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La Voga Veneta

As with canoes, it may be a matter of simplicity and versatility vs refinement. And that kind of leads to the question you raise about applying the yuloh to a canoe. The pole is simpler and more versatile.
I think that's the crux of the matter - simpler and more versatile.

I started imagining a pole with ends finished like Greenland paddle to reduce flutter. Adding a fulcrum seemed like it would improve power efficiency....then both sculling oars and gondolas popped into my head. But, my Greenland paddle still fluttered a lot paddled from standing. And an oar is probably heavier and more ungainly than a pole. It's almost as if people before me have thought this stuff through.... still, thinking the stuff over, reading, maybe experimenting....it all leads to a better understanding of why the stuff that works, works.
 
Further to Steve's bringing the yuloh into the discussion, I found this interesting webpage.


The gondola oars are also flat on one face of the blade and curved on the other. As with the yuloh oar, the flat side faces down with the return phase of the stroke, and aft during the power phase, ie the flat side is the power face. I didn't get to ask, and can't quite figure out the physics on this facet (pun intended) of design. Perhaps like an airplane wing, the curved top generates lift? Does this keep the oar from diving too deep?

One thing I struggled with during my lessons is having the oar jump out of the forcola during the return stroke. Practically speaking I was told this is a matter of failing to feather/pitch the oar in a timely enough manner (more my problem) or at the right pitch. The issue is also mentioned briefly in the link above. Related to the curved and flat oar faces perhaps?

I also noticed today that Wikipedia basically claims the oar is the rudder on a gondola, for whatever that's worth.
 
It's an interesting concept to propel a canoe while standing with a long paddle attached to the boat. When my lake thaws out I'm gonna strap a paddle to an end of my pole and attach that to my gunnel and see what happens.
 
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