Ship wreck scavenge
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Marts said:
That brought a welcome laugh to my otherwise bad day, cheers. That man has a great sense of humour.
BorderReiver said:
Yeah. I know what you mean, but I think these are very different circumstances. I know the law changed in 1995 but up to then flotsam and jetsam were fair pickings. The 'rightful owners' might not have liked it and we all might thoroughly sympathise with their loss, but that is one of the risks they took. The sea is not a safe place and there are risks in transporting goods via it.
A lot of angry people out there have been coming up with silly analogies of breaking into houses and cars and so on but remember we are talking about flotsam and jetsam here. Whether it is an old bit of rope washed in on the tide months after dropping into the sea or a BMW found the next morning doesn't really make a difference (or didn't pre '95).
Nowadays there are forms to fill in, but the principle is still roughly the same.
As to whether any forms will be filled in, the cynic in me says not a hope in hell.
I think this can be compared to poaching, if it was a few local oportunists taking stuff out of already opened containers that would have probably been washed away/binned, no problem, even for a coupel of quid on ebay rather than for own use. I would compare this to someone taking the odd rabbit for the pot. No one loses anything they would miss really. 
The problem(for me) occurs when it goes up a scale, with people filling vans and breaking open containers this compares to "proffessional" organised poachers, emptying woods and rivers of stocks, and becoming a business. That is when trouble will start, when big money starts to be made and losses become noticable and a problem. What will the people do who arrive too late to collect from the beach? Maybe go and cut a few more containers free, just to make their trip more worthwhile?
I can understand "the autorities" being nervous and cracking down on the beachcombers, it isn't the people who were there yesterday but the people who turn up for any free for all that is going that are the problem.
The problem(for me) occurs when it goes up a scale, with people filling vans and breaking open containers this compares to "proffessional" organised poachers, emptying woods and rivers of stocks, and becoming a business. That is when trouble will start, when big money starts to be made and losses become noticable and a problem. What will the people do who arrive too late to collect from the beach? Maybe go and cut a few more containers free, just to make their trip more worthwhile?
I can understand "the autorities" being nervous and cracking down on the beachcombers, it isn't the people who were there yesterday but the people who turn up for any free for all that is going that are the problem.
'Wreckers' have a history going back centuries in that part of the UK, I was astonished to see the scenes I did last night on the BBC news bulletin. At least the local population didn't actually lure the ship onto the rocks 
I'm slightly conflicted over the issue, as I'm very fond of British traditions
Best regards,
Paul.
I'm slightly conflicted over the issue, as I'm very fond of British traditions
Best regards,
Paul.
TheGreenMan said:'Wreckers' have a history going back centuries in that part of the UK, I was astonished to see the scenes I did last night on the BBC news bulletin. At least the local population didn't actually lure the ship onto the rocks
I'm slightly conflicted over the issue, as I'm very fond of British traditions
Best regards,
Paul.
From what I heard on the news,the locals were well hacked off at the hundreds of people blocking their roads and making a terrible mess.
Looking at BBC's Watchdog tonight and the scandal about British Airways and its lost baggage. Perhaps that's what was in some of these containers. They were trying to sneek it out to sea and got caught!Aliwren said:I didnt really have a view when I heard it was bikes, cars and industrial equipment etc. However my mind was made up when I saw some people being interviewed on tv last night whilst rummaging through a container which was clearly someones worldy personal possesions that had been loaded up for emigration/immigration which were being strewn across the beach - their quote was "why not everyone else is?" very distasteful imo
technicaly well legalt you should fill out a form if you pick a mars bar wrapper up of the beach
and its one form for each item so dont do a Beach clean up it will cost a tree
and its one form for each item so dont do a Beach clean up it will cost a tree
Personaly i am against the degree to which it happening it could have been policed better as a lot of this cargo my be dangerous . I also think the shipping company were to blame as well as there is an arrogance in sending ships into a known hurrican in confined waters . Just hope the insurance company has deep pockets to cover the clean up bill .
I think for me it's not so much the taking of the stuff by a few locals, but it's the hords of maggots driving down from all over the country like a swarm of leaches to join in the free for all, and then (because they're NOT local and couldn't give a stuff about the beach or damaging the environment,) they're strewing un-wanted or more to the point un-valuable goods all over the beach and just making a great big mess without giving a rats a*se about the mess they're creating. They certainly won't be helping with the clear-up if help was requested by the clean up folks.
Another thing is also the taking personal posessions element .......that's wrong, very wrong.
And breaking open containers to get to goods, not just picking up up whats been washed up, but breaking the seals on the containers to get inside. I think the whole thing is demeaning and if they could see themselves they may get a ***** of conscience..............but I doubt it. Don't get me wrong I'd pick up something if I was out for a walk and found something washed up on the beach. When I was a kid I dragged out a fishing rod and reel from the pier when I was fishing and I kept it. It was in great condition and after a wash off with some freash water it was as good as new. Someone had obviously dropped it in off the end of the pier, maybe a kid or someone not paying attention and kicked it in, whatever. But the free for all we're seeing down in Devon is something else.
On a positive note there are good people helping out though, and it's great to see people helping clean off the sea birds and wildlife and giving them the best chance they can......................so folks ain't all bad
Another thing is also the taking personal posessions element .......that's wrong, very wrong.
And breaking open containers to get to goods, not just picking up up whats been washed up, but breaking the seals on the containers to get inside. I think the whole thing is demeaning and if they could see themselves they may get a ***** of conscience..............but I doubt it. Don't get me wrong I'd pick up something if I was out for a walk and found something washed up on the beach. When I was a kid I dragged out a fishing rod and reel from the pier when I was fishing and I kept it. It was in great condition and after a wash off with some freash water it was as good as new. Someone had obviously dropped it in off the end of the pier, maybe a kid or someone not paying attention and kicked it in, whatever. But the free for all we're seeing down in Devon is something else.
On a positive note there are good people helping out though, and it's great to see people helping clean off the sea birds and wildlife and giving them the best chance they can......................so folks ain't all bad
I have conflicting views on this. Yeah it seems ok, but then as others have said, what about the peronal stuff being shipped off around the world? 
There are a lot of views about people breaking containers open. However, from another angle, how long would the containers stand up to the waves pushing them around before giving in and letting water in?
Once the water is in, I bet the official owners would have the stuff written off. Some might even be sold on the cheap. Would you want a gearbox that's been imersed in salt water for however long it had been there? Cardboard packaging would distintegrate once wet and who knows what would then happen in terms of enviromental impact?
This way, much is taken away and cleaned up before it's damaged beyond use. Surely there is a benefit somewhere here? The time it can take "officialdom" to get it's act together things would be wasted.
Just my 2p.
There are a lot of views about people breaking containers open. However, from another angle, how long would the containers stand up to the waves pushing them around before giving in and letting water in?
Once the water is in, I bet the official owners would have the stuff written off. Some might even be sold on the cheap. Would you want a gearbox that's been imersed in salt water for however long it had been there? Cardboard packaging would distintegrate once wet and who knows what would then happen in terms of enviromental impact?
This way, much is taken away and cleaned up before it's damaged beyond use. Surely there is a benefit somewhere here? The time it can take "officialdom" to get it's act together things would be wasted.
Just my 2p.
I've picked up fishing gear and other bits and pieces on beaches along the Forth. I feel theres a difference between finding something on the beach while out walking and making a special trip with your mates and a pickup truck. Both times your taking something that isnt yours, but is there a difference?
If I find a £10 in the street I keep it, if I find someones wallet, I hand it in (I think most people would).
Some salvage would have had a blind eye turned to it, or people told "thats your lot, move on before we have to take notice" but people making special trips and ripping open containers did for that.
If I find a £10 in the street I keep it, if I find someones wallet, I hand it in (I think most people would).
Some salvage would have had a blind eye turned to it, or people told "thats your lot, move on before we have to take notice" but people making special trips and ripping open containers did for that.
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