Solway Harvester

[Hugh Jampton]

When the whole sorry affair is wrapped up what are we going to do with the remains of the trawler?

We spent an awful lot of money raising the wreck and bringing it back to Douglas.

I would suggest it goes back to the seabed at a suitable depth for divers and use the event with publicity to attract divers from across.

Diving is very good here but we could do with some better advertising to bring divers here on holiday

[finlo]

Never mind the cost of raising it, it's cost us £300 per week for the last 5 years for someone to (check the ropes)

[Rhumsaa]

buried at sea should be the way forward... advertising it is a bit sick

[Roger Smelly]

That boat is a grave and should be taken to where it sank and scuttled.

 

If diving on a boat that lost the lives of 7 men is what you call fun why not start digging up a few graves and checking out who is in them.

 

No good comes from bad!

[Theskeat]

Even though the IOM Government covered the cost to raise this boat and return the men to their families, they do not own the boat as such. The boat is owned by the insurance company untill they decide its future. The future of this boat in my own opinion is that it should be returned to the sea and hopefully some good may come from it. The sea bed arround the island has been over fished for years and very little protection is left for the fish to bread, by returning the boat to the sea it coud help the fish population and also in years to come could be a place for anglers to fish and could be known as the Harvester reef which would be a long lasting memorial to those that lsot their lives and at the same time putting life back into the sea.

[Hugh Jampton]

Love your comic and your humour Roger, and I thought the bodies had been removed and buried in Scotland. Most of the wrecks in the Irish sea involved loss of life but diving and fishing on them goes on.

[studmuffin]

I realise that the Solway has to stay somewhere in the interim till its fate is decided but when I walk past it each morning and see other private boats and fishing boats either moored near it or sailing past it, is must send a little chill down their spines,

 

Bit like putting Ayrton Sennas f1 car at the starting grid at the Monaco GP (analgy not meant in jest !!)

[manxman8180]

Even though the IOM Government covered the cost to raise this boat and return the men to their families, they do not own the boat as such. The boat is owned by the insurance company untill they decide its future.

 

That's an interesting one.

 

According to maritime law, and particularly the rights of salvage, I always thought that unless it was specifically agreed between the master of the vessel in peril and the salvager to adopt the Lloyds covention, then the salvager can make claim to the salvaged items. (including the vessel itself).

 

I always remember seeing a document on how to negotiate salvage / rescue with a third pary, when I worked in the industry.

 

But, anyway, it should be scuttled in the vicinity of the orignal sinking.

[Theskeat]

I dont think they can do this, now that the wreck has been removed from a shipping lane to re sink the vessel in a shipping lane would be against maritime law. Salvage rights are not as clear cut as some may think, unless the owner surrenders the ship for salvage then he or his agents still own the vessel, the IOM Government done the humane thing and quickly by raising the wreck, but did they have the rights to do it in the first place. It would be interesting to know the full facts on this.

[When Skies Are Grey]

Even though the IOM Government covered the cost to raise this boat and return the men to their families, they do not own the boat as such. The boat is owned by the insurance company untill they decide its future.

 

That's an interesting one.

 

According to maritime law, and particularly the rights of salvage, I always thought that unless it was specifically agreed between the master of the vessel in peril and the salvager to adopt the Lloyds covention, then the salvager can make claim to the salvaged items. (including the vessel itself).

 

I always remember seeing a document on how to negotiate salvage / rescue with a third pary, when I worked in the industry.

 

But, anyway, it should be scuttled in the vicinity of the orignal sinking.

 

Salvage rules are a technical minefield and depends upon the nature the case in hand and the manner in which it is reported by the vessel master. The basic rules (pertaining to UK waters) are outlined in the Salvage Convetion 1989 which has also been adopted by the IMO.

 

Salvagers are entitled to recompense in the event of a succesful salvage attempt although there are provisions under cvil law for recompense regardless of whether the salvage was succesful or not. Clear as mud I am sure.

[Theskeat]

I realise that the Solway has to stay somewhere in the interim till its fate is decided but when I walk past it each morning and see other private boats and fishing boats either moored near it or sailing past it, is must send a little chill down their spines,

 

Bit like putting Ayrton Sennas f1 car at the starting grid at the Monaco GP (analgy not meant in jest !!)

 

 

As a Boat owner the sight of the Harvester means nothing anymore, you just get used to it, the bigger problem in Douglas is the amount of unused, un sea worthy and un insured boats that are in the harbour. Much money has been spent on the harbour to attract visiting boaters ect, complaints have been made to the Harbour Board about the old boats and the state of the harbour but the Harbour Controls hands are tied, they can not remove the boats or make the owners responsible for the condition of the boats without an act of Tynwald being passed. Also another problem which cant be dealt with is the idiots that drink outside the pubs on the quay and instead of bringing the empty bottles or glasses back to the pubs they just find it funny to chuck them at peoples boats.

[sideways]

The boat should be taken to Ramsey shipyard cut up for scrap and the money given to the RLNI or such likes, at least something good could come out of it.

[Flash]

I agree with 'Huge' & Ffinlo the boat is a terrible reminder and an eye sore + has cost the tax payer large amounts of money - got the now CM a visit to the queen and a title though!!?

 

Strip it of any harmful pollutants, sink it at a reasonable depth so it does promote marine life as Theskeat said......and maybe the local divers could use it for monitoring the growth of fish life and the like?

[nipper]

I wonder what the family of the fishermen would wish to be done with the wreck?

 

 

 

Anyway, it looks like the owner 'got off' with it. He should have realised that Manx Law (or lack of it) would have saved the day. A 'smart' lawyer against our lot usually does the trick.

 

 

It has been said that the wreck was dredged over before the investigation. This was in fact the subject of a question put to Tynwald (Home Affairs) by Peter Karran MHK:

 

Solway Harvester

 

Wreckage disturbance before investigation

 

47. The Hon. Member for Onchan (Mr Karran) to ask the

 

Minister for Home Affairs:

 

(1) Can you advise, was the wreckage of the Solway

 

Harvester disturbed before the investigation began;

 

and

 

(2) were people allowed to dredge over the Solway

 

Harvester; and

 

(3) why was no action taken on the subject?

 

Answer: Whereas the criminal investigation surrounding

 

the events that led to the disaster are now concluded, there

 

is, of course, the Coroner's Inquest still to be heard. It is

 

therefore, not appropriate to answer the questions posed by

 

the Hon. Member for Onchan, Mr. Karran, at this time, for

 

fear of prejudicing the outcome of the Inquest.

 

I trust the Hon. Member will understand and acknowledge

 

the legitimate and valid reason for my inability to answer his

 

questions at this moment in time.

 

The Tynwald Hansard can be found here :

 

Tynwald 7th December 2005

For reference - bottom of page 39

 

 

edit: typo

[pontiuspilot]

That boat is a grave and should be taken to where it sank and scuttled.

 

If diving on a boat that lost the lives of 7 men is what you call fun why not start digging up a few graves and checking out who is in them.

 

No good comes from bad!

its not a grave, there are no bodies in it.