 Punting while dressed for Cambridge graduation This article concentrates on the history and development of punts and punting in England, for other usages see the disambiguation pages at punt and punter. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
The University of Cambridge, located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. ...
Look up Punt in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
The word punter may refer to: Someone who uses a Punt (boat). ...
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. A boat is a craft or vessel designed to float on, and provide transport over, water. ...
The bow is the foremost point of the hull of a ship or boat: the point that is ahead when the vessel is underway. ...
River upstream of an Australian trout farm A river is a large natural waterway. ...
Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with 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 on the rivers in the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge in England and races at a few summer regattas on the Thames. Fowling is a term which is perhaps better known in The Fens than elsewhere. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sport fishing. ...
Representation of a university class, 1350s. ...
Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ...
Shown within Cambridgeshire Geography Status: City (1951) Region: East of England Admin. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
A regatta is a boat race or series of boat races. ...
Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames...
Punt 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 4 in (10 cm) cross planks, known as "treads", spaced about 1 foot (30 cm) apart. Download high resolution version (600x800, 92 KB)Punts on the Cam, probably at Trinity puntyard. ...
Download high resolution version (600x800, 92 KB)Punts on the Cam, probably at Trinity puntyard. ...
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. ...
A fer is a large beam around which the hull of a ship is built. ...
A sternpost is the upright structural member or post at the stern of a (generally wooden) ship or a boat, to which is attached the transoms and the rearmost part of the keel. ...
A ladder A ladder is a vertical set of steps. ...
Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ...
A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ...
A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ...
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 1840 and 1860. 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 they are generally built with a box construction instead of the open ladder-like design of a traditional Thames pleasure punt. The Thames (pronounced []) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Categories: Stub ...
1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...
The Optimist is the standard of small, single-crew sailing dinghy. ...
An air boat Air boats, also called fan boats, are flat-bottomed punts powered by a propeller attached to an automobile or aircraft engine. ...
An Anhinga perched on the boardwalk railing Everglades is also the name of a city in Collier County, Florida. ...
Since a punt has no keel, it draws only a few inches even when fully laden; this makes it very manoeuverable 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. The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length. ...
Punts are still made in England, mainly to supply the tourist trade in Oxford and Cambridge. The construction material of choice is wood. Fibreglass and other synthetic materials have been tried, but the resulting boats are rarely stiff enough to be easy to use. The sides, the ends (known as "huffs"), and the "till" are normally made of hardwood such as mahogany. The treads are often made from oak. The bottom is made of softwood and may be replaced several times during the life of a particular boat. Bundle of fiberglass Fiberglass or glassfibre is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ...
The name mahogany was first used for wood of Swietenia mahagoni, later also for the wood of the closely related Swietenia macrophylla. ...
Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ...
Despite being fairly hard, cedar is a softwood Softwood is the wood from conifers. ...
A traditional punt is about 24 feet long and 3 feet wide (7.5 by 1 m). The sides are about 18 inches (0.5 m) deep. Both the bow and the stern are cut square, with a long shallow "swim"; this is to say that the underside of the boat slopes very gently at the front and the back. The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ...
Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ...
The bow is the foremost point of the hull of a ship or boat: the point that is ahead when the vessel is underway. ...
Aft of the Soleil Royal, by Jean Bérain the Elder. ...
The bottom of the punt is made with long, narrow planks stretching fore and aft, attached to the flat sides and the treads. In order 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. Download high resolution version (1281x382, 76 KB)Line art drawing of a Thames pleasure punt Drawn and scanned by Toby Thurston File links The following pages link to this file: Punt (boat) Categories: User-created public domain images ...
British penny from 1967. ...
A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ...
Caulking - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
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 six feet (2 m) 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. Cabinet making is the practice of utilizing many woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture. ...
The forerunners of pleasure punts, fishing punts, usually had an additional compartment called a "well" that 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.
The diagram above shows a punt without seats. The seats are usually just a simple board fitting against blocks on the sides, with cushions. The gaps between the treads are normally fitted with gratings to allow the passengers to keep their feet dry. hello im inpact hello inpact im luke howson ...
 A Thames punt adapted as a pedalo Both smaller and wider punts are made. Extra large and wide punts may be seen in Cambridge, where many are used as water-borne tourist vehicles. Single seater Thames punts were normally made only 2 feet (60 cm) 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. Download high resolution version (2509x1288, 1491 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Download high resolution version (2509x1288, 1491 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
A pedalo is a form of water borne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals. ...
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other functions where sturdiness is required. ...
Car camping is camping in a tent, but nearby the car for easier access and for supply storage Camping is an outdoor recreational activity, in which the campers get away from civilization and enjoy nature by spending one or more nights at a campsite. ...
Punt poles A punt pole differs from the Fenland "quant" in that it does not have a cross piece at the top. Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. ...
A quant (quant pole) is a pole used to propel a barge (barge pole) or punt through water. ...
Poles for pleasure punts are normally made of spruce, or aluminium. A normal pole is about 12–16 feet (4–5 m) long and weighs about 10 lb (5 kg). In both Oxford and Cambridge long 16 ft poles tend to be used exclusively. Species About 35; see text. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number aluminium, Al, 13 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 13, 3, p Appearance silvery Atomic mass 26. ...
The pound is the name of a number of units of mass, all in the range of 300 to 600 grams. ...
The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ...
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. Genera Many, see text. ...
Traditional wooden poles are preferred by many experienced punters; they are more sympathetic on the hands and make less noise on contact with the river bottom or the punt compared to an aluminium pole. As of 2005 all wooden poles in England are supplied by Collars of Oxford, and they cost about £120 including a shoe. 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. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ...
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.
Punting in England I admit that it is better fun to punt than to be punted, and ... a desire to have all the fun is nine-tenths of the law of chivalry. —Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night (1935) Dorothy Leigh Sayers (Oxford, 13 June 1893 – Witham, 17 December 1957) was a renowned British author, translator, student of classical and modern languages, and Christian humanist. ...
Gaudy Night is a 1935 Lord Peter Wimsey detective story by Dorothy L. Sayers. ...
The pleasure punts in use in England today were first built around 1860 and reached the peak of their popularity in the 1910s. Their use declined in the 1950s and 1960s in proportion to the increase in motor boat traffic on English rivers, but has increased again as the tourist industry has grown in England. // Events and trends The 1910s represent the culmination of European militarism which had its beginnings during the second half of the 19th Century. ...
The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ...
The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...
A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Punting is a popular leisure activity on the rivers of several well-known tourist destinations: there are commercial organizations that offer punts for hire on the Avon in Bath, the Cam in Cambridge, the Cherwell & Isis in Oxford, at Stratford-on-Avon, and on the lower Thames near Sunbury. A small number of private punts are also registered on these rivers, especially by the colleges in Oxford and Cambridge. An example of leisure, someone falling asleep whilst bathing in the sun. ...
The Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge The River Avon is a river in the south west of England. ...
For other uses, see Bath (disambiguation). ...
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. ...
Shown within Cambridgeshire Geography Status: City (1951) Region: East of England Admin. ...
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the midlands of England. ...
The Thames (pronounced []) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ...
Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ...
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ...
The Thames (pronounced []) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ...
Places called Sunbury include: Sunbury, Ohio Sunbury, Pennsylvania Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England Sunbury, Victoria, Australia The proposed name of Bangor, Maine at the time of its incorporation These should not be confused with places named Sudbury. ...
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 town centre and passes close to many very attractive old college buildings. 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Look up Back in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
However, the popularity of punting beside the old colleges in Cambridge produces significant congestion on this relatively narrow stretch of the river during the peak tourist season, leading to frequent collisions between inexperienced punters. These collisions are mostly harmless, but visitors to the city may prefer the calmer experience offered on the river above the weir at Granta Place. 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. During tourist season, students have been known to steal the poles of tourist punts as they pass below the College bridges. Punting in a crowd, on the Cam. ...
Punting in a crowd, on the Cam. ...
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. ...
Grantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. ...
There are many companies on the Cam operating tours and hiring punts to visitors. As of 2006 these companies included: Scudamore's (who have recently acquired their long standing rival, Tyrell's, according to a recent report in Varsity [1]), Cambridge Chauffeured Punts, and Granta Punt Hire. There are also some independent operators 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. 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity Motto Virtus vera nobilitas Virtue is true Nobility Named after The Holy Trinity Previous names Kings Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546) Established 1546 Sister College(s) Christ Church Master The Lord Rees of Ludlow Location Trinity Street...
 Cambridge punting technique 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: you are less likely to drip on your passengers and it is easier to steer by swinging the pole behind you, 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. Photographs of punting on the Backs in 1910 show that the practice was well established by then; according to an old Cambridge boat man, interviewed by R. T. Rivington in the 1970s, the practice was started by women from Girton anxious to show off their ankles. Download high resolution version (1025x768, 217 KB)The west end of Kings College Chapel seen from The Backs. ...
Download high resolution version (1025x768, 217 KB)The west end of Kings College Chapel seen from The Backs. ...
The Backs, or the Backs of the Colleges refers to an area of Cambridge at the rear of several colleges by the River Cam. ...
1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...
The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ...
Full name Girton College Motto - Better is wisdom than weapons of war (Alumni) Named after Girton Village Previous names The College for Women (1869), Girton College (1872) Established 1869 Sister College(s) Somerville College Mistress Professor Dame Marilyn Strathern Location Huntingdon Road Undergraduates 503 Postgraduates 201 Homepage Boatclub Girton College...
The Cambridge towpath Where the River Cam flows through the town in Cambridge, experienced punters keep to the middle of the river where there is 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 down the centre of the stream, and to make the tow horses wade along it. The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. ...
A towpath is a road or track that runs alongside the banks of a river, canal or other inland waterway. ...
Punting in Oxford Except in the immediate vicinity of Magdalen Bridge, punting in Oxford is a surprisingly quiet and rural experience. Most of the punting is done on the River Cherwell, which flows through Oxford's protected green belt of fields and woods for the last few miles before it joins the Thames just south-east of Christ Church Meadow. Unfortunately this tranquility comes at a price, for the Cherwell is both deep and muddy. Cherwell poles are 16 feet long (4.9 m) to allow for the deepest hollows, so they can be hard to handle; and the muddy patches cling tenaciously to the pole's shoe at unexpected moments. Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 2941 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 2941 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Mesopotamia is a 1. ...
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the midlands of England. ...
Magdalen Bridge spans the divided stream of the River Cherwell just to the east of the City of Oxford, and next to Magdalen College whence it gets its name and pronunciation. ...
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the midlands of England. ...
For other uses of the word Greenbelt, see Greenbelt (disambiguation). ...
Christ Church Meadow is a famous water meadow, and popular walking and picnic spot in Oxford, England. ...
Punting on the Thames below Folly Bridge is often less enjoyable, mainly because of the competition from eights and sculls and motor boats; punts are recommended to keep close in beside the towpath. The best punting to be had in Oxford is on the Isis alongside Port Meadow to the west of the town; this stretch of river is both shallow and gravelly, has attractive scenery, and is well supplied with pubs (such as The Trout Inn, Wolvercote where some of the Inspector Morse dramas were filmed). Folly Bridge is a stone bridge over the River Thames on the Abingdon Road south from central Oxford, England. ...
A coxless pair which is a sweep-oar boat. ...
Categories: Stub | Boat types ...
A towpath is a road or track that runs alongside the banks of a river, canal or other inland waterway. ...
Port Meadow is a large area of common land to the north and west of Oxford, England. ...
The Trout Inn. ...
The ruin of Godstow Nunnery. ...
Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse is a fictional character, who features in a series of thirteen detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, though he is better known for the 33 episode TV series produced by Central Independent Television from 1987–2000, in which he was portrayed by John Thaw. ...
The tradition at Oxford is to punt from inside the boat rather than from on top of the till (or "box" as it tends to be called in Oxford) and to propel the punt with the till end facing forwards. Most Oxford punters regard the box as the bow of the boat.
Punting elsewhere in England In the Roman spa town of Bath, it is possible to punt on the Avon from the town centre. The river however is deep and shared with large motor vessels. The puntable stretch of river runs beside Brunel's Great Western Railway line. It is also possible to punt on the Lancaster Canal from Lancaster. For other uses, see Bath (disambiguation). ...
Brunel before the launching of the Great Eastern. ...
The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ...
Punting is possible on most of the Thames above the tidal limit at Teddington; even in places where the river is broad it is often surprisingly shallow, especially at the edges. Commercial punts have been available for hire near Sunbury-on-Thames in recent times, but most Thames punting is now confined to a few Skiff and Punting clubs. There are active clubs at Walton, Thames Ditton, Wraysbury, and Sunbury. These clubs concentrate on racing punts rather than pleasure punting. Teddington is a suburb of south west London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. ...
Sunbury-on-Thames is a leafy suburb in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey in the United Kingdom. ...
Thames Ditton is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. ...
Wraysbury (previously Wyrardsbury) is a village in Berkshire, England. ...
Punt racing Punt racing in England is governed by the Thames Punting Club, which maintains lists of umpires and publishes a handbook containing rules and bye-laws for those organizing punt races on the Thames.
Races are normally held over a distance of up to 880 yards (800 m) along a straight reach of the river, each end of the course being marked by a pair of poles called "ryepecks" which are firmly pushed into the river bed before the race. Races are always one punt against another, one having the inner lane and the other the outer lane. If the outer lane has consistently deeper water, then the length of the outer course may be reduced to make the race more even. This article is about the unit of measure known as the yard. ...
A ryepeck is a pole used to mark the ends of a punt race course. ...
The competitors usually start with their punts' sterns level with the line between the downstream ryepecks, punt to the upstream ryepecks, and then back. The winner is the first to pass the line of the starting ryepecks (or the first one to hit his or her own ryepeck).
The turn at the upstream ryepecks is done by "stopping-up"; that is the competitor passes the ryepeck on the outside, stops his or her punt with the pole just upstream of the ryepeck, turns to face the stern of the boat and punts back in the other direction, passing the ryepeck on the inside.
Handicap races are normally held in standard "2 foot punts", that is punts that are 2 ft (60 cm) wide in the middle and about 18 inches (45 cm) wide at each end. There are no restrictions on width or length for non-handicap races; punts used for these races are called "best boats" or "best-and-best" punts; the name comes from the "best" boat that you can find and the "best" boat that your opponent can. The narrowest of these boats are no more than 15 inches (40 cm) wide. All racing punts generally have a till at both ends, and may have canvas covers to reduce the amount of water splashing into the boat. Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. ...
As of 2006 summer regattas with punt races are still held at Sunbury, Chertsey, Walton, Wraysbury, Thames Ditton, and Teddington. The annual Thames Punting Championships are held at Maidenhead. 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Level crossing at Chertsey, as the barriers rise Chertsey is a town in Surrey, United Kingdom, on the River Thames. ...
Statistics Population: 58,848 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SU889811 Administration District: Windsor and Maidenhead Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Berkshire Historic county: Berkshire Services Police force: Thames Valley Ambulance service: South Central Post office and telephone Post town: MAIDENHEAD...
Punting technique Punting is not as easy as it looks. As in rowing, you soon learn how to get along and handle the craft, but it takes long practice before you can do this with dignity and without getting the water all up your sleeve. —Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat (1889) Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), published 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K. Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford. ...
For pleasure punting, the best way to learn is to start out in a boat with a competent punter in order 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. A canoe is a relatively small boat, typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. ...
The orthodox punting position is to stand in front of the till, towards the back of the boat, and to punt from the side. Left handers stand on the starboard side with the left leg forward; right handers stand on the port side with the right leg forward. The leading foot is placed against one of the knees, and should not move as you punt. The back foot moves backwards and forwards as the punter makes each stroke. Starboard is the nautical term (used on boats and ships) that refers to the right side of a vessel as perceived by a person facing towards the bow. ...
Port is the nautical term (used on boats and ships) that refers to the left side of a ship, as perceived by a person facing towards the bow (the front of the vessel). ...
Rather different traditions have grown up in Oxford and Cambridge: in Cambridge they stand on the till and punt with the open end forward, while in Oxford they stand inside the boat and punt with the till forward. The Oxford position is closer to the orthodox except that nearly everyone in Oxford punts left-handed. Since the rivers in both cities are narrow and often crowded, there is little opportunity for punting "at full pressure", so these variations in stance are of little importance. Nevertheless the traditions are often strongly held; students at Oxford and Cambridge frequently believe that theirs is the only correct style.
The orthodox position may benefit the experienced punter who does have the opportunity of a clear river or who is planning a long day trip.
For beginners - Use half strokes (with the pole at 45°) to get going.
- Don't push the pole down, just let it drop vertically.
- Don't "climb the pole" as you shove; push down and away in one movement.
- There is no need to use the pole as a rudder except for manoeuvres close to the bank …
- … but don't be ashamed to do so when it's useful.
- Recover the pole by picking it up hand over hand until it is clear of the water …
- … then hold it vertically and let it drop beside you to start a new stroke.
- If the bottom is muddy, don't shove too hard. Should the pole stick in the mud, twisting may free it. If that fails, it is better to let go than to fall in. Most hire companies supply each punt with a canoe paddle which can be used to get the punt back to a dropped pole.
- To improve your technique, stand up straight, relax, and don't grip the pole too hard.
For the more experienced More experienced punters sometimes stand to one side of the punt, so that it tips down slightly on that side. This makes a slight keel under the boat and helps to keep it in a straight line. A fer is a large beam around which the hull of a ship is built. ...
In Cambridge, some experienced punters punt one-handed. This technique is only really suitable for the shallow gravelly conditions offered by the Cam and is slower and harder to master than punting with both hands. The technique consists of a normal "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.
Racing punters tend to stand in the middle and punt in either direction: this is (a) because it is traditional, (b) because it is more efficient, and (c) because it facilitates "stopping-up" between each leg of a race. 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 organized for pairs punting tandem. Tandem is a group of similar units arranged one behind the other and working together. ...
Punting around the world
 Punting on the River Avon in Christchurch Traditional "Thames" punts are also popular on a few other rivers outside England. These include: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 357 KB) A punt on the River Avon in Christchurch, New Zealand. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 357 KB) A punt on the River Avon in Christchurch, New Zealand. ...
- The Mutha River in Pune, India at the Boat Club (BC) of the College of Engineering, Pune. Punting here is mainly a leisure activity, but there are also punting activities organized as part of the annual regatta, including the spectactular "Punt Formation" where several illuminated punts are used to create a night time display.
There is also punting on the River Neckar in Tübingen, Germany, using boats (called Stocherkahn) that are similar in design to Thames punts but are larger and deeper, and have a narrower bow and stern. Bench seats for passengers are provided down each side, and the punter stands on a small triangular deck at the stern. The Avon River is a river located in Christchurch, New Zealand. ...
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the third largest city in the country. ...
Puṇe (IPA: , Marathi: पà¥à¤£à¥‡) is a city located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. ...
College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) is an engineering college in Pune, Maharashtra, India. ...
The Neckar is a river in Germany, a major tributary of the River Rhine, which it joins at Mannheim. ...
Tübingen, Neckar front Tübingen, a traditional university town of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is situated 20 miles southwest of Stuttgart, on a ridge between the River Neckar and the Ammer. ...
The technique of using a pole to propel a narrow boat in confined waters has developed in many other cultures, especially in marshy or swampy areas where transport on land is difficult. These include:
 Makoro polers waiting for hippo - The Okavango Delta in Botswana, using dug-out canoes called makoros. The boats are punted from the rear and are used for getting around the shallow waters of the swamp. A makoro's shape is determined by the tree from which it was made, and the punter simply stands in the bottom. Bucket-seats are sometimes added for passengers' comfort.
- The Marais Poitevin, an area of marsh land criss-crossed with canals north of La Rochelle in Poitou-Charentes, France. Here the boats (called barques) are somewhat shorter than a Thames punt, and may have a pointed bow and stern. The punting pole (la pigouille) may be a rough cut branch or coppice pole. Originally used for transporting goods and livestock, today boats are available for hire to tourists.
Image File history File linksMetadata Mokoro_Polers_waiting_for_hippos. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Mokoro_Polers_waiting_for_hippos. ...
Binomial name Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758 The Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), from the Greek ‘ιπποπόταμος (hippopotamos, hippos meaning horse and potamos meaning river), is a large, plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant, and three or four recently extinct, species in the family Hippopotamidae. ...
Elephants in the Okavango Delta seen from the dubious safety of a makoro (small boat). ...
A canoe is a relatively small boat, typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. ...
Two wooden makoros A makoro is a type of canoe commonly used in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. ...
The Marais Poitevin, also known as Venise Verte is a marsh region in Western France, a remnant of the former Gulf of Poitou. ...
La Rochelle is a city and commune of western France, and a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean (population 76,584 in 1999). ...
Categories: Stub | Regions of France ...
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management, by which young tree stems are cut down to a foot or less from ground level. ...
References - Rivington, Robert T. (1983). Punting: Its History and Techniques. Oxford: R. T. Rivington, 240pp.. ISBN 0-9508045-2-5 (hardcover), ISBN 0-9508045-1-7 (softcover). Contents: Punts and Punting; Punting on the Thames 1880--1918; Punting on the Thames from 1918; Dongola racing; Punting at Oxford until 1900; Punting at Oxford from 1900; Punting at Cambridge; Techniques of punting; Safety in punting; Punt racing; Appendices; Index.
- Rivington, Robert T. (1982). Punts and Punting. Oxford: R. T. Rivington, 32pp.. ISBN 0-9508045-0-9. Selected extracts from the larger book, with additional illustrations.
- Hardcastle, Peter (1994–2004). Canals and waterways: The Cam. Retrieved on 2005-05-14.
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ...
Varsity is the older of Cambridge Universitys main student newspapers (The Cambridge Student is the other, younger, one). ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ...
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Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...
Clubs
Punting stations
Further information
Punting around the world The Spreewald Biosphere Reserve is situated 100 km south-east of Berlin and designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1991. ...
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