# For Sale: Sunken ship Stella Polaris



## needadditionalinformation (Jan 30, 2006)

I'm not the most experienced ship buyer, so I am wondering if this sale offer for the Stella Polaris is some kind of joke.

According to the advertisement (linked below), the advertiser is a Johan Eriksson at Telephone: +46703784271.

Outside of the fact that she has now spent more than 5 years submerged in salt water, I'm wondering who would be in a position to "sell" her. Is this guy some representative of an insurance company, or Posiedon, or...?

It just seems strange to me, and I'm curious if anyone knows how he has a standing to exclude someone from coming along and salvaging her without paying him, if they wanted to. I'm not a lawyer, but it seems absurd. I'm wondering if he might have a bridge, or maybe a mountain for sale too.


http://commercial.apolloduck.com/display.phtml?aid=189742


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

I do not know about this particular wreck but there are plenty of privately owned shipwreck's around the British coast, the amount left usually depended on when the Steel was made.


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## needadditionalinformation (Jan 30, 2006)

Interesting. I wonder what the point is? 

Perhaps one could charge scuba divers somehow (expensive watchman!), or make a claim on / "gatekeep" on the value of anything salvaged? The law can generate some strange ideas at times.

It just seems to me that the owners pay insurance premiums, the insurers in turn pay out when it goes bad, and it seems reasonable to expect that to be the end of it. The salvors possession of the ship after salvage should be the reward for the extensive effort that would be required.

I'm open to new info, but it just strikes me as lazy, idle interloping to expect someone outside the transactions to profit for esentially nothing. Nice work if you can get it.

I do wonder though, shouldn't such ownership create responsibilites too? Ships move around in hurricanes, and presumably tsunamis, somewhat. What if the wreck moved just enough to damage a telephone cable, oil pipeline, etc., or drifted into a shipping channel? Wouldn't they have to be liable? Could they buy wreck insurance for a wreck?


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## needadditionalinformation (Jan 30, 2006)

It's been a few years now, but for a wreck ownership disaster senario not more likely, but inevitable for most, I recall a Luckenbach freighter that sank about half a century ago off California, all but forgotten until she started leaking large amounts of oil a few years ago, killing birds and requiring expensive clean-up.

Luckenbach steamship is long gone, but presumably the insurance company still exists in some form. I don't recall the news coverage mentioning the bill being passed to any "owner".

However, if someone is going to throw their weight of exclusive ownership around for their benefit, shouldn't they expect to pay when there's a problem?

And if insurance companies do have ownership claims on sunken ships and/or their cargoes, due, presumably, to the claim they paid on the ship, shouldn't they all be out right now buying oil spill insurance?

Due to the inevitability of an oil spill from any modern-ish wreck, I would guess that would get expensive. But if they expect to go to court and stake some ownership rights, such as in the event of an outside salvage effort, and I seem to recall that has happened, don't courts have to hold them responsible for the downsides of those rights too?


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Wreck's are usually bought as dive site's to try and protect what is left of the vessel, possibly from the Insurer's or the scrap man who will have salvaged all they can from the wreck especially if the steel is pre-nuclear. The private wreck I know of is called the "Dimitris", she hit the rock's off Redcar (N. York's) in the 1950's, because of her steel (pre War built) she was stripped back, however, her Boiler's, M.E. some piping are still in place along with her bottom plating. Her now Owner's property overlook's the wreck site and he also has a large pair of ex German Navy binocular's mounted in his 1st Floor front room. As you are aware Diver's need support vessel's which is a bit of a give away and he does keep a close eye(s) on any activity near his wreck. Next time I get over to Redcar I will have to ask him if he has it Insured, Public Liability? She is an old wreck and any oil has long gone, in today's world I would have thought that if you buy a wreck you will be liable for any of the "downside" problem's which may be the reason why the wreck you mention may be difficult to get rid of. Did they ever make any salvage attempt's on that superb looking Cruise Liner that went aground off one of the South Sea Island's some years's ago?


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## needadditionalinformation (Jan 30, 2006)

Sorry, not sure which liner you mean. The ex SS America?


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

America?, can't say for sure, I believe she was fairly new and doing a cruise around the Island's when she hit a Reef, her Master ran her up on to the Island's Beach in order to save her from sinking. I believe some attempt at salvage was undertaken but the native's chased the Salvage Team off. Just wondered if they tried again.


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