bean mentioned on the news.

YOU ARE HERE: Homepage > Newsdesk > Article Crippled MSC Napoli to be beached in Britain
20 Jan 2007 14:06:44 GMT
Source: Reuters
Printable view | Email this article | RSS [-] Text [+]

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Crippled container ship MSC Napoli, abandoned by its crew during violent storms in the English Channel, will run be aground on the southern English coast to stop it sinking, the coastguard said on Saturday.

The ship, with wide cracks on both sides and listing heavily, will be beached on the Devon coast at Lyme Bay and the cargo taken off, a spokeswoman said.

"We understand there is a small amount of potentially dangerous cargo on board -- such as insecticides, pesticides or perfume -- and the beaching to stop it breaking up is environmentally the best option," she told Reuters.

The Napoli is carrying nearly 2,400 containers and was outward bound from Belgium to Portugal, the ship's owners Zodiac Maritime said on their Web site.

A spokeswoman for South African stainless steel maker Columbus Stainless told Reuters on Saturday the ship was carrying 160 tonnes of nickel, correcting information from the company on Friday that it was carrying 1,000 tonnes.

That would have been equivalent to nearly 20 percent of the total amount of nickel held in London Metal Exchange warehouses.

About two-thirds of world nickel output is used to make stainless steel and demand has bolstered nickel prices.

On Friday, nickel <MNI3> for delivery in three months closed at an all-time high of $36,300 a tonne, moving up from around $13,500 at the start of 2006. On Thursday, nickel was last indicated at $35,400/35,500.

The British-flagged MSC Napoli, 62,277 dead-weight tonnes, was holed on the starboard side in Thursday's storms, forcing the 26 crew to take to a lifeboat from which they were winched to safety by a helicopter.

why was it towed here why was it so important to beach it in a world heritage site a site of universal importance knowing that if the hull ruptured any more than it had it would case irreparably damage to the Eco system 600 oiled birds washed up.

theres more to this than meets the eyes.

 

[diggummup]

Diggummup . We are not the savages you hold us for . First of all there is a beachcomber law . That means you can take stuff you find on the beach home with you . It does not make you owner of the material however . You have to declare what you took and keep it in custody . If after a length of time nobody claims it you may keep it . So it is up to the insurance company to claim the property back or leave it to you . Good system don't you think ? Cornelius

Uhh? No,not really! Beachcomber law eh? So if the ship was filled with containers of nuclear warheads or chemical weapons or machine guns then it's still okay huh? It's the beachcomber law!

Nothing like understanding other people's culture and law before jumping to conclusions about their barbarity.

Just calling it like I see it! No shame in my game brother.Kinda reminded me of the half raised heathens in this country that loot and pillage after hurricanes and such.No patience for a thief and that's just what it amounts to!

You may be known as a redneck in currituck-but please don't put that on the rest of us in NC.

First, I am a long shot from being a redneck. Second, there is nothing wrong with rednecks, most are good people. Same thing as hillbillies.
Third, I can think of some far more choice insults for the rest of the NCers...

 

[ThTx]

Nothing like understanding other people's culture and law before jumping to conclusions about their barbarity. 

Just calling it like I see it! No shame in my game brother.Kinda reminded me of the half raised heathens in this country that loot and pillage after hurricanes and such.

I agree with you regarding the lowlife's that loot and pillage after hurricanes or other disasters.  However, I do see a major difference between a hurricane and ship that has been intentionally abandoned and run aground.  Otherwise there would be no justification for treasure hunting.  Every item found would have to be turned over to the "proper authorities."  After all, someone lost it and shouldn't it remain the property of that person or his heirs?  You know, a little like even though the ship was abandoned and run aground, anything that washes overboard due the intentional grounding and abandonment should still be the property of the employers/insurers of those who abandoned it.

 

[Voldbjerg]

My two euro cents. The law makes realy good sense. If something valuable like BMW bikes or corn chips wash ashore, it is in everyones interest to have it salvaged ASAP. If left in the surf it will eventually be destroyed but if salvaged it can be reclai´med at a price.

As far as nuclear war heads - i gues you could salvage it but you need a permit for every weapon in your possesion and i think it is unlikely to say the least. Maybe in the US with its liberal gun laws

I have some stories about the salvagers of western jutland(north sea east coast) that i could post, if anyone would find that interesting.

BR

V

 

[Salvor6]

Post your Jutland story Voldbjerg. I would find it interesting. BTW where do you live?

 

[Voldbjerg]

Salvor6: Im living just north of Copenhagen. My family is originaly from western jutland. I will post the stories in a day or two - needs translation.

V

 

[diggummup]

Nothing like understanding other people's culture and law before jumping to conclusions about their barbarity.

Just calling it like I see it! No shame in my game brother.Kinda reminded me of the half raised heathens in this country that loot and pillage after hurricanes and such.

I agree with you regarding the lowlife's that loot and pillage after hurricanes or other disasters. However, I do see a major difference between a hurricane and ship that has been intentionally abandoned and run aground. Otherwise there would be no justification for treasure hunting. Every item found would have to be turned over to the "proper authorities." After all, someone lost it and shouldn't it remain the property of that person or his heirs? You know, a little like even though the ship was abandoned and run aground, anything that washes overboard due the intentional grounding and abandonment should still be the property of the employers/insurers of those who abandoned it.

You can't compare a historical wreck to a modern day wreck.This stuff hasn't been lost at sea,the authorities know right where it is at.Many lives were lost, in the 1715 treasure fleet disaster,by those trying to protect or collect the bounty that washed ashore here almost 300 years ago.

My two euro cents. The law makes realy good sense. If something valuable like BMW bikes or corn chips wash ashore, it is in everyones interest to have it salvaged ASAP. If left in the surf it will eventually be destroyed but if salvaged it can be reclai´med at a price.

As far as nuclear war heads - i gues you could salvage it but you need a permit for every weapon in your possesion and i think it is unlikely to say the least. Maybe in the US with its liberal gun laws

I have some stories about the salvagers of western jutland(north sea east coast) that i could post, if anyone would find that interesting.

BR

V

The authorities should be in control of the whole area until the ship's cargo is either unloaded or until it all washes ashore and is gathered properly.This whole story stinks anyway,I think welshman has a point.

 

[Voldbjerg]

I think that the area is closed by thew police now.

But if a ship loses cargo at sea, it will drift. There is no knowing where and when it will reappear. When it does - its in everybodys interest that the value of the cargo is saved. Thats why the laws are made. If theres nothing in it for the finder it will not be reported to the proper authorities and owner.

V

 

[Sandman]

As far as nuclear war heads - i guess you could salvage it but you need a permit for every weapon in your possesion and i think it is unlikely to say the least. Maybe in the US with its liberal gun laws

I say good for our gun laws. We shouldn't even have to have any permit for any firearm. I suppose nuclear weapons should have a permit though.

There is a fine line between, "Finders Keepers," and salvager's of lost cargo. I would like to get a hold of one of them barrels of wine. It would look good next to my recliner with a straw.

Have a good one,
Sandman