Famed adventurer and cruising sailor brutally bashed and robbed

by Wanderlust 3/The Sailing Channel.TV on 8 Jul 2010 Mike Harker, famed adventurer, film maker and solo cruising sailor, is recovering from a brutal beating last week by two men who bordered Wanderlust 3 during the night and demanded cash. Mike was in Guadeloupe located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles (Editor's Update: It now appears that Mike was in an anchorage in St Martin).

Mike, who is legally a paraplegic, fought back bravely after being threatened with a harpoon, but the two thieves overwhelmed and beat him. We send our prayers and thoughts to Mike and his family, and wish him a speedy recovery.

Here is the account in Mike's own words.

Last week two big men swam out to my boat and came aboard WanderLust 3 at about 4 am. They pulled me (still sleeping) from the bed to the floor and stomped on my arms. The little man said 'I know you are rich, where is your money?' I replied 'My money is in the bank, but I will give you my credit cards'. The little man said 'I want all your cash, where do you hide you cash'. I said 'I only have cash in my wallet, you can have all what's in there'. The little man told the big black man to 'Stick him!' so the big man but the tip of the harpoon to my forehead and pushed.

I raised my right arm and grabbed the end of the spear and then with the left arm I pulled the spear out of his hands and bent the spear end across my knee. The men kicked me and grabbed for my arms but I was able to slug a good one to the little man and kicked the big man in the balls.

They took their revenge by getting an arm across my neck and choked me while the big man kneeled on my arms and was told to 'Knock Him OUT!'

They beat me and choked all the air out of me, so I passed out. Just before I went out, I thought 'Someone finally killed me after all.'

When I awoke many minutes later, my feet were tied and my wrists were tied around my knees. I watched as the two men ransacked my cabin putting all valuables and electronics into a big black bag. I passed out again.

I awoke after some minutes and heard my dinghy engine start and drive away. I untied myself as best I could and crawled to the nav station but they took all my VHF radios, cell phones and even ripped the microphone out of the installed VHF and SSB.

I crawled out to the cockpit and saw that they had forgotten to remove the VHF mic from that station, so I called a 'Mayday' on #16 and blew the air horn five quick times with a pause, then 5 quick blows and a pause, 5 more quick blows. My neighbor boat owner was at my side within two minutes.

I then called the NET on #14 to be on the lookout for my special Walker Bay dinghy with new 8hp Yamaha.

Within 20 minutes someone at a dock 3 miles away called the police that the dinghy was drifting near his dock. The police were at my boat and the emergency medical boat were all at my side with 15 minutes, even though it was 05:30 in the early morning. The police went to the dock to retrieve my dinghy and looked at the video from the mounted security camera.

I was taken to the hospital and had 12 stitches and glue on my face, a cracked cheek bone and a splinter around my right eye socket, and a cracked rib.

I am still in the hospital but will be transferred to Guadeloupe for a special face surgeon to try to save my face. I do not have e-mail access because they stole all my computers, cell & SAT phones, cameras and everything not bolted to wood. I do not know when I can answer my e-mails again. I am now able to see again and my spirits are good because the doctors did a good job of repairing me, and I am not dead yet.

Mike Harker is a skipper/adventurer. Mike is sailing aboard a Hunter 49 tricked out with the full range of modern electronics and cruising gear. Mike departed in March 2007 from the Miami Sailboat Show and completed a West-to-East circumnavigation in 11 months. In 2009, Mike started another circumnavigation, this time East-to-West. Early in life, Mike almost lost his life in a hang gliding incident. He spent six years in bed, with doctors assuring him he would never walk again. Still legally a paraplegic, Mike confounded the 'experts' by finding a new life cruising the world in his yacht.

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