Sad, and happy, ending to Sydney superyacht blaze
The Andiamo may be lost, but insurance cover will at least see it replacedThe owners of a 28-metre superyacht that caught fire and sank at its mooring in Sydney’s historic Woolwich Dock in September were paid the full insured value less than five weeks after losing it.
Nautilus Marine Insurance revealed today it had managed the loss of the Andiamo after it caught fire around 8pm on September 2 while moored at the dock with no one aboard. The motor yacht eventually sank as firefighters flooded it with water in an attempt to extinguish the blaze.
Media reports said the motor yacht had recently put on 4000 litres of fuel.
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An insurance assessor was on the site a day after to ensure the environmental impact of the fire was contained and minimised.
Nautilus Marine Insurance loss adjustor and marine surveyor Micheal Lieberman said the insurer had a clear list of responsibilities after a boat fire.
“Whilst all salvages are different, the priorities remain clear,” Lieberman said.
“Once the actual incident is under control by emergency services, we need to contain the site to lessen any environmental impact.
“By mid-morning Sunday [the day after the fire] we had a salvage operator, divers, and a team deploying containment mats and scoops.”
Recovering the burnt-out remains of the boat was difficult, with the hull wedged sideways across the dock. The Andiamo was finally lifted from the water on September 16 after a “complex” salvage operation – the remains were floated to the surface using air bags placed by specialist divers.
It was then guided to the Woolwich Dock travel lift where it was raised and underwent forensic inspection as part of the insurance claim process.
Nautilus Marine Insurance has covered the entire cost of the salvage operation.
Next steps
However, it’s not quite over yet. Now that the claim has been settled, what remains of the Andiamo will be broken up and disposed of.
Nautilus Marine Insurance chief executive Lyndon Turner was on the site of the fire on the first day and said he sympathised with boat owners in situations like this.
“To see your pride and joy suffering such a fate is an emotional time, which is why it’s so important that boat owners receive support, reassurance, and professionalism through the claims process,” Turner said.
“Being there for our customers when it really counts is what Nautilus Marine Insurance is here for.”
Boatsales has this handy guide to what you need to do in the event of your boat catching fire.
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