The romantic notion of life on the ocean waves may have been less romance and more hard work, but it was definitely a great way to start a career, cement my love of all things maritime and spark an interest in the intricacies of maritime law. As I worked my way up the ranks in the purser’s office, as well as my way around the world, I was lucky enough to experience the law in many different ways, from dealing with accidents at sea, the complications of registering a birth or a death at sea, and immigration and customs from port to port. Working on board a ship, needless to say comes with many regulations (health and safety, employment, customs, immigration to name a few) and not all necessarily under the same state’s law. A ship can be registered under one state, the company she operates with is based in another state, she will call into different international ports and may also operate in international waters. Learning the ins and outs of Cabotage law was a steep learning curve for me whilst operating in the United States. The interest it sparked in the regulations attached to the shipping industry followed me ashore and into my next job.

I moved on to work with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as their customer insight coordinator, where I conducted research for public policy as well as marketing and recruitment campaigns. Research I carried out with the fishing industry into regulatory information distribution, and issues such as attitudes towards safety and lifejackets, gave me a real insight into the commercial decisions that face small scale commercial operators.

If you haven’t read my colleague Dan’s article about treasure hunting it is a must read and I came across many treasure hunters in my next role as Assistant Receiver of Wreck. The job title really did live up to expectations. It has been and will always remain a highlight of my career (second only to when I joined Scott Bailey LLP of course). The Receiver of Wreck deals with all flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict found in UK waters. It has both an administrative and an enforcement role, which is steeped in tradition. The Law behind this position is as fascinating as the many artifacts that I had the opportunity to look at in my time there. Did you know that up until the 1990’s the Receiver of Wreck could carry a gun, and they could shoot, maim or kill anyone that stood in their way? Their duties have been curtailed slightly and are now outlined under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and although they can no longer carry a weapon in the course of duty, with the rise of thefts from shipwrecks on the rise, the Receiver of Wreck has been involved in some high profile cases whereby those caught have gone to prison for stealing from shipwrecks. It really isn’t a case of finders, keepers when you find something washed up on a beach or take something from a wreck on the seabed, they need to be reported to the Receiver of Wreck who then attempts to find the owner and either negotiate a salvage reward for the finder or in some cases they will be awarded the item in lieu of a reward. Each of these cases is called a ‘droit’. The history behind the Receiver of Wreck is a fascinating one, originally Receivers were appointed all around the coast in the UK, to prevent looters from shipwrecks along the coast. Coastguards could appoint locals to assist at wrecks, rather than join the looters, and they would be given a wreck token as a reward, I proudly have one of these awarded to me for my services to the Receiver of Wreck.

The Receiver of Wreck is also Keeper of the Royal Fish (I know, it conjures up a picture of us heading to the palace to feed the royal goldfish), but it is far from that. All Royal Fish (Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises and Sturgeon) that wash up on UK shores are offered to the monarch first. For whales, dolphins and porpoises which often sadly wash up ashore far too frequently, if they couldn’t be rescued, they were offered first to the CSIP program who, if the carcass was in good condition, would attempt an autopsy to find the cause of death. For sturgeon, these rarely are caught or wash up in UK waters but in my time at the Receiver of Wreck two were caught (the first in 9 years). Both were offered to Her Majesty the Queen first, who donated them to the Natural History Museum.

From there my journey took me to the UK Ship Register, where I looked after all the Companies with vessels over 500 gross tons on the register. Here I became an expert on the registration regulations. As you can imagine, to register a large commercial vessel on the UK ship register there are numerous regulations that have to be kept and then adhered to. It was my job to ensure that it was smooth sailing for the companies and their ships whilst on the flag, from making sure the certificates they carried on board were accurate (one mistake on a certificate can lead to a ship being detained in port, which can cost millions to a company) to making sure they could get a survey or technical support from the right people at the right time. All whilst ensuring they were able to get the service required whilst adhering to the regulations as per the Merchant Shipping Act.

Every interaction with the law throughout my career in the maritime industry fascinated me, so in the end, nearly 20 years after finishing my first degree, I went back to university to study law and found my place as a company and commercial paralegal at Scott Bailey LLP, as well as now training to become a lawyer and Notary. Conveniently placed between Southampton and Bournemouth on the coast, we act for a number of maritime businesses, and of course leisure boat owners, so I am able to combine my love of the sea with my passion for law.

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Founded in 1930, Scott Bailey has grown to become a leading firm in the New Forest, providing a full range of legal services to private individuals and businesses. Services for individuals include Residential Conveyancing, Divorce, Family, Wills Trusts & Probate, Litigation & Disputes.

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