On March 23, the Keys Weekly family lost one of its own, with the sudden passing of Michael “Cap’n Mike” Barber following an unexpected battle against aggressive pneumonia.
A frequent columnist for the Marathon Weekly, Captain Mike was the modern-day definition of an old salt. His pieces were typically filled with reflections drawn from a life of tranquility on the water, or informative essays filled with words of boating wisdom.
More often than not, his informative columns were inspired by observations of discourteous or ignorant boaters. His writing was true to form, clearly conveying the tone of his internal monologue as he watched these events unfold and formulated the thesis of a teachable moment to share with readers. In a world full of social media accounts making light of boating foibles, Mike provided the same in a more eloquent print form for Keys Weekly readers. And after decades of experience on, around and under the water, he had certainly earned that right.
From anchoring to docking, from marine sanitation to outrunning storms, Captain Mike had either been there, done that, or made the mistake himself. And when he was annoyed … well, after decades of dealing with the same nonsense from fellow boaters, he had earned that right, too.
His pride and joy was the sailing vessel Whensday, the long-awaited fulfillment of a dream he began with his high school sweetheart, Vickie Nelson, in 1977. A long-distance relationship eventually separated the two for more than three decades, as Nelson joined the Air Force while Barber embarked on a journey as an officer with the Merchant Marines and submariner in the U.S. Navy that would take him around the globe.
But after 35 years of keeping tabs on one another through their mothers, Nelson recalls making a phone call in 2012.
“He answered, and I was surprised,” she said. “I said, ‘Are you single?’ He said, ‘Yup. Are you?’”
Following two years of a long distance relationship – Nelson lived in Georgia at the time, Barber in North Carolina – the couple purchased the 41-foot 1973 Gulf Star sailboat and moved to Marathon on Veterans’ Day in 2014.
Barber soon became a staple in the Boot Key Harbor community, where he was known as a quintessential jack of all trades and wealth of nautical knowledge. But as Nelson can attest, his love for the water could call him away at any time.
“He was known for saying, ‘I’ve got to get out of here,’ and then he’d go sail and disappear for a while,” she said. “I was his love, but the water was and always will be his mistress.”
Conversations with those who knew Mike best revealed hours of stories too long to include in a single newspaper. Many of these are printed in his books “The Water: Life and Adventure,” “Irmageddon” and “Let’s Cruise, But First…” Links to the books and an extensive sailor’s blog are available at whensday.us, but for now, here are just a few excerpts from Captain Mike’s friends’ fondest memories, as told to Keys Weekly:
“Mike was always a guy that wanted to go seek adventure. He was always a smart guy. I mean, the guy could do anything and make money at anything. (Vickie) learned to sail from someone who I consider one of the most competent sailors I’ve ever known.”
- George Coleman, long-time friend and Cape Fear Community College classmate
“Mike and Vickie outran Hurricane Irma and their engines stopped. So they had to wait for the feeder bands of the hurricane to come in to get wind to sail below Cuba. That’s Mike. That describes him perfectly. … He was a man who stood by his principles, even if people didn’t like it. He didn’t get emotionally involved in a bunch of nonsense.”
- Sam Iverstine, friend
“He was always honest and straightforward. He wouldn’t tell you you were good-looking if you looked ugly as hell, that sort of thing. He was very generous with his help, instruction or otherwise. That’s how I view him. He could talk about any subject. … And he was old school. If all the lights went out and the GPS satellites fell into the sea, Michael would be just fine. I would trust him with anything.”
- Bob Hazel, friend
“Mike was a storyteller, with the stories to back up his mouth. Sometimes we would avoid (his stories) if we had ice in the dinghy, because if Mike started talking, your ice would start melting. We loved Mike, even though he wasn’t for everyone. He was a grumble sometimes, very sarcastic, and had a sharp wit with a gleam in his eyes. … He loved being on the water, and we have no doubt that the ocean was his first mistress. He had really cool hats, a super cool pipe and from the day we met him we always thought he was one of the most photogenic people we’d ever met.”
- Missy and Joel Sequeira, friends
“One of the attributes I remember most about Mike is that he could master anything quickly. … From computers to music, sailing and mechanical work, Mike’s ability to quietly understand, adapt and master skills has really led him to vast life experiences. .. Above all, what made his skills unique is that he liked to listen and ask questions. … He felt even in the biggest piles of rubbish, there was always some information to be found.”
- Matt McJunkin, assistant ports director, City of Marathon
Fair winds and following seas, Cap’n Mike.
