Built in 1956 in Carloforte, Armanda Madre is a lateen-sailed paranzella that preserves in its lines the legacy of the ancient bilancelle. In fact, its shape recalls those historical vessels that transported ore to Sulcis and lime to Tavolara, silent protagonists of the Sardinian coastal economy between the 19th and 20th centuries.

Built for the Pittaluga family of Calasetta, Armanda Madre ploughed the sea for fifty years, devoting itself to coastal fishing. For half a century it has been a working boat, a companion of dawns and maestrals, a witness to a seafaring industry made up of hard work, respect and a deep bond with the land.

After the death of its historic owner, the boat was in danger of falling into oblivion. Instead, a new life has begun: carefully restored, it has returned to sailing, participating in gatherings of typical Latin sailboats and becoming a living symbol of Carlofortina's nautical tradition.

Today Armanda Madre transports travellers between Tavolara and the island of Molara, retracing the ancient lime routes and telling the story of the kilns that once animated these shores. It is not just an excursion: it is a journey into the memory of the sea.

But his story did not stop there.

After almost sixty years, thanks to our activity and its new visibility, some members of the original family managed to find the boat that had seen them grow up. They thought it had been lost forever. One lady writes: «Armanda was my grandmother! I have finally found my father's boat again». Coming back on board the Armanda Madre was like finding a piece of home, a fragment of childhood suspended in time.

Armanda Madre is not only a historical vessel.
It is memory, identity and continuity. It is proof that boats do not just carry people or goods: they carry stories of lived life.