20 litres of diesel? Free? What to do!

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FairweatherDave

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Sailing into Chichester Saturday evening when I spotted a large jerry can afloat in a tangle of string weed. Thought to myself that looks a nice jerry can, should pick it up and stop plastic polution....good practice for boat handling, so I tacked. Meanwhile my wife very reasonably says that it is probably a fishermans float.....Well I will just drop it if it is attached......But hooked it out and it wasn't attached, it was a nice jerry can full of fuel. So double environmental bonus points!
Now what to do with the fuel? A cursory inspection makes me think the fuel is not contaminated, unscrewing the cap felt "normal" and sealed, and the outside of the jerry can looks very new, bright and shiny. My plan is to visually inspect the fuel via 5 litre clean/dry clear plastic water containers (see if there is water and whether it is red deisel or white).... and then ...use it?
 
To avoid any accusation of theft take it the local police station and if it is not claimed within the statutory time it becomes yours. Otherwise you are no better than ........ choose your own description of a dishonest unscrupulous pokey.
 
I agree you should report your find to the police . If it is claimed by its true owner you will be entitled to a bounty. If not claimed after a reasonable time it becomes yours .
 
Seems to me that asking on here if anyone has lost one would cover your legal obligations.

I feel anyone who has lost one would be happy for it to be recovered without causing and damage or pollution.
 
I suspect that the amount of paperwork which will be generated by a trip to the police station for the sake of a few litres of diesel would mean that the police would regard that the OP's efforts in the cause of the avoidance of environmental damage is sufficient reward in itself. :)

Richard
 
awol said:
To avoid any accusation of theft take it the local police station and if it is not claimed within the statutory time it becomes yours. Otherwise you are no better than ........ choose your own description of a dishonest unscrupulous pokey.
Click to expand...


Doubt the police want to get involved sorting sub-£20 worth of hazardous, flammable liquid! The original owner may also hesirate coming forward fearing a hefty fine.
 
RichardS said:
I suspect that the amount of paperwork which will be generated by a trip to the police station for the sake of a few litres of diesel would mean that the police would regard that the OP's efforts in the cause of the avoidance of environmental damage is sufficient reward in itself. :)

Richard
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Agree. Once found a briefcase in a lay by and thought I would do the right thing and hand it in. Paperwork was unbelievable.
 
Interesting ..... so at which point does the infantile "finders - keepers" philosophy turn into moral behaviour? A can of diesel is obviously below the threshold. I would assume an unmanned unattached Halberg-Rassy would be worth the paper-work and is above that line.
Would, for example, a floating dead body just be ignored to avoid the inevitable mound of paperwork?
 
How about complicating things further by reporting the find to the Receiver of Wreck? It might be flotsam, jetsam, derelict or escaped lagan!
 
FairweatherDave said:
Sailing into Chichester Saturday evening when I spotted a large jerry can afloat in a tangle of string weed. Thought to myself that looks a nice jerry can, should pick it up and stop plastic polution....good practice for boat handling, so I tacked. Meanwhile my wife very reasonably says that it is probably a fishermans float.....Well I will just drop it if it is attached......But hooked it out and it wasn't attached, it was a nice jerry can full of fuel. So double environmental bonus points!
Now what to do with the fuel? A cursory inspection makes me think the fuel is not contaminated, unscrewing the cap felt "normal" and sealed, and the outside of the jerry can looks very new, bright and shiny. My plan is to visually inspect the fuel via 5 litre clean/dry clear plastic water containers (see if there is water and whether it is red deisel or white).... and then ...use it?
Click to expand...

Saw that - you can't have been that far behind me.

At the time it was a bit too near the shallow stuff
 
awol said:
Interesting ..... so at which point does the infantile "finders - keepers" philosophy turn into moral behaviour? A can of diesel is obviously below the threshold. I would assume an unmanned unattached Halberg-Rassy would be worth the paper-work and is above that line.
Would, for example, a floating dead body just be ignored to avoid the inevitable mound of paperwork?
Click to expand...
Pushing your bed up against a wall might be worthy of consideration? ;)

Richard
 
There's a police email and answerphone service for non-urgent stuff like this.
I would think a message there and the same with the HM would cover your obligations.

I once picked up a fender well out to sea, little chance of finding its rightful owner.
I kept it.
I once lost a dinghy oar. If it found a new home, that's how it goes.

Better that people pick things out of the sea IMHO.
 
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