Our Story

Classic Boats Venice was founded in 2018 by Carl Georg Zwerenz, driven by his passion for boats and the desire to offer visitors a unique opportunity to explore the Venetian Lagoon aboard elegant, traditional boats. After having worked in various industries, Carl chose to focus on what he loved most: boats. His vision was clear: for him, quality was more important than quantity, and a vacation doesn’t have to be long, but it has to be beautiful, full of unforgettable experiences.

In 2019, Classic Boats Venice started with traditional Venetian wooden boats equipped with electric outboard engines, rented to self-drivers for lagoon tours. By the end of the first year, requests for tours with professional drivers and for larger groups began to accumulate, prompting the company to diversify its offerings.

In 2020, Dr. Federico Giudiceandrea and Mrs. Carol Polakoff joined the company as partners and quickly became indispensable members of the CBV family. That same year, Classic Boats Venice acquired the already established Venice Kayak company, further expanding its range of experiences for clients.

In 2023, we sold Venice Kayak to our valued competitors and brought our electric boat segment into a partnership with GoBoat Denmark, the largest electric boat rental company in Europe. They took over the Certosa rental station with our help.

In January 2025, Carl Zwerenz, the founder of Classic Boats Venice, passed away. However, the partners Thomas Kuhmann, Federico Giudiceandrea, Carol Polakoff, Francesco Scarpa and  Ingrid Fooken supported by the entire team, decided to continue Carl’s dream, taking Classic Boats Venice to new and higher levels of excellence. Our commitment continues to offer unique experiences in the Venetian Lagoon, always inspired by our passion for the beauty and authenticity of our boats.