The San Paolo was born in 1977 from a simple and authentic dream: that of my father, who wanted to build a boat to go fishing in his spare time.

He did not want just any boat. He imagined it to be similar to the boats of the fishermen from Campania who, at Easter time, would arrive in Sardinia for seasonal fishing. Thus, in the Polese shipyard, a typical Campania felucca took shape: a boat with elegant, slender lines, traditionally used for coastal fishing by lateen sail and rowing.

While maintaining the traditional layout, my father had an engine installed, making it more suitable for modern needs, but he wanted it to be rigged with a lateen sail, so as not to lose the seafaring soul that had inspired him.

He named it St Paul, following the ancient tradition of fishermen to dedicate the boat to their parents and patron saints, as a good omen for the sea and fishing. My grandfather's name was Paolo, and that name represented family, respect and protection.

I, Michele Acone, grew up aboard the St Paul. Among her boards I learnt about the sea, the wind, the silence of dawn and the value of work. It has been my school and my floating home.

After my father's death, that boat could not stand still. I decided to restore it, respecting its lines and history, and to make it sail again, not just as a fishing boat, but as the heart of my business: Sailing San Paolo.

Today, the San Paolo sails between Tavolara and the island of Molara, offering excursions in which family history is intertwined with the tradition of the work boats that have animated these shores for decades.