Other Venetian Boats (Boat Porn)

[John Gearing]

Until I read a little more about Venice last year, I only thought of Venice and gondolas (leaving out the powerboats) but that book opened my eyes to the OTHER boat designs that are native to that amazing city. I've managed to dig up some pics off the web of a few of them....

Here's the first one, the Sandolo. Doesn't appear to have an assymetrical hull like a gondola, yet is propelled (sculled?) the same way. Looks to me that it would be very nice under oars as well.
http://www.gondolaservizio.com/images/sandolo_blue1.jpg

Another couple of shots: this time of a Sandolo Valerro Ferro:
http://www.gondolaservizio.com/images/sandolo_valerro_ferro1.jpg
http://www.gondolaservizio.com/images/sandolo_valerro_ferro3.jpg

Here's a Sandolo Puparin, said to be the "original" boat on the bay of Venice:
http://www.gondolaservizio.com/images/sandolo_puparin2.jpg
http://www.gondolaservizio.com/images/sandolo_puparin1.jpg

And get this...these boats are all currently in the U.S.! Turns out some enterprising types in California (www.gondolaservizio.com) are providing Venetian boats and boat-related services in Northern California! Who'd a thunk it?

And then I stumbled onto a site that must surely be the mother lode of info on historic Venetian boats:
Venetian boats (http://www.venetia.it/venetia/index.htm) Double-click the golden medallion (Lion of St. Mark, IIRC) labelled "links" to get to the boat pages.

Here are some shots from this great site (which includes body plans for some designs, as well!)
http://www.venetia.it/venetia/boats/sciopon.jpg

Ever wonder how you get your grand piano from the mainland to your canalside villa? In one of these!
http://www.venetia.it/venetia/boats/peata.jpg

[ 05-19-2003, 10:18 AM: Message edited by: John Gearing ]

[Ged]

Geez, shouldn't there be a "must be at least 18 to view this material" warning in your thread titles?

[Tom Jackson]

Extensive articles in WB No. 152 and 153 addressed gondolas and, in the second part, the many other traditional rowing types of Venice.

[Snoo973]

its not just the way to paddle a gondola, its even the position of the person that does that, in a gondola u dont stand in the middle but on one side.
You may want to try to look at a boat called "passera", ull find probably some similarities with some british boats, but in Venice they were built of all the sizes.(ill give a look for a pic)
Btw, im in Canada from a few months, but i come from there.