Cyclone Debbie: Club Marine ready to help boaters

Club Marine says its preparing to field hundreds of calls and claims in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie, the category 4 severe cyclone that impacted on the boating mecca of the Whitsundays, the wider Queensland coast from Townsville to Mackay, and then wreaked havoc as a low-pressure system flooding Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Northern NSW.

Safety still remains the first priority in the massive tract of land affected by the cyclone and the vast coastal areas and flooded waterways. The insurer encourages those affected to stay in touch with local authorities and heed all safety warnings and instructions.

Club Marine says it has experience with cyclone events in Australia for more than 45 years and claims to be in a unique position to being able to respond quickly and effectively to events of this size and nature. Hopefully, it does the right thing by the hundreds of hapless boaters with damaged and destroyed boats from Bowen to Lismore and beyond.

CATASTROPHE RESPONSE
Club Marine says its Catastrophe Response Team has now been mobilised, with assessors and other representatives ready to respond as soon as it is safe to access affected areas.

National Technical Claims Manager Phillip Johnson will use his recovery experience with Cyclones Yasi, Ului and Marcia to lead the team of expert marine assessors and salvage crews.

The insurer's catastrophe event claims service has been activated. Where the insurer's onsite representatives identify pleasure craft as belonging to a Club Marine member, the catastrophe management team will contact owners directly and initiate the claims processes.

CALLS FLOOD IN
At Club Marine’s headquarters in Melbourne, staffing has been boosted to cope with the flood of claims and the catastrophe management processes designed to streamline claims for affected members who can lodge their claims seven days per week.

Should you need to make a claim, or require assistance with a damaged vessel, contact Club Marine on 1300 00 CLUB (2582) and select option 2 for claims, or Lodge a claim online in less than 10 minutes at
www.clubmarine.com.au/claims.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared a catastrophe for damage caused by severe tropical Cyclone Debbie, which made landfall on Tuesday afternoon (March 28) between Bowen and Airlie Beach.

The boating Mecca of the Whitsundays bore the brunt of the category 4 cyclone, with winds up to 263km/h or 141 knots on Hamilton Island. This was the highest recorded wind gust from Cyclone Debbie and the marina and damage to boats on Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour is extensive.