Design

• Gondola oars range in length from 8 to 16 feet. The long blade of each oar diminishes in width toward the bottom, tapering into a knife-like edge to cut through the water. This slender blade is then strengthened with asymmetrical, hardwood side knives inlaid into the wood.
  
  

Construction

• The remer crafts each oar from a length of well-seasoned, knot-free beech wood. He fashions a bracket, called a forcola, to hold the oar. Walnut trunk is the wood of choice for the forcola. An expert remer determines the dimensions of the forcola based on the height and rowing style of the gondolier who will be using it.
  
  

Use

• Gondoliers row only on one side.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Most gondeliers row standing on a footboard in the back of the gondola. The oar rests in the forcola, which is mounted to the right side of the boat. To keep the gondola from spinning in circles, the gondelier must keep the oar in the water during both backward and forward strokes. To help compensate for this one-sided rowing, gondolas are built asymmetrically, with the hull curved more to the right than the left.
  
  

Fun Fact

• Modern gondola oars are sometimes reproductions and do not necessarily utilize the traditional materials and techniques. The oars used on the gondolas at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas were custom-made by a Maine company that crafted 13-foot oars from local maple trees.