Michael Hatcher
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Hatcher is a British explorer and marine salvor
.
He has specialised in work in the South China Sea
. In 1981 he was involved in investigating the wreck of Dutch submarine K XVII.
He is especially known for his recovery of large quantities of Chinese porcelain from the VOC
ship Geldermalsen (known as the "Nanking cargo") which was sold at auction by Christie's
in Amsterdam in 1986.
In 1999 he discovered the Tek Sing
shipwreck and retrieved 360,000 pieces of porcelain.
In 2007 a number of associates of his were convicted of a fraud involving a treasure hunting mission which exploited Hatcher's name in an unauthorised investment, the "Hatcher Unit Trust".
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
.
He has specialised in work in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. In 1981 he was involved in investigating the wreck of Dutch submarine K XVII.
He is especially known for his recovery of large quantities of Chinese porcelain from the VOC
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
ship Geldermalsen (known as the "Nanking cargo") which was sold at auction by Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
in Amsterdam in 1986.
In 1999 he discovered the Tek Sing
Tek Sing
The Tek Sing was a large three-masted Chinese ocean-going junk which sank on February 6, 1822 in an area of the South China Sea known as the Belvidere Shoals. The vessel was 50 meters in length, 10 meters wide and weighed about a thousand tons. Its tallest mast was estimated to be 90 feet in...
shipwreck and retrieved 360,000 pieces of porcelain.
In 2007 a number of associates of his were convicted of a fraud involving a treasure hunting mission which exploited Hatcher's name in an unauthorised investment, the "Hatcher Unit Trust".
Further reading
- Hugh Edwards. Treasures of the Deep: The Extraordinary Life and crimes of Captain Mike Hatcher (HarperCollins Publishers, 2000) ISBN 9780732258856
- Nigel Pickford and Michael Hatcher. The Legacy Of The Tek Sing, Granta
- Christie's Amsterdam B.V. The Nanking Cargo, Chinese Porcelain and Gold, European Glass and Stoneware, recovered by Captain Michael Hatcher from a European ship wrecked in the South China Seas. Amsterdam, 1986
- Sheaf, Colin (1988). Hatcher Porcelain Cargoes: The Complete Record. Phaidon. ISBN 978-0714880464.