Confronting the cyclone

Communication and preparation proved to be key to surviving the storm without casualties and limiting damage to erosion, debris and waterlogged premises.

Shane Subichin, Marina Manager at The Boat Works on the Gold Coast, made a pointed observation from his 15 years’ experience in the role.

“This is the fourth time in my 15 years at The Boat Works that we’ve had massive rain events, high tides and flooding, but this is the first time that the waters have subsided right on high tide. And that can only be attributed to the enhanced water flow of the Coomera River due to regular dredging. With that amount of rain, we could have had another half a metre here, so it’s been a real relief.”

Ocean spoke with the main industry and marina proponents about their preparations ahead of Cyclone Alfred to get their impressions of the intensity and impact.

Pantaenius

No strangers to tropical cyclones and their impact on the boating community from many years operating in the South Pacific and Far North Queensland, Pantaenius Australia was quick to contacts customers in the eye of the Cyclone.

“We emailed customers within the predicted impact zone and slightly north and south, to remind them to check their policies and take all precautions possible, in some cases by contacting the Marina Managers to check on their vessels,” said Pantaenius Sales Manager, James Meggison.

He continued, “The BOM and other authorities did a great job of warning people ahead of the cyclone reaching landfall, so people had lots of time to prepare.

“Events such as these are for the most part, unforeseen, so we are learning as much as we can and passing on to customers in these regions. From our experience up north, we are able to inform owners how to mitigate loss and provide a checklist for preparation, such as securing your vessel, extra fenders, taking sails and biminis down and removing dinghies, batten and tape hatches, use multiple anchors and lines, and make contact with the vessel’s caretaker.

“The most important thing is reminding customers to check their policies and check and prepare their boat for the storm by following the Tropical Storm preparations guidelines that we provide.”

As for whether tropical cyclones will become a common phenomenon in South East Queensland and Northern NSW, Meggison said, “Only time will tell. I don’t question the science, which forecasts that extreme weather will become more common, but as to whether or not we will expand the cyclone zone south from Peregian Beach, at 26.5° South, that would only happen if it were a regular occurrence.”

Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard

Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard followed its extreme weather preparedness procedures and took a proactive approach to the wild weather, featuring informative updates from Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Chapman and reposting Maritime Safety Queensland warnings.

Actions included: All in water vessels had lines doubled; Sails and biminis were taken down; Some vessels were moved to more appropriate high wind protected berths; Outside stored vessels were placed on cradles in the dry store building to keep them safe; Vessels in the shipyard were anchored down using concrete blocks or chem anchored with eye bolts to the concrete; Commercial vessels that needed refuge from the Brisbane River were lifted to the shipyard where possible; Equipment used to run the marina and shipyard were all made safe.

In the five days leading up to the storm, the GCCM team met to agree on and implement the required operations. Staff were told to stay home for their own safety and keep their families safe. The senior Team remained on-site for four days, available 24 hours a day to talk with boat owners and their crew to solve issues and reassure them.

“Communication was key,” explained Andrew Chapman. “We briefed business partners in the lead up to the shutdown and gave guidance and assistance where required.

“We referred customers to Facebook and social media so they could see the videos giving them greater confidence, to keep all business partners and boat owners updated on conditions and any impacts at the facility. This was received very well by all as it was live at all hours over the four days.

Though the marina and shipyard did not lift boats for four days. The precinct was manned by Chapman and two other crew members who stayed all weekend to monitor the effects of the weather event.

In rising winds, up to 50 knots by 7 March, Chapman kept boat owners, tenants and industry up to date with procedures and preparations, emphasising “the brotherhood” of the marina and broader boating industry keeping an eye on each other’s safety and livelihoods.

At 1.30 am, 8 March, in bucketing rain and hectic winds, he reported that all vessels at GCCM had been secured and checked, on the water and on the hardstand, and they were as ready as possible to weather the eye of the storm and high tide and flood surge later that day and overnight.

By Sunday 9 March, despite the wind and rain, GCCM declared the worst of it over and normal operations resuming by Monday 10 March. “We have a full plan in place and we also network with other Marina Managers in case we need their help or vice versa.”

For all boat owners, GCCM has prepared an extreme weather preparation guide that can be found in the downloadable section of their website.

After three days of violent winds, rain and rising waters, all boats are safe and returning to water.

The Boat Works

Shane Subichin, General Manager at The Boat Works, is currently on-site checking “rats and mice” as he refers to the clean-up around the two yards and along the waterfront.

“We had a cyclone, a rain mass, then potential flooding to deal with, not really knowing how far it would go. We haven’t really experienced this all at once.”

For Shane and the team at The Boat Works, the arrival of Cyclone Alfred brought back the ominous uncertainty of pandemic lockdowns – not knowing what the next day would bring.

“Fortunately, we had that experience and knew the stages, and we had a week’s advance notice to strategise and prepare effectively. We were communicating as much as we could with owners and on-site partners – the build up was a challenge, but we were prepped so well.

As well as full-time caretakers on-site, The Boat Works has a full procedural plan that is enacted in extreme weather events: concrete blocking and strapping down boats on the hardstand, double tying vessels, communicating with tenants and owners, checking the River front, riggers on board checking boats that owners didn’t tie up, putting the machines around the larger yachts as extra protection, additional fenders and ropes around the boats on water.

Subichin added, “We cleared boats from close to the marina with the help of MSQ. We contacted boat owners to get their vessels further down the River. They can do millions of dollars worth of damage if they come adrift.”

And once everything was in place, “then we just hung on!” said Subichin. “The important thing was to communicate, follow procedures and support each other.”

Boat owners with vessels at The Boat Works expressed their gratitude, one saying “Having lived through a number of cyclones they are not to be taken lightly. Preparation is key!

“This was our second cyclone on the boat and this time we had some idea of what to do. Being on the hardstand was different from experiences in the past up north in water.

“The concern for us being up on the blocks was that Wild Fire (a 57 Schionning catamaran) is lighter than most boats her size. We connected with The Boat Works’ shipyard operations and Micah assured us he would place one tonne cement blocks around the boat and strap her down, much to our relief.”

One issue that was laid bare was the importance of Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) maintaining an ongoing dredging program.

Chris Derkemsa, CEO of GCWA has since confirmed that they remain committed to a continuous dredging program every two years, with the next round of work set to begin this year.

Riviera Australia

Between Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard and The Boat Works, Riviera comprises a manufacturing facility, Academy of Excellence training school and 56-berth marina.

Commenting on their preparation, Stephen Milne, Brand & Communications Director at Riviera said, “We’ve experienced many serve weather events previously, so our team are well versed in the preparation and planning for such circumstances.”

He continued, “Prior to the storm’s arrival, the site externally was cleared of any items that could be affected by high rainfall or strong winds and these items were stored inside the factory buildings.

“Because flooding is always a concern with us being on the Coomera River and the large catchment area that is upstream from the factory, we lift the boats in production and in our direct care out of the water and store these safely on cradles or hard stand blocks and jacks.

“We closed the factory on Thursday and Friday as it was not safe for our team to travel to work.”

In the aftermath, cleaning up the mud and debris, the team at Riviera was  grateful that the flooding level was moderate and damage minimal.

“It was certainly not as high as we have experienced previously with our carpark and lower production forecourt being covered in approximately 30-centimetres of water,” commented Milne. “As soon as the tide turned, this elevated the high-water level.

“Our team were on site very early on Monday morning this week to remove the mud, silt and debris and hose down all affected areas. We have an onsite fire truck that makes this task a little easier.

“The factory was then checked and reopened and operating again from 11am that day.”

In conclusion, their advice to owners is to “take as many precautions as possible to protect their yachts well ahead of any serve weather event”.

“We published some recommended actions to take on our social channels as a reminder or guide. The reality is where we live, is prone to weather events, so learning to live with this and have a plan is the best advice.”

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, Brisbane

RQYS prepared by encouraging all members to attend to their vessel and provided a detailed Cyclone Preparation Checklist for owners to follow.

As Marketing & Communications Manager, Simone Hasker recounted, “In addition to the great support from members with their own boats, RQYS volunteers visited daily in the lead-up to tie down vessels and pack all loose items into storage”.

“We commenced a daily ‘TC Alfred Notice’ email to all members, staff and volunteers,” she explained. “In total, we issued seven notices to our 4,000+ member base each day, advising of any updates and weather warnings. These comms were made available on our website homepage and news centre, as well as social media platforms.”

Of particular concern was the liveaboard population, who number 45 of the facility’s 600 berths. “A separate set of correspondence was developed for them to offer them emergency accommodation in the clubhouse or a discounted rate at our on-site motel which several too advantage of. Our motel had an evacuation plan set-up to move to higher ground at the local RSL Hall.

“We set up an emergency sleeping area within our Member’s Lounge and a small kitchen with food and beverage supplies, as well as a barbecue in case of power outages.

“At all times during the cyclone, a member of the leadership team was on-site to assist with access to these members and a vehicle should they need collection and transport.

“We notified all members that should they require at-home support during the cyclone (particularly the elderly members), to call our 24/7 phone line, and we had a database on hand with the contact details for members in their local neighbourhoods in order to request support.”

Hasker commented that RQYS is “all too familiar with severe weather events”.

“We have a close-knit community which is always ready to assist in the pack up and the clean-up afterward. Whether it’s a summer storm or a cyclone, the procedures are the same.

“We are thankful that a cyclone will always bring southerly winds on its approach, and it is the bay islands which create a wind break for us on the mainland.  Our second campus on Russell Island at Canaipa Point experienced more severe damage with several trees down and damage to a large shed.  Thankfully, no one was hurt at either venue.”

Her advice to boat owners ahead of future extreme weather events is “to take pro-active measures such as owning extra fenders, ensuring rigging mounts are not rusty and prone to failure, and cover all tie lines (avoid synthetics) to prevent chafing, and ensure all self-draining openings are clear.

“It is important to also charge all batteries to run bilge pumps if necessary and keep up to date with suitable boat insurance. Of course, at the time of the event, it is essential to remove all sails where possible as well as other objects that could blow away, disconnect shore power and close fuel valves and double mooring lines.”

GCMarine & GCBoatyards

Matt Browning, Managing Director of GCMarine & GCBoatyards said all three of their sites in the cyclone zone sustained no damage, thanks to preparation.

“Our sites at Coffs Harbour, Tweed Heads and Marina Mirage were locked down and well prepared with loose objects secured. Boats were removed from the Tweed River in case of flooding and secondary ties and fenders were added to all vessels.

“At Marina Mirage, the superyachts were manned with crew during the weather event and the majority of the vessels over 40-metres all switched to ship’s power to avoid interruptions of systems if the power had been cut to the Marina.”

Browning explained that vessel owners were reassured in part because “the systems at all three sites are all new infrastructure under five years and each site is well maintained by GCMarine”.

“The pile heights at Mirage are designed for weather events such as this to accommodate the storm surges and heightened astronomical tides. Managers were on site right up until the cyclone made landfall and back there as soon safe to do so to assist our tenants.”

Protocol for these kinds of weather events include closing sites to vessel movements the day prior to the expected landfall, “meaning no boat could leave or enter the marina or boat yard at any time,” he added.

“The fuel system at Coffs Harbour was locked down and we doubled up ropes on floating vessels and strapped down the vessels on the hard stand with additional concrete blocks at Coffs and Tweed. La Luna Beach Club at Marina Mirage removed all their furniture, tables and umbrellas, and of course, Helitours at Mirage were unable to fly during this time with all helicopters removed to off-site hangars.”

Addressing the occurrence of the Tropical Cyclone, Browning stated that “the majority of boat yards and marinas are very well prepared for ‘100-year-events’.”

“It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen an event such as this so far south. As they become more frequent, we can educate ourselves with some of the MIA courses and initiatives on how to prepare and handle such events.

“For boat owners, we recommend always making sure batteries are charged, bilges working freely without obstruction, scuppers free from debris, loose items secured and ensuring any water leaks are fixed immediately.”

Tropical Cyclone Alfred facts & stats

In the first week of March, Australia’s east coast was pounded by rain, wind and surf swells, with some of the highest rainfall in decades recorded through South-East Queensland, including Brisbane’s highest daily rainfall in half a century.

A 12.3-metre wave on the Gold Coast – the highest recorded in 38 years of measurement – was the main attraction for locals and tourists eager to experience the epic swell and post it on their social media, despite warnings from SES and authorities.

Over 450,000 properties, stretching from the Fraser Coast to the New South Wales border, lost power due to the historic weather system, marking the largest number of power outages in Queensland’s history caused by a natural disaster.

Brisbane recorded its heaviest rainfall since Cyclone Wanda in 1974, with significant totals across the region since 9am Wednesday. Kangaroo Point saw 471mm, Brisbane Airport 355mm and Coolangatta recorded 487mm.

Unlike the usual storm events, Tropical Cyclone Alfred proved erratic as it swirled and meandered over the Coral Sea fed by the region’s warm waters. Its movements were made even more complicated by the new moon 28 February, which created extra-high high tides.

On 20 February, a tropical low was noted by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in the Coral Sea. The disturbance, initially designated by the agency as Tropical Low 22U, was expected to develop into a tropical cyclone over the next several days.

Two days later, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), which unofficially monitors all tropical cyclone basins, including the Australian region, upgraded the system to a tropical storm on the Saffir–Simpson scale (SSHWS). At 16:20 AEST, BOM upgraded the system to a category 1, with the name Tropical Cyclone Alfred assigned to it.

Over the next couple of days, the storm continued to move to the east and was upgraded to a category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale at 16:00 AEST on 24 February.

Its designation fluctuated between categories 3 and 4 by 1 March, before further weakening down to a category 1 the following day. As it hovered off the coast, it was deemed category 1 and then category 2 for the next three days, before making landfall 7 March on Moreton Island, with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph).  By 06:45 AEST on 8 March, Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low before crossing the mainland.

The cyclone hit southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, which are not in the tropics, while generally such cyclones occur within the tropical zone. Climate scientists warn that these types of “out-of-zone cyclones” are likely to become more frequent due to climate change.

An “insurance catastrophe” has been declared for southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, triggering priority treatment for affected policyholders and triaging to ensure those hardest hit receive urgent assistance.

It is still too early to say if insurance premiums will rise following the extreme weather event but the Insurance Council of Australia has stated that the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters was increasing costs for customers.

Continuing later into the week, MSQ has warned boaties to reconsider the need to go out on the water, stressing “Non-essential boating puts lives at risk”.

“To ensure your safety, our Maritime Safety Queensland response crews are working hard to assess waterways for damage and changed conditions. After a significant weather event like this, we expect debris and hazards – there will be submerged and floating objects that may pose a risk to navigation.

“For the most current information regarding access to pilotage areas and waterways, always visit qldmaritime.msq.qld.gov.au.”