Katharina’s History

Built in 1995 in Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, Katharina’s first job was to be a commercial freighter vessel. In 2014 she was transformed into a charter vessel retaining her Indonesian authenticity and charm.

A traditional Indonesian design, Katharina is a “pinisi” boat used to transport cargo such as spices from the East Indies islands and further afield from Indonesia. Made from the tropical hard-wood, “iron wood”, Katharina is fast becoming a classic yacht, as very few of these original designs remain.

The shipbuilders use only basic tools with no screws or metal used in the construction. Simple wooden pegs are hammered into hand-drilled holes and sandpaper is made from grinding limestone with coconut and spreading the mixture onto papaya leaves.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW OF A TRADITIONAL PINISI BOAT LAUNCH IN INDONESIA