Scotland on Sunday – Top Stories – Navy all at sea as fisherman nets submarine — what I don’t get about this wacky story is that after the Royal Navy DENIED it was theirs exactly why the fisherman didn’t then sell it on eBAY?
TO lose a bright yellow submarine could be classed as unfortunate. But if millions of pounds of military gadgetry fails to find it when a lobster fisherman can, it might be seen as careless.
When John Baker found the £750,000 remote-controlled submarine, missing from HMS Penzance, the Royal Navy denied it was theirs until he politely pointed out the letters MoD were printed on the side.
When the fisherman first spotted the 850kg vessel bobbing on the surface two miles south-west of the Mull of Oa on Islay, he thought it was a discarded oil drum.
However, on closer inspection, Baker, from Port Ellen on Islay, realised it was actually a remotely operated mini Royal Navy submarine, primarily used to hunt for mines in hostile waters. It was nine feet long, almost a ton in weight and crammed with hi-tech equipment used to probe the ocean floor – often where it is considered to be too risky to send a human being.
found by E. Campbell
My guess is that the Royal Navy “politely denied” it was theirs because the first phone call reached some secretarial lackey who knew nothing about it.
Imagine if you find a concept car from a company the size of DaimlerChrysler on the side of the road. Do you really think the first person you reach on the phone is going to know anything about the friggin’ car?! Of course not. She’d think you were some crazy guy going on and on about some weird car you found. It’d probably take several calls just to find someone to know about it, let alone who knew what to do about it.
As amusing as this story is, in the sidebar to the article is another story about a 96 yr old trying to keep his drivers license. The first story is a bureaucratic head-shaker and the second is a bureaucratic nightmare.
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=609&id=636162005
The best part of the story is that the fishermen won’t give the sub back until they are compensated for their work in retrieving it and landing it on shore. Boy, do I love Scots! Hadrian had to build a wall to keep them out. I advise the Brits to just pay up.
Ah, Brenda. I see you understand maritime law as well as immigration law.
The fishermen are doing exactly what historic law on flotsam requires. When you find someone’s property afloat and free — you may retain custody until an accepted arbitration body arrives at compensation and reward. You can’t own it. You can’t sell it. Which takes care of John’s eBay idea — even though it was my wife’s first thought, too.
It’s part of why nations with a maritime history — also have maritime courts. It’s SOP, folks.