#branscombe

Jack, Tim, and Jamie found a strange scene when they arrived at the beach of Branscombe, Southern England, on the evening of January 18, 2007. The container ship MSC Napoli had recently shipwrecked in the English Channel and lost some of its cargo, some of which had washed up on Branscombe’s shore. Like many other curious onlookers who heard about it in the news, the three friends had come to witness the events. In the old days there was a simple law: everything you found at the beach was yours. This antiquated rule seemed to be revived that night as people were taking possession of everything they found useful. Some were rolling wine barrels up the beach while others carried as many pairs of sneakers, perfume bottles and other luxury goods as they could find, all under the eyes of befuddled policemen who didn’t stop the motley crowd. Jack, Tim, and Jamie joined the salvage, attracted by engine noises coming from a container. Within, they found guys trying to get BMW motorcycles running. They spent hours helping others to free bikes before finally making free with one of their own. They first had to fit on a front wheel and then pushed it up the beach and all the way home. On their way they were interviewed by a journalist from The Daily Telegraph. The consequent news article triggered a debate over whether the beachcombers were in the right or if they were looting. When BMW reported the motorbikes stolen, Jack, Tim, and Jamie refused to return their salvage. They claimed they had only helped clean up the beach and this was their reward. Two years and many attorney letters later, BMW withdrew its claim and the three men were declared the bike’s official owners. To this day, the motorcycle has never been driven. The men kept it in storage as a memento of an unforgettable night shared by three friends. Then, one day, they were contacted by an artist working on a site-specific artwork for an emergency mooring on the banks of the Danube in Austria. They sold him the motorcycle on April 5, 2018.