AN ITALIAN ON THE BAY

Outside of James Bond movies, David Snediker had never before seen a Venetian water taxi. The boats are practically nonexistent on America’s waterways, having been built for Italian canals.

Intermezzo was purchased in Venice, Italy, as a functional water taxi by a woman who kept the boat in Sag Harbor, New York, for a few years. But classic wooden boats are demanding vessels, so it wasn’t long before the elegant craft required serious maintenance. In 2007, she ended up at Snediker’s boatbuilding shop in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Snediker Yacht Restoration.

“The owner had nursed it along for a number of years and then found us to do some minor repair work to keep the boat afloat,” says Snediker. “But was ready for a new home, but as a wooden boat, she wasn’t an easy project for just anybody to take on. Luckily, he had just the right client.