1. ‘Wreck’ ie property cast ashore after shipwreck or found in or on the shores of any tidal water, may be either owned or unclaimed. In either case the ‘salvor’ must inform the Receiver of Wreck (usually HM Coastguard) so that he may register it as necessary. Wreck includes ‘derelict’ articles, ie property abandoned without hope of recovery.
  2. With owned wreck the salvor may claim salvage rights under agreement with the owner (The Receiver arbitrates any disputes).
  3. With unclaimed wreck, the property reverts to the Crown after one _year with the salvor usually receiving one third of the proceeds (this is not a legal requirement and varies from case to case).
  4. Articles not classed as wreck are treated as lost property, including deck cargo washed overboard (except fishing gear, which is treated in this case as wreck) and anything found within a harbour or above mean high water mark spring tides. Lost property should be handed in to the police. Its theft constitutes common larceny.
  5. It is an offence to board a wrecked vessel without consent of the owner or the Receiver.
  6. Certain wrecks may be of archaeological interest. These should be left undisturbed and, after the Receiver has been notified, should be reported to the Council for Nautical Archaeology, c/o the National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF.
  7. Beached cetaceans (whales, porpoises and dolphins) must by law be reported to the British Museum (Natural History). In England and Wales, the procedure is to contact the local coastguard who will pass on the information immediately. In Scotland, the coastguard are not required to report specimens of the smaller species, so it is best to contact the Museum directly (telephone 01 589 6323).

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