A solo round-the-world yachtswoman who has braved the high seas over 16,000 nautical miles had a frightening encounter with a “crazy” man on Christmas Day.
Visiting Dutch sailor Jacqueline Evers, who has been based at Half Moon Bay Marina since December, says the incident left her “shaken” after the bizarre and dangerous actions of “the crazy guy” on the waters of usually orderly Oneroa Bay, Waiheke Island, on December 25.
The Times visited Evers this week to report the story of her three-year voyage across the planet and she revealed the shocking episode, a major negative of her stay in New Zealand which has mostly been positive and enjoyable.
Police have confirmed to the Times that “a 63-year-old man is facing four charges of committing a dangerous activity involving ships, one charge of theft, and three charges of intentional damage following an incident where he allegedly rammed a number of boats anchored at Oneroa Bay, Waiheke Island, on Christmas Day”.
Evers believes she was fortunate to have her son Sem onboard, visiting for two weeks from The Netherlands to celebrate his birthday and festive season.
It has been a year since she’s last seen him, in Grenada. He headed back to Europe three days later.
“What should have been peaceful time together became an unexpected test of resilience and teamwork,” Evers told the Times, and she’s also written about it on her website sailing.loveworkx.com.
“Anchored peacefully, I heard a sound and asked my son to check the anchor. He reassured me that everything was fine.
“But within a minute, he called out again, alerting me to a collision between two boats.
“I noticed a Kaskelot, double-ender NØRD, and a vessel piloted by a man behaving erratically, whom we later called ‘the crazy guy’.
“At first glance, it appeared that their anchors had slipped due to the wind and swell. The Kaskelot is a bigger version of my Grinde and got a hole in their hull from the collision. But we didn’t know that at that time.
“The crazy guy circled another boat, a Pogo 12.50, emitting black smoke from his exhaust,” Evers says.
“Believing he might need assistance, I observed the Pogo’s owner pursuing him closely in a dinghy.
“Moments later, the Pogo’s owner came to our boat, explaining that the man had intentionally collided with the double-ender and was now demanding a phone.
“Soon, the crazy guy turned his attention to us. Spotting me on my phone, he started approaching aggressively.
“Realising the severity of the situation, I called 111 for police assistance.
“At the same time, a nearby catamaran radioed me, but our VHF cable malfunctioned. I asked them to contact Auckland Maritime as I continued the emergency call.
“As the man neared our stern, we tried to distract him, but he was fixated on obtaining a phone,” says Evers.
“He circled us repeatedly, aiming mid-ship. I instructed my son to hoist the anchor as I pushed his boat away from ours who was now against our boat.
“His anchor got entangled under our railing, but I managed to free it, pushing his vessel toward the stern.”
Evers says with their small engine running at full throttle, they struggled to distance themselves from him.
“He pursued us relentlessly, closing the gap. Panicking, I began crying, but my son urged me to stay calm and go inside.
“After realising we couldn’t outmanoeuvre him, I told my son to give him one of his phones.
“My son tossed his work phone, issued by the Dutch Army, onto the man’s boat,” Evers says.
“However, unlocking the phone became a painstaking task. The man grew suspicious as he failed to input the long code correctly.
“Shouting ensued, and his aggression escalated. When he demanded that my son board his boat to assist, I firmly refused.
“We managed to escape as he shifted his focus to another boat, the Mai Tai Catamaran.”
Evers says she and her son hoisted the mainsail and jib and sailed out of Oneroa Bay, putting as much distance as possible between them and the aggressive man.
While passing the double-ender, she says its occupants signalled to talk, but she remained focused on getting out of sight.
“As we sailed away, we spotted a police boat entering the bay. They headed toward the crazy guy, and Auckland Maritime contacted us on VHF.
“With our VHF issues, I called them via phone and provided details about what happened and that our phone was still with that guy,” Evers says.
A police spokesperson says officers responded to reports of a boat ramming other vessels at Oneroa Bay at around 5.40pm on Christmas Day.
The 63-year-old man involved also reportedly stole a cell phone, police say.
The police officers later intercepted the man and followed him back to Bayswater Marina where he was arrested.
Police say he’s due to reappear in the Auckland District Court on January 30.
Evers says she and Sem eventually moored at Bucklands Beach for Christmas Day night.
“We inspected the damage in the fading light. The starboard railing and extensions were bent, but the extent of the damage had to wait until morning.
“Though shaken, we took a moment to acknowledge each other for staying calm under pressure and making the right decisions, grateful for our safety and the bond that saw us through this harrowing experience,” Evers says.
- The story about Jacqueline Evers’ round-the world sailing adventure will be published by the Times next week.
- Her website is sailing.loveworkx.com and YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@sailingloveworkx.
