Venice Water Taxi

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Photo by: Justin Ratcliffe

“The big change came with the invention of the Z-drive,” continued Andrea, “which eliminated the need for a conventional rudder and, more importantly, meant the engine could be mounted aft.” This technological advance was initially met with skepticism from taxi drivers because it meant higher maintenance costs, but the improved maneuverability was undeniable. The rear-mounted engine also meant the helm position could be pushed as far forward as possible — a vital consideration that aids sight lines when navigating the dogleg corners on some of Venice’s smaller canals.

“Another change was the introduction of fiberglass,” said Andrea, with some distaste. Like all traditional boatbuilders, Andrea has reservations about fiberglass — and not just for reasons of craftsmanship. The standard argument in favor of fiberglass is that maintenance is lower than for a wooden hull, but Andrea disagrees.

“The parts of the boat that deteriorate quickest are the mahogany topsides, as they are most exposed to the elements,” he explained. “Moreover, the wooden hulls were the result of a long process of evolution — one-offs that were modified each time to improve handling and performance. The fiberglass hulls, on the other hand, came from a common mold, so development was effectively stopped in its tracks. Most of the fiberglass taxis out there today have hull forms dating back to the ’80s or ’90s.”

Although the Tagliapietra yard does build in fiberglass off-site using the latest vacuum infusion methods, in order to maintain the development process it is experimenting with one-off hulls using both male and female polystyrene molds. But Andrea’s core values derive from the traditional boatbuilding techniques, using jigs and copper clinch nails, that he learned as a teenager.

“It’s a sublime process because no adhesives were involved,” he said while fingering an end planer made of South American guaiacum, or holy wood (so called because it is thought the Holy Cross was made of the same wood), engraved with his grandfather’s initials. “Instead, an intermediate layer of canvas soaked in linseed oil was used for waterproofing the hull. But for new wooden builds we use the cold-molding process with a base layer of strip planking followed by multiple veneers oriented in different directions for a light yet strong monocoque structure.”



Although the modern Venetian taxi used for public transport is not the work of a single designer or naval architect, its design has been standardized as a result of local government legislation. The length overall is just over 29 feet with a beam of around 7 feet, and it can carry no more than 12 passengers. The diesel power plants are limited to 150 horsepower — the maximum speed limit within the city’s historic center is about 3 miles per hour (and, yes, the traffic cops do use radar guns!). The height of the coachroof above the waterline is determined by the lowest bridges — a feature that has proved useful for the taxi boat’s current revival as a superyacht tender where garage height is limited. Because of the increasing volume of traffic on the canals, several years ago the local authorities funded research into a mini taxi of approximately 30 feet in length; a fiberglass prototype was built but the concept never took off.