[Paddlewise] wrecks and salvage

Thanks for the post Doug.  I just returned from a trip to quixotic eastern 
Canada so I'm very much behind on my emails.

I'd already covered most of the ground you mentioned in your email.  In 
fact it was partially your story in the archives about plundering some poor 
devils boat that got me started on this.  Lots of folks here in Victoria 
believe it's ok to rush down to the beach and strip boats when they come 
ashore in storms.  You were not alone.

It may be part of our east Anglia heritage.  In times past people, known as 
wreckers, would move channel buoys so ships would go aground on the sand 
banks in the English Channel; then help themselves to the spoils.  With the 
high number of ex pat Brits in Victoria this tradition, at least the 
plundering part, seems to still be alive.

The other catalyst to my curiosity regarding wrecks occurred this past 
summer when John Levy and I came across the Tiki high and dry on a 
reef.  This two masted sloop was firmly fixed between Chatham and Discovery 
Island just off of Victoria.  We did not plunder the boat, but hailed the 
skipper who told us a very unlikely story of how he came to be there.  He'd 
already contacted the coast guard so after snapping a few pictures we left 
him to wait for the next high high tide - about 12 hours away.

I've looked at salvage laws in a couple of different jurisdictions, Canada, 
USA and England.  Salvage laws in the US were written to encourage people 
to go to the assistance of ships in peril.  In  jolly old England and to a 
lesser degree in Canada, the system evolved to ensure that the Crown gets 
the lions share of anything of value and hard luck to those in 
peril.  Here's something to ponder.

If you come across a fellow kayaker in distress or immediate peril, (about 
to be swept onto a reef) and if they ask for a tow or assistance - you may 
be well within your rights to claim salvage.  I know of no such case.  But 
kayaks are vessels and would seem me to be subject to the same salvage laws 
that govern other vessels.

Now I'm not an advocate for litigation, but perhaps if some one was to 
claim salvage rights against some of these floating Darwin experiments, 
some good could come of it.

I'm still interested in accounts of kayakers discovering wrecks that have 
or were recently blown ashore. If you've come across  such a boat let me 
know.  Back channel is fine.

Gordin warner

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