The Katinka is the most impressive of the Hamelin Bay wrecks. She was an 805-ton, 60 m iron sailing barque lost in the intense winter storm of 22 July 1900, when a north-westerly front swept across the bay and the wind then swung south-west with gusts reportedly reaching 85 knots. According to divingwawrecks, she dragged not only her own anchors but the timber company's mooring - 360 m of chain attached to three two-ton anchors - almost a kilometre before going aground about a mile north of the jetty. Sailors were lost, one swept overboard and others, including the first mate, drowned trying to swim to shore; marinelife.org.au notes the remaining crew were rescued the next morning.

As an iron ship she has survived far better than the wooden barques nearby. Divingwawrecks describes a large amount of iron wreckage and timber cargo still on site; although most of the hull has collapsed onto the seafloor, the bow, stern and masts are easily recognisable. Marinelife.org.au describes the bow standing nearly upright on a north-south axis parallel to the shore with the iron bowsprit pointing south, a large windlass on the seaward side, a small anchor inshore and the stern buried deeper but projecting about 1.5 m above the sand.

In 5-6 m of water surrounded by sand, it is an easy, rewarding wreck for Open Water divers and snorkellers on flat days.

Hamelin Bay was a timber port from the 1880s, when a jetty built in 1882 and extended in 1898 served M. C. Davies' milling operations. It was notorious for wrecks in bad weather because it is exposed to the north-west gales of winter storms; the 22 July 1900 storm alone wrecked several ships, and only the old jetty piles remain today. The bay is now a recreation zone in the Ngari Capes Marine Park, and every wreck in it older than 75 years is protected.

Hamelin Bay is on the coast west of Karridale, about 35 km south of Margaret River and 30 km north of Augusta, reached via Caves Road and Hamelin Bay Road. Park at the boat ramp/jetty area beside the Hamelin Bay Holiday Park. Launch at the Hamelin Bay boat ramp - marinelife.org.au warns it is narrow, slippery and swell-exposed, and a 4WD may be needed.

Run about 1.9 km (just over 1 nm) north along the beach; the wreck is 140-150 m behind the shore break and easy to see from the surface. Anchor in sand beside it.

Divingwawrecks gives a limit of under 1 m swell because the Katinka, as the northernmost wreck, is the least protected from swell, and the surrounding sand stirs up very easily as swell rolls through. Choose flat summer mornings with easterly winds. General pattern on the Capes and Leeuwin coast: summer mornings often have light easterly (offshore) winds before a south-westerly sea breeze, and long-period south-westerly groundswell can arrive on otherwise calm days; winter fronts bring big swell and north-westerly winds.

Check the Bureau of Meteorology swell forecast, not just the wind.

Anchor beside the wreck, descend at the bow (standing nearly upright), follow the hull south past the windlass and masts, and finish at the buried stern; the site is compact and can be covered in one relaxed dive. Snorkellers should stay within easy reach of the exit point and swim with a buddy; scuba divers at these depths need no safety stop but should ascend slowly and surface near the float.

No regular operator; private boats and dive clubs launching at Hamelin Bay. Nearest dive services: Swan Dive (Busselton/Port Geographe) for fills, hire, nitrox and charters; no dive shop in Margaret River or Augusta.