4 Scapa Flow wrecks for sale on Ebay

[driftwood]

I haven't personally checked it out but Fox News reported 10 hours ago there is an EBay listing for each wreck. Given all the restrictions, not sure what I would do if I owned them.

Four WWI shipwrecks are being sold on eBay for $1M | Fox News

 

[Griffo]

What the actual?

 

[michael-fisch]

Must be the typical Fox News fake news, I can't find the listings on ebay.co.uk or ebay.com

Michael

 

[Lorenzoid]

Scottish news outlets report the same. Looks legit. Toothless salvage rights.

 

[driftwood]

Thank you for correcting my omission in the thread title. I left out the word "wrecks"

For $1m, the only play I can remotely see is producing a documentary of the interior of the wrecks.

 

[Sbiriguda]

How comes there is a private owner of a wreck... British law must be different. In Italy they would be owned by the government
Nobody can be "the owner" of the sea or parts of it except for the government
People or companies can own only land with access to the sea, or several kinds of concessions or licences released by the government to exploit underwater resources. Always with limitations and always for a limited time. There can be long term contracts but none of them lasts "for ever"

 

[Lorenzoid]

I don’t know @Sbiriguda , but a legal concept called “salvage rights” may be involved. These are intentionally sunk ships, not sunk in battle, so they’re not protected as “war graves.”

 

[driftwood]

The Fox article said that Clark bought the wrecks in the early 80's looking to salvage them. Not sure if he intended to salvage the entire ship or "harvest" relics for sale. In either case, both are prohibited at this time. Also there isn't any information regarding who Clark bought them from (or for how much).

 

[Searcaigh]

How comes there is a private owner of a wreck... British law must be different. In Italy they would be owned by the government

Back in the 80s I worked for a salvage company whose owner bought wrecks from Lloyds and we salvaged the cargos.