10. Lien.—
The party injured by collision acquires a maritime lien of high rank upon the guilty vessel which attaches at the moment the damage is done and inheres, as a property right, until it is satisfied, bonded, or extinguished by an admiralty sale, or abandoned by his own laches, or delay in enforcement. It attaches to the hull of the ship and also to her engines, boilers, boats, apparel and freight pending but not to her cargo and, equally, whether the offending ship was in actual contact with the other or whether she caused the collision between other ships by her own negligent navigation, as by suction or displacement waves. The lien will follow the ship into the hands of an innocent purchaser for value unless proceedings to enforce it have been unreasonably delayed or other circumstances render its enforcement inequitable. It has priority over almost all other maritime liens, only subsequent salvage and wages being ordinarily preferred.
Since the enactment of the act of March 30, 1920, a lien arises out of the loss of life in a collision, as in the case of personal injuries.