moocow
Well-Known Member
Not sure if this makes it any clearer its from wikipedia
Jetsam are goods that were thrown off a ship, which was in danger, to save the ship. Flotsam are goods that floated off the ship while it was in danger or when it sank. Ligan are goods left in the sea on the wreck or tied to a buoy so that they can be recovered later by the owners. Derelict is abandoned vessels or cargo.
In the United Kingdom under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, jetsam, flotsam, lagan and all other cargo and wreckage remain the property of their original owners. Anyone, including recreational divers and beachcombers, removing those goods must inform the Receiver of Wreck to avoid the accusation of theft.
The Receiver of Wreck is an official of the British government whose main task is to process incoming reports of wreck in order to:
Give legitimate owners the opportunity to retrieve their property
Ensure that law-abiding finders of wreck receive an appropriate reward
This involves researching ownership, liaising with the finder and the owner, and other interested parties, such as archaeologists and museums.
What is wreck?
According to the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, wreck is:
Flotsam - Flotsam are goods lost from a ship which has sunk or otherwise perished which are recoverable because they have floated.
Jetsam - Jetsam are goods cast overboard (jettisoned) in order to lighten a vessel which is in danger of sinking, even if they ultimately perish.
Derelict - Derelict is property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it. This includes vessels and cargo.
Lagan - Lagan (or ligan) are goods cast overboard from a ship, which afterwards perish, buoyed so that they can be recovered later.
The requirements of UK law
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
Jetsam are goods that were thrown off a ship, which was in danger, to save the ship. Flotsam are goods that floated off the ship while it was in danger or when it sank. Ligan are goods left in the sea on the wreck or tied to a buoy so that they can be recovered later by the owners. Derelict is abandoned vessels or cargo.
In the United Kingdom under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, jetsam, flotsam, lagan and all other cargo and wreckage remain the property of their original owners. Anyone, including recreational divers and beachcombers, removing those goods must inform the Receiver of Wreck to avoid the accusation of theft.
The Receiver of Wreck is an official of the British government whose main task is to process incoming reports of wreck in order to:
Give legitimate owners the opportunity to retrieve their property
Ensure that law-abiding finders of wreck receive an appropriate reward
This involves researching ownership, liaising with the finder and the owner, and other interested parties, such as archaeologists and museums.
What is wreck?
According to the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, wreck is:
Flotsam - Flotsam are goods lost from a ship which has sunk or otherwise perished which are recoverable because they have floated.
Jetsam - Jetsam are goods cast overboard (jettisoned) in order to lighten a vessel which is in danger of sinking, even if they ultimately perish.
Derelict - Derelict is property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it. This includes vessels and cargo.
Lagan - Lagan (or ligan) are goods cast overboard from a ship, which afterwards perish, buoyed so that they can be recovered later.
The requirements of UK law
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
