A jaunty yellow 36ft keelboat called Katinka has been donated to Seakeepers South Pacific and given a complimentary refit and new Flexiteek decking by the Brin Wilson Boatbuilders team. Now, she is ready to go forth and support ocean conservation and education.
Katinka was generously donated to SeaKeepers South Pacific by Dr. Elizabeth Turner, in honour of her late husband Dr. David Turner.
The boat will be an active platform for SeaKeepers’ DISCOVERY Programme, supporting both scientific research and marine education initiatives throughout New Zealand.
During this period, Katinka will host science and education activities, demonstrating how privately-owned vessels can contribute directly to marine conservation.
The vessel will remain in service until the appropriate time for sale when 100% of the proceeds will remain within the SeaKeepers New Zealand Trust.
These funds will be reinvested into future SeaKeepers programming across New Zealand, helping to expand scientific expeditions, citizen science initiatives, education programmes and community engagement.
Melissa White of Seakeepers South Pacific says the donation represents a sustainable model for supporting long-term conservation, allowing a single vessel to create immediate impact through active programming before generating funding for future projects.
“Katinka is the first vessel donation received by SeaKeepers South Pacific, marking an important milestone in growing the organisation’s long-term impact in New Zealand.”
About Katinka
The 10.5m Katinka was designed by naval architect Uwe Bartels and built from GRP – fibreglass – by Delta Yachts in Hamburg Germany. Launched in 1972, her first owner was Herr Jurgen Schon. She has a classic fin keel with a skeg rudder and an articulated trim tab on the back edge of the keel similar to that used by Intrepid in the successful defence of the 1967 America’s Cup.
It’s not known when she was sailed to New Zealand but the 36-footer proved to be a reliable boat that could handle open water conditions. She was first registered in New Zealand by Herbert and Elizabeth Madwick of Rotorua. They owned her for 21 years until 2009. She was then owned by Scott Gavin of Whangarei for five years and then purchased by David and Elizabeth Turner.
The refurbishment of Katinka was an opportunity for the team at Brin Wilson Boatbuilders to become a partner to Seakeepers South Pacific.
“At the Auckland Boat Show, we were approached by Lance from SeaKeepers to see if we would be interested in becoming a sponsor. He shared the story of Katinka, a generously donated vessel that was in desperate need of a refit, and we were keen to get involved,” says Jan Saull of Brin Wilson.
“To help modernise the boat, we donated a brand-new Flexiteek synthetic teak deck. The deck has now been manufactured and is ready for installation. Before it is laid, we’ll be repainting the coachroof to ensure the finish is completed to the highest standard.
“As part of the refit, we’ve also given the hull a thorough wet sand and scraped back the waterline, where years of antifouling had built up to a significant thickness. These preparations will help restore Katinka to her former glory and provide a solid foundation for the next stage of the project.”
Jan says that the team is excited to be supporting SeaKeepers through this refit and look forward to a long and rewarding partnership.
Melissa White says that the project highlights the generosity of the Turner family and the support of partners such as Brin Wilson Boatbuilders and Gulf Harbour Marina(free haulout and hardstand facilities), whose contribution is helping prepare the vessel for its next chapter.
SeaKeepers South Pacific is part of the International SeaKeepers Society, a global not-for-profit organisation that works with the boating community to support marine science, conservation and education.
