Set up to head Downunder

Safe passage to and around the pristine waters of Australasia to view some of the world’s 7 wonders is not a bad alternative to the unsettled Med and Caribbean, where the great majority of destinations are years away from restoring marine service facilities and resorts.

Australia has the magnificent Barrier Reef and numerous unique destinations to explore along with the fjords of New Zealand’s South Island and the many numerous Island destinations close by making Australia the most appealing super yacht destination in the world today. The decision to come is now even easier with the enormous advances in communications allowing yacht owners to communicate and work seamlessly anywhere on the globe, including some of the most remote places that were once considered too isolated.

Another reason to come our way is the 2021 Americas Cup which is to be run in Auckland.  The next cup is shaping up to be the largest and most significant maritime event of the decade and preparations are well under way including significant considerations made to cater for and support a large super yacht spectator fleet.  Many Med based super yachts have already indicated their intention to head south to take in the cup and our pristine region. Making visitation even more attractive are the many changes that the Australian Government is now actively working on making superyacht visitation simpler and easier, by streamlining procedures for obtaining Visas, and allowing larger vessels than ever before into the sanctuary of the Great Barrier Reef National Park. Who knows, by the time the next America’s Cup comes around in 2021, the government may well have changed the laws to allow foreign-flagged superyachts to carry out charters in Australian Waters.

Helping to facilitate the passage south is Pantaenius a family owned marine insurance company, with its origins in Hamburg Germany.  Pantaenius has grown since it’s humble beginnings in Hamburg in the early 1960’s to become one of the world’s largest and most respected marine insurance providers with a network of offices and partners covering the globe.  Pantaenius has offices in Germany, Austria, England, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Spain, Monaco, the USA, and of course Australia.
Pantaenius has proven time and time again that it has the knowledge and experience to support its clients under crisis situations.  Their proactive response to Hurricane Ivan in the Caribbean was well documented and the more recent twin storms of Urma and Maria saw Pantaenius base their surveying teams on a large self-sufficient sailing Cat enabling easy passage to the many effected islands and marinas.  They were the first Insurer on site in the Caribbean after the storms.  Their response to Debbie in Australia was similar with the MD James MacPhail and their surveyors again the first Insurers to reach Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island the worst affected areas.

Pantaenius Group Managing Director, Martin Baum said, “Creating a Pantaenius office in Australia was very much part of our plan to offer our clients the very best in service and assistance worldwide. The Australian office completes the puzzle.  It was logical for us to ensure that as we had the only truly global policy, that we could then offer a truly global service.”

Australia’s MD, James MacPhail commented, “As the requirement for vessels over 30 meters LOA increases, we are thrilled to be in a position to assist all the vessels leaving the Mediterranean to head down this way. We know and understand that a decision to head this way will be part of a multi-year programme that may include the Americas Cup in Auckland in 2021 along with multiple destinations in the South Pacific, Asia and Australia. Facilities have and continue to be significantly upgraded to better cater for the requirements of the larger vessels and our industry has become a well-respected destination for refit, repair and service of super yachts. Today there are developments underway all along the eastern seaboard from Sydney to Cairns in far north Queensland that will add significantly to the industries capacity to support super yacht visitation.

Recognising that the industry needed support we stepped up to become the principle sponsor of the annual conference which takes place every year prior to the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.  Super Yacht Australia’s prime directive is to encourage and facilitate growth in the visitation of super yachts to Australia and the region.  Now in our 5th year I can confirm that the team led by Maryanne Edwards has successfully lobbied the Australian Government, to initiate change that will see a much-improved experience for visiting super yachts”. 

A voyage like the Great Southern Route is a challenging endeavour. For captains this typically involves a variety of tasks. In addition to planning the actual route and managing material and human resources, this often includes checking the current insurance policy. These excerpts from the Pantaenius Superyacht Insurance Guide are designed to help you as a captain ask yourself and your insurance provider the right questions before you set off.

UPDATES

Adaptions and updates to a policy are easily overlooked. For instance, if the yacht is not being used and only skeleton crew are employed, your insurance company should be informed of the change of status. Likewise, if the cruising area changes or the yacht starts to charter when it has previously been a private vessel, it is essential to inform your insurance provider as this change in risk could affect your cover.

• Don’t risk gaps in the insurance cover
• Report changes regarding the use of your yacht to the insurance provider

FLOW OF COMMUNICATION IN PLACE?

When a number of people are involved in managing and operating a yacht, strong communication is vital in ensuring essential information is accurately conveyed and the action of procedures is decisive. Consider who makes the call with regard to insurance on your vessel, who has that responsibility and how is the communication managed between the parties involved?

• Essential information can easily get lost, the more parties that are involved.
• Keep the flow of communication going to avoid gaps in the insurance cover.
  
  

INSURANCE DOES NOT STOP AT THE PASSERELLE

When enjoying life aboard, the last thing on the mind of an owner or guest should be “what if…” We make it our business to pre-empt and cater for every ’what if‘scenario. We won‘t be on board however when the owner goes ashore by tender one morning and rents scooters for himself
and friends. It‘s insurance scenarios such as this that can so easily be forgotten. If an accident happens ashore or while diving, perhaps when parachuting or jet skiing, did that activity occur in connection to the yacht or not? Ask your insurance company for clarification on water sport activities, guest cover, liability insurance, tender insurance and anything else that concerns you relating to the owner and guests‘ overall experience when on charter or for private use.

• Yacht insurance also affects onshore activities and water sports.
• Guests on board should be provided with all information regarding cover for their planned activities.
  
  

WHO IS WHO ON BOARD AND HOW ARE THEY INSURED?

When a crew member injures their hand in the anchor winch, or the last-minute sailor you took aboard for the race day breaks his leg as he slips on deck, it is too late to think about insurance.
Clarify what is included in your policy, who is covered and under what conditions. There are many different options for managing crew insurance; unnamed crew medical cover, named crew medical cover, crew accident cover, race crew accident cover, employer’s liability, P&I etc. We cannot stress enough the importance of having insurance cover in place for all aboard before an accident or illness
occurs.

• How are crew members, last-minute sailors or day-workers insured?
• Make yourself familiar with the different types of coverage for permanent and temporary crew members.

MY JOB, YOUR JOB

Crew insurance is a special business. Very few policies on the market offer complete cover. When and where the crew is actually covered is not a question that should be asked after the chief mate had an accident. It is the owner‘s responsibility to make sure that the crew is covered to the minimum legal requirement. This level of coverage will depend on the flag state of the vessel and its primary function is to protect the owner as an employer. Some European-flagged vessels are required by law to provide health care for the crew as well but individual needs quite often differ from the general coverage. The purchase of any additional, personal medical cover is often left to the individual.

• Ask yourself: In which situations is the crew covered by the vessel‘s policy? Do I need more?
  
  

MEDICAL INSURANCE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE

With insurance it can feel a bit like being at sea – the better you are prepared, the less likely you will run into trouble. Apart from having the correct scope of cover, you should also be aware
of administrative issues, which in some cases could be life or death situations. If in an emergency, for example, a hospital has not received a clear cost guarantee from the medical insurance, the medical
service can be limited or postponed which can result in serious problems for the patient.

Back to basics: Never confuse medical insurance with accident insurance. The medical insurance covers medical expenses in case of sickness, whereas the accident cover pays lump sums if, and only
if, an accident has resulted in either death or permanent disability. In the case of death, a beneficiary for the death benefit needs to be nominated.

• Medical Insurance and Accident Insurance are designed for completely different purposes!
• Accident Insurance alone is not sufficient as it will generally not cover any treatments.

HOW MUCH COVER DO I NEED?

Accident cover for death and disability normally provides a fixed sum or a maximum of three times annual salary. This will be a one-off payment in the case of either event. Medical policies that can be tailored to suit individual needs or those on the basis of ’unnamed crew‘, cover hospital expenses and doctor visits following illness or accident. Many policies have restrictions though and it is important to read and understand the extent of cover provided. The good news is, if your yacht is insured with Pantaenius Medical and Accident Cover, all the above can be included for your peace of mind.

• Your leisure activities may require additional insurance cover.
• Make yourself familiar with the vessel‘s policies and compare the coverage to your individual Needs.