Punt (boat)

A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting is boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole. A punt should not be confused with a gondola, a shallow draft vessel that is structurally different, and which is propelled by an oar rather than a pole.

Punts were originally built as cargo boats or platforms for fowling and angling, but in modern times their use is almost exclusively confined to pleasure trips with passengers.

The term ''punt'' has also been used to indicate a smaller version of a regional type of long shore working boat, for example the Deal Galley Punt. This derives from the wide usage in coastal communities of the name "punt" for any small clinker-built open-stem general purpose boat.

In Canada, the term ''punt'' can also refer to any small flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, regardless of purpose, building material, or propulsion source.

In Australia, cable ferries are commonly referred to as punts.

Construction

A traditional river punt differs from many other types of wooden boat in that it has no keel, stem, or sternpost. Instead, it is built rather like a ladder with the main structure being two side panels connected by a series of cross planks, known as "treads", spaced about apart.

The first punts are traditionally associated with the River Thames in England and were built as small cargo boats or platforms for fishermen. Pleasure punts – specifically built for recreation – became popular on the Thames between 1860 and 1880.

Some other boats have a similar shape to a traditional punt – for example the Optimist training dinghy or the air boats used in the Everglades – but the most similar boat is the European Weidling, a type of boat that can be tracked back to Celtic boats built more than 2,000 years ago.

Since a punt has no keel, it draws only a few inches even when fully laden; this makes it very manoeuvrable and suitable for shallow water. A punt can be punted with equal facility in either direction; this is handy in narrow streams where turning round may be difficult. The square-cut bow gives greater carrying capacity for a given length than a boat of the same beam with a narrow or pointed bow; it also makes the boat very stable, and suitable for passengers.

Punts are still made in England to supply the tourist trade in Oxford and Cambridge or for racing purposes. The construction material of choice for most punts is wood. Fibreglass is used for some very light and narrow racing punts. The sides, the ends (known as "huffs"), and the "till" are normally made of hardwood such as mahogany. The treads are often made from teak. The bottom is made of softwood and may be replaced several times during the life of a particular boat.

A traditional punt is about long and wide. The sides are about deep. Both the bow and the stern are cut square, with a long shallow "swim"; this is to say, the underside of the boat slopes very gently at the front and the back.

Both smaller and wider punts are made. Extra large and wide punts known as ferry punts may be seen in Cambridge, where many are used as water-borne tourist vehicles. Single seater Thames punts were normally made only wide, and somewhat shorter than a standard punt; very few of these are still afloat. Racing punts, which are still used by a few specialist clubs on the lower Thames, may be built even narrower. Thames punts have occasionally been adapted for other means of propulsion: including sails, tow-ropes, and paddle wheels. With the addition of iron hoops and canvas awnings, punts have also been used for camping.

The bottom of the punt is made with long, narrow planks stretching fore and aft, attached to the flat sides and the treads. To allow the wood to swell when it gets wet, the planks are set a small distance apart (traditionally the width of an old penny, about 1–2 mm). The gaps are caulked; this caulking normally needs to be renewed annually. The treads are attached to the sides with small wooden "knees", which may be vertical or set at an angle. The gaps between the treads are normally fitted with gratings to allow the passengers to keep their feet dry. The seats are usually just a simple board fitting against blocks on the sides, with cushions.

A punt can be punted with equal facility in either direction, so it is not obvious to the novice which end is the bow and which the stern; however, one end of the boat is strengthened with a short deck, usually called a "counter" or a "till" (terms from cabinet making), that extends some from that end.
The Thames punt-building tradition was that the end with the till was the stern, as shown in the diagram. The till provides some extra torsional rigidity, and is normally closed in; occasionally a locker may be built into it. A small minority of punts, such as those made from fibreglass at Magdalen College, Oxford have no single till in the usual sense, instead having very small tills at either end.

The forerunners of pleasure punts, fishing punts, usually had an additional compartment, called a "well," which extended across the width of the punt a little way in front of the till. This compartment was made water-tight, and had holes in the bottom or sides so that it could be flooded with water. It was used for keeping any caught fish.

Punt poles

A traditional punt has no tiller nor any provision for oars, sails, or motor; instead it is propelled and directed with a pole. Poles for pleasure punts are normally made of spruce or aluminium. A normal pole is about long and weighs about 10  lb (5 kg). In both Oxford and Cambridge, long poles tend to be used exclusively. The bottom of the pole is fitted with a metal "shoe", a rounded lump of metal to protect the end – the shoe is sometimes made in the shape of a swallow tail.

Traditional wooden poles are preferred by many experienced punters; they are more sympathetic on the hands (at least when in good condition; a splintered surface is less so) and make less noise on contact with the river bottom or the punt compared with an aluminium pole. Aluminium poles are considerably cheaper and stronger, so may be preferred by punt stations offering punts for hire to inexperienced punters; however, it is normally possible to choose either type.

Racing poles are generally a great deal lighter than pleasure punt poles, and aluminium is the preferred material. It is usual to carry one or two spare poles in a race, so that one can keep punting if a pole gets stuck or is dropped.

A punt pole differs from the Fenland quant in that it does not have a cross piece at the top, and from the more generally used setting pole in that it only has a metal shoe on one end.

Punting technique

The basic technique of punting is to shove the boat along with a pole by pushing directly on the bed of the river or lake. In the 1870s, when punting for pleasure first became popular, the normal approach was for the passengers to sit at the stern on cushions placed against the till, and for the punter to have the run of the rest of the boat. The punter started at the bow, planted the pole, and then walked towards the stern, shoving the punt forwards. This is known as "running" the punt. It was the normal technique used to move heavy fishing punts. As pleasure punts became lighter, it became more usual for the punter to stand still – normally towards the stern – while shoving. This is called "pricking" the punt. Pricking has the advantages that the punter is less likely to walk off the end of the punt inadvertently, and that more of the punt can be used to carry passengers.

For pleasure punting, the best way to learn is to start out in a boat with a competent punter to watch him or her at work. After this there is no substitute for extensive hands-on practice on different stretches of river. For racing punting it is best to join a club, and to work on one's balance. Some punt racers practise by punting in canoes.

One of the keys to punting well is that the steering is done during the stroke, rather than by using the pole as a paddle or rudder; steering in this way requires less physical effort if the punter stands in the centre of the boat (or at least as far forward as is compatible with not wetting the passengers). Once the punt is under way, it is easier to keep it in a straight line if the weight in the punt is all on the same side, to tilt the punt slightly and to form a keel. For racing, therefore, the leading foot is placed to one side against the "knee" that is at, or just forward of, the centre of the boat, and does not move from that position; only the rear foot moves during the stroke. For pleasure punting the precise stance does not matter so much; it is more important that the punter remains relaxed and does not shove too hard.

Two rather different traditions have grown up in Oxford and Cambridge: in Cambridge most punters stand on the till (the flat end) and punt with the open end forward, while in Oxford they stand inside the boat and punt with the till forward. Since the rivers in both cities are narrow and often crowded, the opportunities for punting "at full pressure" are rare, so these variations in stance are of little practical importance. Nevertheless, the traditions are often strongly held; students at Oxford and Cambridge frequently believe that theirs is the only correct style, to the extent that the till end is often known as the "Cambridge End", and the other as the "Oxford End".

For the beginner

Rivington recommends that the beginner should:
* Stand near the back of the punt (that is, on the "till" in Cambridge or on the "swim" in Oxford) and as near to the side as confidence and balance allow, facing over the side of the punt.
* With the forward hand throw the pole vertically down close to the side of the punt, guiding it with the lower hand.
* Let it fall all the way until it touches the bottom and then reach forward with both hands and gently push the pole past your chest. If you shove gently, you are less likely to steer wildly.
* At the end of the stroke, relax and allow the pole to float up like a rudder behind you.
* When the punt is going straight, recover the pole hand over hand until you can throw it down again and begin the next stroke.

The habit of relaxing at the end of the stroke helps to avoid falling in should the pole unexpectedly get stuck. If it does stick, let it go and use the paddle to bring the punt back to it.

For the more experienced

More experienced punters steer during the stroke instead of using the pole as a rudder. To do this they stand further forward and keep to one side of the punt. To turn towards the side the punter is facing, the pole is thrown close to the punt and pulled towards the punter during the stroke (this is called "pinching" the punt); to turn the other way the pole is thrown slightly further out and the feet are pulled towards the pole (this is called "shoving around").

Some experienced punters punt one-handed. This technique is slower and harder to master than punting with both hands, and consists of a "bucket" recovery of the pole (where the pole is thrown forward rather than just pulled up), except that this recovery is done with one hand.

It is also feasible to punt one-handed while turning the punt pole over, in the manner of a paddle wheel. The advantage this gives the punter is that the pole can be dropped onto the river bed at an angle forward of the punter's position, while the momentum of the punt continues. When the pole comes vertical, pressure can be applied immediately to drive the punt forwards. This style of punting is particularly effective at providing power more continuously in fast-flowing streams or when the punt is moving quickly. This technique is more easily executed in shallow rivers.

Racing punters tend to stand in the middle of the punt, because it is more efficient to do so. Indeed, many racing punts have cross braces with canvas covers both fore and aft, so it is only possible to stand in the middle. Pleasure punters may like to try punting from the middle, but it is probably advisable to remove the seats and the passengers first.

It is also possible to punt tandem, that is with two punters standing one behind another in the middle of the boat, and generally punting from the same side. Some punt races are organised for pairs punting tandem.

Punting in England

The pleasure punts in use in England today were first built around 1860, becoming increasingly popular in the early 1900s. The evidence indicates that pleasure punting initially started on the non-tidal Thames and quickly spread across the country. The first punting company (Scudamore's Punting Company) in the UK was founded in 1910. This company was bought out by a newer operation established in 1993 - who then changed their name to Scudamores and claim continuity with the older company.

Pleasure punting declined across much of England in the 1950s and 1960s in proportion to the increase in motor boat traffic on English rivers, but has since increased again as the tourist industry has grown in England.

Punting is a popular leisure activity on the rivers of several well-known tourist destinations: there are commercial organisations that offer punts for hire on the Avon in Bath, the Avon in Salisbury, the Cam in Cambridge, the Cherwell & Isis in Oxford, the Avon in Stratford-on-Avon, and on the lower Thames near Sunbury. A small number of private punts are also registered on these rivers, specifically by the colleges in Oxford and Cambridge, and most often by those colleges that lie along the river. In June 2012, Norwich City Council gave the go-ahead to introduce punting on the River Wensum.

Punting in Cambridge

Traditional Thames pleasure punts were not introduced to Cambridge until about 1902–1904, but they rapidly became the most popular craft on the river, and today there are probably more punts on the Cam than on any other river in England. This is partly because the river is shallow and gravelly (at least along The Backs) which makes it ideal for punting, but mainly because the Cam goes through the heart of Cambridge and passes close to many attractive college buildings. The popularity of punting beside the old colleges in Cambridge can produce significant congestion on this relatively narrow stretch of the river during the peak tourist season, leading to frequent collisions between inexperienced punters. Further upstream, the river enters some particularly beautiful and tranquil countryside as it approaches the village of Grantchester.

A popular summer pastime for Cambridge students is to punt to Grantchester and back, stopping for lunch in a pleasant Grantchester pub. The Cam, on its upper reaches, is known as the River Granta. During tourist season, students have been known to steal the poles of tourist punts as they pass below the college bridges.

There are several companies on the Cam operating tours and hiring punts to visitors and, while most of the colleges along the river keep punts for the exclusive use of their students, at Trinity College the punts are also available for hire to the public.

The tradition in Cambridge is to punt from the till (locally known as the "deck") at the back of the punt. There are some advantages to this: punters are less likely to drip on their passengers and can steer more easily by swinging the pole behind them, but it is not how Thames punts were traditionally propelled. Nor was the till originally designed for standing on; Cambridge-built punts are made with extra strong decks, and sometimes with a deck at both ends. Photographs of punting on the Backs in 1910 show that the practice was well established by then; according to Don Strange, an old Cambridge boat man interviewed in the 1970s, the practice was started by women from Girton anxious to show off their ankles.

From late in the 19th century until at least 1989, an undergraduate social club called the Damper Club (or Dampers Club after 1958), took a loose responsibility for the interests of punting on the Cam. Membership was open to "all those who have unwillingly entered the Cam fully clothed". The future Python Graham Chapman was president in 1961–62. The Dampers Club has been succeeded by the Cambridge University Punting Society ("the Granta Rats"), an undergraduate student society in the University of Cambridge, founded in 2010.

Cambridge towpath

Where the River Cam flows through the town in Cambridge, experienced punters follow the path of a gravel ridge that makes for easier punting. This ridge has a curious history. It is the remains of an old towpath built when the Cam was still used for commercial river traffic. The banks on either side of the river belong to various university colleges; faced with their combined opposition to a conventional towpath on one side or the other, the river tradesmen were forced to build the towpath in the course of the stream, and to make the tow horses wade along it.''The Canals of Eastern England'', (1977), John Boyes and Ronald Russell, David and Charles,

Weir and slipway

The part of the Cam in Cambridge where punting normally occurs is separated into two levels by a weir at the Mill Pool near the University Centre. (Punting on the lower river below Jesus Lock is not normally allowed.) Punters wishing to move from one level to the other drag their punts between the levels via a slipway with rollers. Tourists wishing to visit only one level can hire punts at the appropriate level to avoid the transfer, which requires about four average adults. Most punt hirers only allow use of their punts on one level, and do not allow use of the rollers with their punts.
River Cam