How to Get Around in a Punt: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow How to Get Around in a Punt Community Q&A A punt is a type of flat-bottomed boat which is propelled by pushing against the bottom of the river with a long pole. Punts are normally used as pleasure craft, and are traditionally associated with the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge. Christchurch in New Zealand also has punts. Although popular with tourists and students alike, they can be difficult for beginners to control. Steps 1 Hire a punt. A punt is usually supplied with a pole, seat cushions, and a small paddle (for emergency use only). If selecting a pole yourself, hold it upright and spin it around to check that it is straight. 2 Stand at the stern of the boat. Stand as close to the end as possible and facing to one side. Grip the pole with both hands, holding it vertically and with one end in the water. If you are right-handed, your right hand should be below your left. Ensure that the pole is the correct way up: the bottom end will often have a 'shoe' on it to grip the river bed, which is occasionally mistaken for a handle.

3 To lift the pole, raise your right hand and allow the pole to slide through your left hand. At the same time, bring your left hand downwards to meet the right. When your hands are close together, reverse the action: lift with your left hand whilst sliding your right hand downwards. Repeat until the pole is clear of the water. 4 Angle the pole so that it is pointing slightly underneath the boat, then throw it downwards, allowing it to slide through your hands. Do not attempt to lower it gently, as it tends to float. 5 When the pole hits the river bed, tighten your grip and begin to push downwards. Pass it through your hands as if you were trying to climb up it. 6 Once your hands have reached the top of the pole, bend down to give a final shove. 7 If the river bed feels soft, give the pole a slight twist to release it from the mud. 8 Stand upright and allow the pole to trail behind you. The pole can now be used like a tiller for steering. If you swing the top end of the pole to the left, the punt will turn to the right and vice versa.

9 Prepare for the next stroke by lifting the pole out of the water in the manner described above, gradually rotating it back to vertical at the same time. 10 Repeat this cycle a few times per minute to keep the punt moving. Community Q&A If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know. Tips Sharp turns can be achieved by tilting the pole to one side as it is thrown downwards, so that the stern is pushed sideways as well as forwards. To turn on the spot, trail the pole behind you and swing it in an arc from one side of the boat to the other. If necessary, lift it out of the water, move it back to the other side, lower it again and repeat. If the bow swings to one side during the stroke, stop pushing immediately and steer the with the pole to correct your course. The steering tends to be rather sluggish, so plan ahead and start turning well before you reach an obstacle. Beginners are advised to wear a short-sleeved shirt and carry a towel, as the pole tends to drip onto your forearms. Advanced punters can avoid this problem by angling their wrists downwards. Punting should not be a strenuous activity.

Allow the punt to coast for a few seconds in between strokes. Most punts can carry four or five passengers, so take turns with the pole. For the truly authentic experience, take a punnet of strawberries with you. Warnings The person using the pole should be able to swim, as there is a risk of falling into the river. Beware of getting the top end of the pole caught in tree branches or against the underside of a low bridge. It could be pulled out of your hands, or knock you into the river. If you are travelling at speed and the pole gets stuck in deep mud, it may pull you off the back of the boat. Let go before this happens! You can always use the paddle to go back and retrieve the pole. Punt - definition of punt by The Free Dictionary Punt - definition of punt by The Free Dictionary (pŭnt) n. An open flatbottom boat with squared ends, used in shallow waters and usually propelled by a long pole. v. punt·ed, punt·ing, punts v.tr. 1. To propel (a boat) with a pole. 2. To carry in a punt. v.intr. To go in a punt.

[Probably Middle English *punt, from Old English punt, from Latin pontō, pontoon, flatbottom boat, from pōns, pont-, bridge; see pent- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] punt′er n. (pŭnt) Football n. A kick in which the ball is dropped from the hands and kicked before it touches the ground. v. punt·ed, punt·ing, punts v.tr. To propel (a ball) by means of a punt. v.intr. 1. To execute a punt. 2. Informal To cease doing something; give up: Let's punt on this and try something else. [Perhaps from dialectal punt, to strike, push, perhaps alteration of bunt.] punt′er n. intr.v. punt·ed, punt·ing, punts 1. Games To lay a bet against the bank, as in roulette. 2. Chiefly British Slang To gamble.

[French ponter, from obsolete pont, past participle of pondre, to put (obsolete), lay an egg, from Old French, to lay an egg, from Latin pōnere; see apo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] punt′er n. (pʌnt) n (Nautical Terms) an open flat-bottomed boat with square ends, propelled by a pole. See quant 1 vb (Nautical Terms) to propel (a boat, esp a punt) by pushing with a pole on the bottom of a river, etc [Old English punt shallow boat, from Latin pontō punt, pontoon1] punt (pʌnt) n 1. (Soccer) a kick in certain sports, such as rugby, in which the ball is released and kicked before it hits the ground 2. (Rugby) a kick in certain sports, such as rugby, in which the ball is released and kicked before it hits the ground 3. (General Sporting Terms) any long high kick vb 4. (Soccer) to kick (a ball, etc) using a punt 5.

(Rugby) to kick (a ball, etc) using a punt [C19: perhaps a variant of English dialect bunt to push, perhaps a nasalized variant of butt3] punt (Gambling, except Cards) (intr) to gamble; bet n 1. (Gambling, except Cards) a gamble or bet, esp against the bank, as in roulette, or on horses 2. (Gambling, except Cards) Also called: punter a person who bets 3. take a punt at informal Austral and NZ to have an attempt or try at (something) [C18: from French ponter to punt, from ponte bet laid against the banker, from Spanish punto point, from Latin punctum] punt (Currencies) (formerly) the Irish pound [Irish Gaelic: pound] (pʌnt) n. 1. a kick, as in football or rugby, executed by dropping the ball and kicking it before it touches the ground. v.t. 2. to kick (a dropped ball) before it touches the ground. v.i. 3. to punt a ball. 4. Informal. to equivocate or delay. [1835–45; compare dial.

(Midlands) punt to push, butt] punt′er, n. 1. a small, shallow, flat-bottomed boat with square ends, propelled by poling. v.t. 2. to pole (a small boat) along. 3. to convey in a punt. v.i. 4. to pole a boat along. 5. to travel or have an outing in a punt. [before 1000; Old English (not attested in Middle English) < Latin pontō punt, pontoon ] punt′er, n. 1. to lay a stake against the bank in certain card games, as faro. 2. Slang. to gamble, esp. to bet on sporting events. [1705–15; < French ponter, derivative of ponte punter, point in faro < Sp punto point ] punt′er, n. (pʊnt, pʌnt) n., pl. punt. the basic currency of the Republic of Ireland, which has a fixed value relative to the euro.

[1970–75; < Irish < E pound 2] punt , bunt - Punt, as in "kick," may be from bunt, "push," used in baseball to mean "hit the ball softly." See also related terms for kick . kick , punt - The dent in the bottom of a wine or champagne bottle is the kick or punt. See also related terms for kick . punt I will have been punting you will have been punting he/she/it will have been punting we will have been punting you will have been punting they will have been punting Past Perfect Continuous A ball dropped from the hands and kicked before it touches the ground. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Irish monetary unit - monetary unit in Eire 2. punt - an open flat-bottomed boat used in shallow waters and propelled by a long pole boat - a small vessel for travel on water 3.

punt - (football) a kick in which the football is dropped from the hands and kicked before it touches the ground; "the punt traveled 50 yards"; "punting is an important part of the game" punting kick , kicking , boot - the act of delivering a blow with the foot; "he gave the ball a powerful kick"; "the team's kicking was excellent" football , football game - any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal Verb athletics , sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition kick - drive or propel with the foot 2. propel , impel - cause to move forward with force; "Steam propels this ship" 3. ante - place one's stake parlay , double up - stake winnings from one bet on a subsequent wager wager , bet , play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" punt verb 1. bet , back , stake , gamble , lay , wager He punted the lot on Little Nell in the third race. noun 1.

bet , stake , gamble , wager I like to take the odd punt on the stock exchange. Translations C. VI to go punting → ir a pasear en batea punt 2 [pʌnt] VI (= bet) → apostar punt B. VT → dar un puntapié de volea a punt 4 [pʊnt] N (= currency) → libra f (irlandesa) punt (= boat) embarcation plate et allongée, que l'on déplace à l'aide d'une perche [ˈpʊnt] (Irish) (= Irish currency) → livre f irlandaise vi (British) (= bet) → parier vt → staken ; (= take by punt) → im Stechkahn fahren punt 2 n → Schuss m → (aus der Hand); he gave the ball a punt → er schoss den Ball aus der Hand vt to punt the ball → den Ball aus der Hand schießen ; he punted the ball back → er schoss den Ball zurück vi (Rugby) → den Ball aus der Hand schießen punt n (= Irish currency) → Punt nt, → irisches Pfund punt 2.

vt (boat) → spingere con la pertica ; (ball) → calciare al volo 3. vi to go punting → andare in barchino punt 2 [pʌnt] n (in Ireland) → sterlina irlandese punt (pant) noun a type of flat-bottomed boat with square ends, moved by pushing against the bottom of the river etc with a pole.

platboomskuit زَوْرَق плоскодънна лодка balsa pramice, loďka das Puntboot pram στενόμακρη αβαθής βάρκα batea ruhi بلم jokivene bac סִירָה שְטוּחָה डोंगी ladik rakit bytta, gaflkæna (barca a fondo piatto) 삿대로 움직이는 바닥이 납작한 배 plokščiadugnė valtis plakandibena laiva perahu jalur punter flatbunnet båt płaskodenna łódź د بيړى پورى وهل bateira mahonă плоскодонка pramica, loďka plitev čoln pljosnati čamac punt, stakbåt เรือท้องแบน altı düz sandal (用篙撐的)方頭平底船 плоскодонний човен ايک قسم کي کشتي thuyền th

úng （用篙撑的）方头平底船 verb to travel in a punt.

They punted up the river.

oorvaar يُسافِر في زَوْرَق карам лодка viajar de balsa (pře)plout punten sejle i pram ταξιδεύω με στενόμακρη αβαθή βάρκα ir en batea ruhjaga sõitma با بلم رفتن sauvoa aller en bac לַשוּט डिग्गी द्वारा यात्रा करना rúddal hajt (csónakot) naik rakit sigla í gaflkænu (navigare in una barca a fondo piatto) 平底船 펀트로 여행하다 plaukti plokščiadugne valtimi stumt laivu ar kārti berperahu jalur punteren stake seg fram !!płynąć płaskodenną łodzią په بيړى كى سفر viajar de bateira a merge cu o mahonă плыть на плоск

одонке (pre)plaviť pluti s čolnom voziti se pljosnatim čamcem staka sig fram ถ่อเรือ altı düz sandalla gitmek 以篙撐(船) пливти на плоскодонному човні کشتي ميں سفر کرنا đi bằng thuyền thúng 以篙撑（船） Take a punt at - definition of take a punt at by The Free Dictionary Take a punt at - definition of take a punt at by The Free Dictionary (pŭnt) n.

An open flatbottom boat with squared ends, used in shallow waters and usually propelled by a long pole. v. punt·ed, punt·ing, punts v.tr. 1. To propel (a boat) with a pole. 2. To carry in a punt. v.intr. To go in a punt. [Probably Middle English *punt, from Old English punt, from Latin pontō, pontoon, flatbottom boat, from pōns, pont-, bridge; see pent- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] punt′er n. (pŭnt) Football n. A kick in which the ball is dropped from the hands and kicked before it touches the ground. v. punt·ed, punt·ing, punts v.tr. To propel (a ball) by means of a punt. v.intr. 1. To execute a punt. 2. Informal To cease doing something; give up: Let's punt on this and try something else. [Perhaps from dialectal punt, to strike, push, perhaps alteration of bunt.] punt′er n. intr.v. punt·ed, punt·ing, punts 1.

Games To lay a bet against the bank, as in roulette. 2. Chiefly British Slang To gamble. [French ponter, from obsolete pont, past participle of pondre, to put (obsolete), lay an egg, from Old French, to lay an egg, from Latin pōnere; see apo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] punt′er n. (pʌnt) n (Nautical Terms) an open flat-bottomed boat with square ends, propelled by a pole. See quant 1 vb (Nautical Terms) to propel (a boat, esp a punt) by pushing with a pole on the bottom of a river, etc [Old English punt shallow boat, from Latin pontō punt, pontoon1] punt (pʌnt) n 1. (Soccer) a kick in certain sports, such as rugby, in which the ball is released and kicked before it hits the ground 2. (Rugby) a kick in certain sports, such as rugby, in which the ball is released and kicked before it hits the ground 3. (General Sporting Terms) any long high kick vb 4. (Soccer) to kick (a ball, etc) using a punt 5.

(Rugby) to kick (a ball, etc) using a punt [C19: perhaps a variant of English dialect bunt to push, perhaps a nasalized variant of butt3] punt (Gambling, except Cards) (intr) to gamble; bet n 1. (Gambling, except Cards) a gamble or bet, esp against the bank, as in roulette, or on horses 2. (Gambling, except Cards) Also called: punter a person who bets 3. take a punt at informal Austral and NZ to have an attempt or try at (something) [C18: from French ponter to punt, from ponte bet laid against the banker, from Spanish punto point, from Latin punctum] punt (Currencies) (formerly) the Irish pound [Irish Gaelic: pound] (pʌnt) n. 1. a kick, as in football or rugby, executed by dropping the ball and kicking it before it touches the ground. v.t. 2. to kick (a dropped ball) before it touches the ground. v.i. 3. to punt a ball. 4. Informal. to equivocate or delay. [1835–45; compare dial.

(Midlands) punt to push, butt] punt′er, n. 1. a small, shallow, flat-bottomed boat with square ends, propelled by poling. v.t. 2. to pole (a small boat) along. 3. to convey in a punt. v.i. 4. to pole a boat along. 5. to travel or have an outing in a punt. [before 1000; Old English (not attested in Middle English) < Latin pontō punt, pontoon ] punt′er, n. 1. to lay a stake against the bank in certain card games, as faro. 2. Slang. to gamble, esp. to bet on sporting events. [1705–15; < French ponter, derivative of ponte punter, point in faro < Sp punto point ] punt′er, n. (pʊnt, pʌnt) n., pl. punt. the basic currency of the Republic of Ireland, which has a fixed value relative to the euro.

[1970–75; < Irish < E pound 2] punt , bunt - Punt, as in "kick," may be from bunt, "push," used in baseball to mean "hit the ball softly." See also related terms for kick . kick , punt - The dent in the bottom of a wine or champagne bottle is the kick or punt. See also related terms for kick . punt I will have been punting you will have been punting he/she/it will have been punting we will have been punting you will have been punting they will have been punting Past Perfect Continuous A ball dropped from the hands and kicked before it touches the ground. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Irish monetary unit - monetary unit in Eire 2. punt - an open flat-bottomed boat used in shallow waters and propelled by a long pole boat - a small vessel for travel on water 3.

punt - (football) a kick in which the football is dropped from the hands and kicked before it touches the ground; "the punt traveled 50 yards"; "punting is an important part of the game" punting kick , kicking , boot - the act of delivering a blow with the foot; "he gave the ball a powerful kick"; "the team's kicking was excellent" football , football game - any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal Verb athletics , sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition kick - drive or propel with the foot 2. propel , impel - cause to move forward with force; "Steam propels this ship" 3. ante - place one's stake parlay , double up - stake winnings from one bet on a subsequent wager wager , bet , play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" punt verb 1. bet , back , stake , gamble , lay , wager He punted the lot on Little Nell in the third race. noun 1.

bet , stake , gamble , wager I like to take the odd punt on the stock exchange. Translations C. VI to go punting → ir a pasear en batea punt 2 [pʌnt] VI (= bet) → apostar punt B. VT → dar un puntapié de volea a punt 4 [pʊnt] N (= currency) → libra f (irlandesa) punt (= boat) embarcation plate et allongée, que l'on déplace à l'aide d'une perche [ˈpʊnt] (Irish) (= Irish currency) → livre f irlandaise vi (British) (= bet) → parier vt → staken ; (= take by punt) → im Stechkahn fahren punt 2 n → Schuss m → (aus der Hand); he gave the ball a punt → er schoss den Ball aus der Hand vt to punt the ball → den Ball aus der Hand schießen ; he punted the ball back → er schoss den Ball zurück vi (Rugby) → den Ball aus der Hand schießen punt n (= Irish currency) → Punt nt, → irisches Pfund punt 2.

vt (boat) → spingere con la pertica ; (ball) → calciare al volo 3. vi to go punting → andare in barchino punt 2 [pʌnt] n (in Ireland) → sterlina irlandese punt (pant) noun a type of flat-bottomed boat with square ends, moved by pushing against the bottom of the river etc with a pole.

platboomskuit زَوْرَق плоскодънна лодка balsa pramice, loďka das Puntboot pram στενόμακρη αβαθής βάρκα batea ruhi بلم jokivene bac סִירָה שְטוּחָה डोंगी ladik rakit bytta, gaflkæna (barca a fondo piatto) 삿대로 움직이는 바닥이 납작한 배 plokščiadugnė valtis plakandibena laiva perahu jalur punter flatbunnet båt płaskodenna łódź د بيړى پورى وهل bateira mahonă плоскодонка pramica, loďka plitev čoln pljosnati čamac punt, stakbåt เรือท้องแบน altı düz sandal (用篙撐的)方頭平底船 плоскодонний човен ايک قسم کي کشتي thuyền th

úng （用篙撑的）方头平底船 verb to travel in a punt.

They punted up the river.

oorvaar يُسافِر في زَوْرَق карам лодка viajar de balsa (pře)plout punten sejle i pram ταξιδεύω με στενόμακρη αβαθή βάρκα ir en batea ruhjaga sõitma با بلم رفتن sauvoa aller en bac לַשוּט डिग्गी द्वारा यात्रा करना rúddal hajt (csónakot) naik rakit sigla í gaflkænu (navigare in una barca a fondo piatto) 平底船 펀트로 여행하다 plaukti plokščiadugne valtimi stumt laivu ar kārti berperahu jalur punteren stake seg fram !!płynąć płaskodenną łodzią په بيړى كى سفر viajar de bateira a merge cu o mahonă плыть на плоск

одонке (pre)plaviť pluti s čolnom voziti se pljosnatim čamcem staka sig fram ถ่อเรือ altı düz sandalla gitmek 以篙撐(船) пливти на плоскодонному човні کشتي ميں سفر کرنا đi bằng thuyền thúng 以篙撑（船） Top 5 Oxford: Things to do Things to do I.

Visit colleges, museums and other landmarks Most people come to Oxford to see the colleges and great halls. There are quite a few ( 38 colleges and 6 permanent private halls ). No two are alike. Even a veteran would probably have not seen all the colleges. It is probably wise to stick to just a few. For some big ones, try Christ Church (St Aldate's), Magdalen College (High Street), New College (New College Lane or Holywell Street (winter)) and for some mid-sized ones try Hertford College (Catte Street), Lincoln College (Turl Street), Exeter College (Turl Street). Don't miss the other major landmarks - Radcliffe Camera, St Mary's Church (both at Radcliffe Square), Carfax Tower (corner of Queen Street and Cornmarket Street), The Saxon tower of St Michael at the North Gate - Oxford's oldest building almost a thousand years old (corner of Ship Street and Cornmarket Street) and Martyrs' memorial at St Gile's - a memorial for the three Archbishops who were tried and burnt at stake in Oxford almost 500 years ago.

The Ashmolean Museum (Beaumont Street) and the Museum of Natural History and Pitt River's Museum (Parks Road) are among the finest museums in the country. II. Punting A punt is flat bottomed boat propelled by pushing a long pole against the river bottom. Punting requires a bit of skill and practice. However the absence of either should not stop one from trying this quintessential Oxford river activity. Punts can be hired from either Magdalen Bridge (east end of High Street) of the Cherwell Boathouse. Punting from Magdalen Bridge will take you past St Hilda's college, Botanic Garden, Christ Church Meadow and finally to River Isis (River Thames in Oxford). If are a bit more adventurous, you could punt from the Cherwell boathouse on River Cherwell to the Victoria Arms for a nice break. The river is a bit more wider and gives you a feel of going through a forest. Oxford and Cambridge have a different take on how a punt must be steered. While at Cambridge this is done from the flat region at the end of the punt called "till", "box" or "deck", here at Oxford this is done from the dugout region. III.

Pub crawl Drinking is a favourite pass-time around here. If you are tired of the sights of Oxford pop into a few of Oxford's famous watering holes. There are quite a few historic pubs in and around Oxford. IV. Tours Oxford is a walkable city. In fact to really explore the city one must see it on foot since large parts have restricted access to vehicles. However, there are numerous tours on offer. The red open bus "City Sightseeing Tour" is quite popular, with numerous pick-up and drop-off points in town, including the train station, coach station and Broad street. Walking tours and ghost tours lasting 1-1.5 hours start from Broad Street outside the tourist information centre or in from of Trinity College gates (Broad Street). V. Shopping Irrespective of what you wish to buy, there are lots on offer. Most of these are along Broad Street, Cornmarket Street and High Street. Souvernir shops line High Street and Broad Street. Books shops are found mainly on Broad Street. Clothes retailers are on High Street, Cornmarket Street and Queen Street.

Other options Punt - Types of Boats Types of Boats Punt Punt A punt is a small boat with the particularity that the bow has a square form. This kind of boat is meant to be sailed in shallow waters and rivers and is propelled with a pole, which is push against the bed of the river so the embarkation can be moved. Punts were created with a different purpose that the one is having today (pleasure trip boats), they were for transportation created for cargo, as platforms for fowling and angling, and some of them were used as fishing boats . Depending of the country the definition of the punt can vary, for example: in Canada all the boats that have a square shape bow are called punts. Construction Punts are different from other small boats, because it has no keel, stem, or sternpost. The way that a punt is built is pretty much like a ladder, because both lateral panels are connected with small pieces of wood and at that time they are pretty much like a ladder. Characteristics Punts have no keel that is why when in the water they draw a little bit even when they fully charged.

These boats can face any direction and can fit in narrow passages, which is why they are known for being very maneuverable. The boat is very stable and can carry a lot of weight, these characteristics made the boat a suitable way of transportation. Traditionally punts are made of wood but there are some that are done with fiberglass (boats made with racing purpose). There are both large and small punts, depending of the person who owns the boat it can have several ways of utilization. The punt bottom is made with large planks that join the fore and the aft. These planks have a small distance between them so when they get wet they can swell. Poles The most traditional punts are not propelled with oars, an engine or sailed, they use poles. Punts that are generally for pleasure trips are propelled by aluminum poles, although a lot of traditional punters prefer the wooden pole. Popularity The punt boat is pretty popular furthermore among the tourists that enjoin calm trips in the rivers of the cities that have this kind of boat, especially in England. Punt (boat) Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Punt (boat) A punt is a flat-bottomed boat , typically used in small rivers and canals .

It is propelled by pushing the river bed with a long pole. Punting is a popular tourist and leisure activity of the rivers of the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge , England . In Oxford and Cambridge there are many commercial organisations that make punts available for hire to the general public; it is a popular tourist activity. Some colleges hire their punts to the general public, most let only students use them. There are a few punts owned by private individuals registered on the Thames and River Cam . Punting is a more popular tourist activity in Cambridge, because many very attractive old colleges are built adjacent to the river, whereas the rivers in Oxford are generally further from the old colleges and pass largely through parks and fields. 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 can occasionally cause the punter to lose balance and fall into the river, causing rather more amusement to bystanders than to the tourist who may not have a change of clothes. Some tourists may prefer the calmer experience that the rivers in Oxford (or the upper river in Cambridge) have to offer.

Punting technique The user stands at the stern and tries not to fall into the water while holding the (rather heavy) wooden pole (known as a quant). In Cambridge the punter is balanced on a flat wooden platform, whereas in Oxford, where the punts are shaped slightly differently, the correct position is to stand on the slatted decking in the punt (many visitors to Oxford incorrectly propel the punt from the raised end that should be the bow). A naive attempt at propulsion by pushing with the pole against the mud at the bottom of the river is likely to result in the punt's moving in a circle, or heading constantly into one of the banks. Usually, numerous spectators will be present on bridges and banks and will find it greatly amusing, but consuming a sufficient amount of alcohol beforehand will increase the punter's confidence and sense of accomplishment, regardless of the actual merit of the performance. One better technique is actually to use the pole as a rudder, letting it drag in the water behind the punt and moving it left or right to steer. Owing to the length of this rudder, this allows quite large changes in direction, useful if one is about to collide. Steering and propulsion are alternated.

The rudder method of steering can be slow (as while you are using the pole as a rudder you're not using it to propel the punt forward). A faster method, requiring more skill, strength, and judgment, is to drop pole slightly away from the punt (turning right for right handers) or slightly under the punt (turning left for right handers) and push backwards as normal. The generated torque will rotate the punt, probably too much if you are not experienced. One particularly challenging aspect of punting is steering the boat underneath a wide bridge. The punter must judge when to propel the boat last before going under the bridge; if he does it too late, the quant will not fit under the bridge and the punter will have to let go of it (or, if he does not, this would knock him into the river); if he does it too early, the boat will lose its momentum and come to a halt underneath the bridge, and the punter will be unable to continue punting (except, of course, by pushing off the bridge, which is however considered cheating by many). Alternatively a student can be employed to do the punting.

Bridge Hopping For the more adventurous, another aspect of punting is known as "bridge hopping". On approaching the bridge the hopper stands in the bow facing forward ready to leap out of the punt and grab on to the bridge. As the punt moves under the bridge the hopper rushes to the other side, and leaps back in. (According to some traditions, if the hopper is too slow to leap back into the punt before it passes, he/she is honor-bound to leap off the bridge anyway.) Hazards include injury to passengers as the hopper leaps back into the boat as well as awkward landings both in and out of the boat. Bridge hopping is practised at the hopper's own risk and is best practised away from colleges where porters can be somewhat irate. Fact-index.com financially supports the Wikimedia Foundation. Displaying this page does not burden Wikipedia hardware resources. This article is from Wikipedia . All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License .

River Cam, Cambridgeshire | Countryfile.com River Cam, Cambridgeshire Take a magical ride in the wash of Cambridge’s Grantchester Group with a traditional punting adventure 19th April 2011 Days Out On a mild, autumnal afternoon, there’s nothing quite like messing about on the river, and the Cam is a perfect spot for such idle paddling. Punting is a Cambridge river sport often outshone by the fast and famous rowers, but it proves a far more relaxing way to enjoy the local countryside. During Edwardian times, punting became a popular Cambridge pastime, and has remained a favourite tradition with tourists, locals and even film stars, with Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig and Steven Fry having taken to the water. Autumn is the best time to enjoy the pretty river wind towards the Grantchester meadows, with fewer boats congesting the water. Gentle ride Punts were originally used in medieval times for crossing shallow waters, particularly in the nearby marshy fenlands. With a flat bottom and square ends (known as huffs), the punt is propelled by a 5-metre-long pole, which is pushed against the riverbed to move the boat along.

The punter stands at the rear of the boat, and also uses the pole to steer. The well-practiced student chauffeurs make it look particularly easy, but grab the pole and try it for yourself and you’ll find it’s far harder than it looks. Punts can be hired all day for trips to Grantchester village, which was a favourite haunt of the Grantchester Group in the early 1900s. The group included Rupert Brooke, Virginia Woolfe (below), Bertrand Russell and EM Forster, and used to head upstream to enjoy freshwater swimming and tea beneath the blossoms. Brooke dedicated a poem to Grantchester, which is also said to have the highest concentration of Nobel Prize winners in the world. The famous Orchard Tea Garden still serves the favourites of the talented Cambridge bunch, and offers a refreshing break for tired punters. Wildlife The route takes about an hour and a half each way, and punts are available from The Mill Pond for adventures to Grantchester. Swans and moorhens are plentiful along the Cam, and further towards the meadows look out for colourful damselflies, kingfishers and woodpeckers.

Frogs also hide in the reeds, attracting hungry grass snakes that can often be seen swimming in the river. The ride itself is both fun and magical: the crooked trees and twisted branches make interesting obstacles to duck beneath, and the leafy canopy sweeps so low that it becomes a tunnel. Keeping a steady platform and avoiding the soft banks can prove pretty tricky, particularly on what the locals call Dead Man’s Corner, when the water is too deep for the pole to find a solid surface. Despite the slow speed, a few close encounters with tight corners and vicious branches can make it an exhilarating experience, especially if you’re in charge of the pole. Useful Information pole (propel) - Memidex dictionary/thesaurus the standard unit of money used in Ireland before they started using the euro (14 of 25 words, pronunciation) punt [entry 2] a long narrow boat with a flat bottom and a square area at each end, which is moved by a person standing on one of the square areas and pushing a long ...

(32 of 47 words, pronunciation) punt [entry 3] a way of kicking the ball in rugby or American football, by dropping it from your hands and kicking it before it hits the ground, or a powerful kick ... (29 of 48 words, pronunciation) punt [entry 4] (in rugby or American football) to kick the ball after you have dropped it ... | [United States, informal] If you punt something, you decide not to do ... (27 of 78 words, 2 definitions, 1 usage example, pronunciation)

Question: What type of boat, popular in Cambridge, is propelled by pushing a pole against the bottom of the river?
Answer: Punt