The construction of the Venetian gondola is described in detail. There are few wood carvers and boat builders of gondolas. A gondola is built to fit the gondolier and to accommodate his weight structural changes are incorporated into the basic design. The cabin is no longer included since they make craft unstable to the wake of motorboats. A gondola museum has been proposed, one purpose of which would be to train boat builders and preserve the skills. Fiberglass replicas of gondolas do not possess the features of a well-constructed gondola. -- AATA