Powers with respect to disposal of wrecks
21.—(1) In their application to the Commissioners sections 530 and 532 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894(1) (which confer powers on the Commissioners with respect to, and with respect to anything in or on, any vessel sunk, stranded or abandoned in such manner as to be or to be likely to become an obstruction or danger to navigation in the Port or in or near any approach thereto) shall have effect—
(a)subject to the provisions of the next following article; and
(b)in relation to a vessel sunk, stranded or abandoned before, as well as after, the commencement of this Order.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3) of this article, and to any enactment for the time being in force limiting his liability, the Commissioners may recover as a simple contract debt from the owner of any vessel in relation to which they have exercised their powers under the said section 530 any expenses reasonably incurred by them under that section in relation to that vessel which are not reimbursed out of any proceeds of sale within the meaning of that section.
(3) Except in a case which is in the opinion of the Commissioners a case of emergency, paragraph (2) of this article shall not apply in relation to any vessel unless before exercising in relation to that vessel any of the powers conferred on them by the said section 530, other than the power of lighting and buoying, the Commissioners have given to the owner of the vessel not less than forty-eight hours' notice of their intention to do so; and if before the notice expires they receive from the owner counter-notice in writing that he desires to dispose of the vessel himself, and no direction is served in respect of the vessel under paragraph (2)(b) of the next following article, he shall be at liberty to do so, and the Commissioners shall not exercise the powers aforesaid in relation to that vessel until the expiration of seven days from the receipt of the counter-notice and of any further continuous period thereafter during which the owner of the vessel proceeds with the disposal thereof with all reasonable diligence and in compliance with any directions for the prevention of interference with navigation which may be given to him by the Commissioners.
(4) Notice under the last foregoing paragraph to the owner of any vessel may be served by the Commissioners either by delivering it to him or by sending it to him by the recorded delivery service addressed to him at his last known place of business or abode in the United Kingdom, or, if the owner or any such place of business or abode is not known to the Commissioners, by displaying the notice at the office of Commissioners for the period of its duration.
(4A) Except in a case which is, in the opinion of the Commissioners, a case of emergency, the Commissioners shall, before raising, removing or destroying under the powers conferred upon them by the said section 530 any vessel sunk, stranded or abandoned in the Port and within a distance of 150 metres of any apparatus belonging to or maintained by the British Gas Corporation, give to that corporation in writing as long notice as is practicable of their intention to do so.
(5) In this article the word “owner” in relation to any vessel means the person who was the owner of the vessel at the time of the sinking, stranding or abandoning thereof, and for the purposes of this and the next following article the word “vessel” includes any aircraft.