What are Flotsam and Jetsam?
Flotsam, jetsam, and rarely-heard-from lagan are special types of marine debris which originate on ships. Although many people have forgotten the distinction between these terms, the definitions of flotsam, jetsam, and lagan are carefully spelled out in maritime law, as the rules of salvage apply to these types of debris. People more generally use the phrase “flotsam and jetsam” to describe errata and miscellaneous items, usually with the implication that the items have no value. When material is washed overboard or lost in a shipwreck, it is known as flotsam. Flotsam has been lost, in other words, involuntarily. Jetsam, on the other hand, is cargo which has been deliberately thrown off or jettisoned, a not uncommon practice in the days of sail when people would discard cargo to lighten a ship. Lagan, sometimes called ligan, is cargo which is jettisoned with a marker indicating that the owner plans to return to retrieve it. As a general rule, flotsam and jetsam can be freely collected
