.. LITTLE FLORAMYE..THE SAILING SHIP OF GOOD HOPE ..

MARIE & IVICA : We are a small family on the threshold of a big adventure!

MARIE: One Saturday morning, Ivica, while passing through Split, got a little lost and quite by chance found himself in the small Spinuta marina, a quiet bay in Split. And he wouldn't have been him if he hadn't looked around to see if there was anything interesting there.

IVICA: It was one of those sunny days that promise, and just when everything started to go seemingly wrong, a sudden encounter occurred that our unpredictable universe had been preparing for a long time.

MARIE: And this time his inner voice did not fail him. Among the wooden shipwrecks he discovered his new love – the Adriatic beauty – which had been abandoned to the ravages of time and the dryness of the land.

IVICA: Yes, quite peacefully in a corner of the Spinutska harbor in Split behind a pile of abandoned boats and various waste, a seemingly forgotten once-famous lady of our Mediterranean was sleeping peacefully. Covered with an old tarpaulin, she still held herself with dignity as if she were in the most beautiful evening dress ready for a ball on the waves of all the seas. And I wondered who had passed by her, stopped, looked at her, possibly admired her, without stopping and thinking, can you be mine, can I take you to that ball.. I don't know that, but I know that I am, and wished that she would teach me to dance on the waves and in the wind, me and my dearest. Let's prolong our lives and enrich them with our friendship and the love that was born in the moment we met.. accept my invitation to dance.

Whose is it, I wonder as I look around for someone to ask. There is a hangar nearby, a party is being prepared in the hangar and in front, a regatta is being prepared. I know that the answer is hidden there. Soon, behind the name comes the face that belongs to it, with a friendly handshake, in which a positive outcome could already be clearly sensed. However, the key is in the name, the only one this beauty can bear, Mala Floramye. It puts the crown on the story that continues with this meeting.

MARIE: And that's where our story begins. We want to take care of this famous lady as she deserves, breathe new life into her sails and set sail on a new Adriatic adventure.

IVICA: We have a lot of work ahead of us and a relatively large investment, but we believe that this sailboat will truly promote healthy living, environmental awareness, and love for boats, the sea, and people.

MARIE: It is very important for both of us to live in harmony with nature and to create conditions for our children to develop a positive relationship with nature and to constantly learn how to responsibly care for the beauties of nature that surround us. With little Floramye, we want not only to discover unknown corners and wonders of the Adriatic, but above all to map the ecological situation of the Croatian coast and connect with local associations. Together, we will organize creative workshops for children and much more, which we will inform you about on the project website.

IVICA: So let's add this technical part to bring the state of affairs closer to everyone. The little Floramye is a nine-meter wooden cutter-style sailboat born in 1965 in Pula that has been waiting for enthusiasts brave enough to tackle the challenges in order to extend its life. From personal experience, I know what that truly means and I will not give up in my persistence to do it, of course with the support and help of my loved ones and all of you who will enable us to finance this challenge with even the smallest donations. We also expect the help of friends and volunteers in the work, as well as the professional help of dear friends who have salt and wind in their blood.

What further encouraged us was certainly the attitude of the owner of this beauty who decided to give us the sailboat as a gift, meaning the hull, mast, halyard, sails, slats and a number of valuable original parts of the ship. Namely the engine, anchor winch and some parts such as the propeller, etc. we agreed to buy because the stands and parts for installation are already provided and they are proven to be excellent for this sailboat and in excellent condition and all of that for a truly acceptable price, and we are sincerely grateful to him for everything.

MARIE: Our intention is to reach as many people as possible, so that even with the smallest donations we can achieve our goal, but we do not want to limit anyone's generosity. The entire amount collected will be used to purchase the aforementioned parts of the sailboat, its transport from Split to Rogoznica, dry dock during the renovation, and the entire renovation - that is, materials and some of the hours worked. Throughout the project, we will continue to update detailed information on what the contributions were used for.

The project has practically already started, at the beginning of March we will prepare Mala Floramye for transport and bring her to Rogoznica. We will document the entire project and all donors will have access to a video channel created for this purpose, where they can watch us. If you want to help personally or just want to come and say hello, feel free to contact us, you are welcome.

IVICA: An old story says that deep in the earth, a wise woman weaves the story of life, and everyone who does or says something nice on earth creates a golden thread with which she can continue to weave. Let's encourage each other to create enough golden threads with small good deeds to weave this story. We will wisely thank everyone by weaving all of you into it..and for every donation, even the most modest one, we will modestly but worthily return it with a striking gesture of attention..Thank you all for helping us make this project a reality..and may good winds follow you..