History.

1921–1940

Florette was built in 1921 at the Picchiotti shipyard in Viareggio, one of the most celebrated shipyards in Italy. The Picchiotti family began building ships in the 16th century in Limite sull’Arno, Empoli, before expanding to the Tuscan coast. Their craftsmanship became a cornerstone of Italian shipbuilding. The ship was originally commissioned for the Telaro family of Marina di Carrara, who were both ship captains and traders in marble. Florette was designed as a brigantine for the transport of marble blocks from Carrara throughout the Mediterranean. Her hull was reinforced with strong longitudinal beams and fitted with two small cargo hatches. She carried up to 200 tons of cargo, often marble, and was powered entirely by sail. In 1936 her first auxiliary diesel engine, a two-cylinder 60-horsepower motor, was installed to assist with maneuvering in harbors. She became known for her strength and grace, a true example of the Picchiotti yard’s mastery of wooden shipbuilding.

1940–1967

When World War II began, Florette was requisitioned by the Italian Navy under Captain Giovanni Telaro. She was armed with a five-pound gun, two heavy machine guns, and a radio transmitter, and became a guard ship stationed off Capri. In September 1943, after Italy’s surrender, the ship was stopped by German forces near Civitavecchia and ordered to transport troops and ammunition to Sardinia. Captain Telaro refused. Rather than hand her over, he opened the sea valves at Livorno and scuttled her in shallow water. When the Americans liberated Livorno in 1944, they found her masts still visible above the waves. Moved by the captain’s story, they raised her, repaired her, overhauled her engine, and returned her to service. She sailed once again as a cargo ship, this time under a reduced rig to make her easier to handle with a smaller crew. In 1952 a new four-cylinder 130 HP OM diesel engine was installed. She continued to work under Captain Telaro’s command until his retirement in 1967. Her final years under his care marked the end of Florette’s time as a working cargo vessel.

1968–1984

In 1968 a German owner, Mr. Furlan, purchased Florette and spent three years converting her into a yacht. Below deck, cabins were built, two bathrooms added, and a new galley installed. She first sailed under a Panamanian flag and later, in 1974, was registered under the Maltese flag with number 0064. During this time, Florette faced technical and bureaucratic challenges that nearly ended her career. In 1978 she passed to the sailing school on Elba as a training vessel and returned to the Italian registry under LI-00BDN in Livorno. It was during this period that Captain Haynes Sr., then commanding the 40-meter motor yacht Calypso, met the owners of Florette and was offered both the captaincy and a partnership. He and his wife took charge of her care, re-rigging her as a staysail schooner during the winter of 1978 at the Sabatini shipyard in Porto Santo Stefano. The ship became a sailing classroom and continued operating in the Mediterranean, hosting diving groups and educational charters. These years kept her alive through hard work, community, and constant maintenance.

1984–2006

In 1982, after personal and financial difficulties within the sailing school, the Florette was put up for sale. The Haynes family decided to purchase her, taking on a large bank loan and years of debt to keep her afloat. In 1984 she was re-registered under the British flag and began operating charters successfully across Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily. Every winter the family hauled her out for refits and upgrades, a ritual that continues to this day. Captain Ron Haynes grew up aboard Florette, learning the rigging before he could walk. After completing his maritime studies at the Malta Nautical College, he became her captain in 1991. His sister Jenny also pursued a maritime career, becoming a Master Mariner and Chief Officer on some of the world’s largest yachts. Nicole Haynes, Ron’s wife and First Mate, brought her naval training and rescue-diver expertise to the ship, helping to refine operations and safety aboard. Together they raised their daughters, Jaden and Amber, on deck, teaching them navigation, watchkeeping, and the rhythm of life at sea. The family built not only a livelihood but a living tradition around the ship.

2006–2016

In 2006, after years of discussions with maritime authorities, Florette was reclassified under the Maltese flag following the introduction of a new commercial yacht code aligned with European heritage standards. The family led a complete upgrade, producing new plans and passing all required inspections. Florette became the oldest working ship registered under Malta as a commercial charter and sail training vessel, certified to carry 36 persons and still bearing the number 0064. In parallel, she entered a long, serious restoration journey: over roughly 15 years she underwent her third major refit, a monumental effort that rebuilt around 80% of her hull, installed a new keel, and restored her original rig dimensions in time for her 100th birthday. The result was Ocean Class certification with unlimited navigation, securing her future as a working sailing ship rather than a museum piece. Since that certification, Florette has returned to what she was built for: distance, wind, and real passages.

2016–Present

She has crossed the Atlantic multiple times, sailed the Caribbean and the Azores, and explored the northern waters of the UK, Ireland, and Scotland, visiting over 30 countries. Her only sister ship, Ebe, has been preserved in the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan since 1965, which makes Florette’s continued working life even rarer. Today she remains one of the last operational wooden brigantines in the world. Captain Ron Haynes continues to command Florette with his family and a small international crew, maintaining her in full sailing order while opening her decks to people who want to experience the sea as it truly is, through wind, weather, and human hands. After more than a century, her timber hull still carries the marks of storms, wars, refits, and generations who refused to let her story end. She is proof that things built with purpose and cared for with heart can outlast the world that made them.

Join a voyage that reconnects you to what really matters.

Join the crew

The Ship

Requirements

Preparation