Proteus Marine Insurance

The story

Proteus was launched in February 2015 by NM Insurance, the specialist agency behind Nautilus Marine Insurance, to take its marine know-how into the commercial world. It expanded to New Zealand in 2020. NM Insurance is majority-owned by Steadfast Group, and between its brands it has paid more than $450 million in claims since 2005.

What you can insure

Goods in transit (cargo)

• Single shipments, overseas or within Australia, or an annual policy if you ship regularly.
• All kinds of freight: containers, bulk and break-bulk, roll-on/roll-off and temperature-controlled loads.
• Consumer goods, machinery, electronics and perishables are its core business. Seafood, project cargo and pharmaceuticals are considered case by case.
• Overseas cargo can be written on the standard Institute Cargo Clauses your freight forwarder will recognise.

Freight you carry for others (carriers' load)

• For transport operators: cover for customers' goods on your trucks, on a full accidental damage basis.
• Includes refrigeration breakdown and mismanagement, which matters if you run refrigerated trucks. Legal defence costs are optional.

Commercial vessels (hull)

• Physical damage cover for harbour workboats, offshore support vessels, and tourism, charter and passenger vessels, plus boatbuilding risks.
• Choose plain-English wording or the traditional Institute Clauses.

Marine liability

• General and products liability for ship repairers, marina operators, stevedores and other marine trades.

How to get cover

• Cargo: quote it yourself through Proteus's online cargo quote tool.
• Hull and liability: these go through an insurance broker, so ask yours for a Proteus quote.
• Policy wordings for every product (updated 1 October 2025) are on the Proteus website.

If you need to claim

Call 1300 767 251 or email claims@proteusinsurance.com.au. Proteus publishes claim forms and checklists for each claim type: exports and imports, inland transit, carriers, commercial hull and liability. The checklist tells you which documents to gather, such as bills of lading, invoices, photos and survey reports. Start collecting them straight away; incomplete paperwork is what slows most cargo claims.

How it compares

For commercial marine there are three different ways to buy. Proteus is an underwriting agency with its own online cargo quotes. Quay Marine is a broker-only specialist that's strong on P&I, berth and pontoon liability. Marine Insure is an adviser that puts together whole-of-business programs for marine trades.

Questions to ask before you buy

• Who insures the goods? That depends on your sale terms (Incoterms), e.g. FOB vs CIF. Many importers are underinsured because they assume the seller's cover protects them.
• Annual or single transit? If you ship more than a handful of times a year, an annual policy is usually cheaper and simpler.
• Refrigerated loads: is refrigeration breakdown covered? It's included on Proteus's carriers' policy, but not automatic everywhere.
• Hull wording: plain English or Institute Clauses. Which does my broker, or my financier, prefer?

Contact

Customer service: 1300 767 231 · customerservice@proteusinsurance.com.au Claims: 1300 767 251 · claims@proteusinsurance.com.au Proteus Marine Insurance is a business name of NM Insurance Pty Ltd (AFSL 227186).

Insuring a private yacht or runabout instead? Its sister brand Nautilus covers recreational boats. Compare more marine insurance providers, read our guide to marine insurance in Sydney, or find a marine surveyor if a claim involves vessel damage.

Last checked: September 2026. Always read the current policy wording for your quote.

Bathurst Harbour

Bathurst Harbour (Port Davey system), in south‑west Tasmania, is a vast, almost land‑locked estuarine harbour inside the Southwest National Park and World Heritage Area. It offers a remote, sheltered anchoring environment protected from the Roaring Forties, but demands careful planning, an awareness of marine‑reserve rules, and a willingness to operate in shallow, tannin‑stained waters. Best suited to experienced coastal cruisers and small expedition yachts prepared for self‑sufficiency, Bathurst Harbour is more a place to linger and explore on foot and by tender than a port of call for busy,