Punting

One of the chief attractions of Cambridge is punting.  Punting means using a punt, which is a type of boat.  This page will tell you:

So what's a punt?

In American Football, a punt is a kick.  In Cambridge, a punt is a small flat-bottomed boat.  The shape is long and thin and rectangular, so that you can just fit two people next to each other.  There are two common sorts: ones that hold 5 people (2 pairs facing each other plus one person at the back) and ones that hold 7 people (an extra pair of people put in at the front, facing forwards).

The person at the back is the motor: they hold a long pole (about 10 feet long) which is used to push against the river bed and propel the punt along. The back end of the punt (the stern) has a little platform for the punter to stand on.  The wet end of the pole has a metal cap with two prongs, so that the whole thing looks like a very long trident with the middle prong missing.  This cap stops the pole getting bashed up (the pole is almost always made of wood; the others are aluminium) but more importantly the prongs on it are to help you when it gets stuck in mud.

The last thing that comes with a punt is a paddle.  This is discussed below.

The Golden Rule of Punting

Stay with the punt and not the pole.

If ever you have to decide between keeping hold of the pole and staying in the punt, opt for staying in the punt.  It's a lot drier that way.  The pole can always be recovered later (see below).

The Basics of Punting

When punting, the labour is divided between the punter and those in the punt.  If the punter is any good, the division is like this:
Punter: propels the punt, steers the punt.
Passengers: sit and look pretty, admire the scenery, feed themselves and the ducks

If the punter isn't so good, it's more like this:
Punter: propels the punt (rather slowly), gets wet, splashes the passengers
Passengers: steer the punt, get wet

So what do good punters do?  Punting can be reduced to just:

  1. drop the pole into the water
  2. push down on it
  3. pick up the pole again
  4. repeat from the top!

Starting

Even though it looks scary, slippery and not very big, it is much better to punt from the platform and not inside the punt.  It is much easier to move the pole about, for one thing.  The first time you venture on to the platform it's probably best to make sure no-one has been on it already and got it wet, none of your 'friends' in the punt are going to rock it violently and send you into the river, and you have sensible foot wear.  Apparently tights are good because they stick when the platform gets wet.  Also, if you have anything on you that you'd rather didn't end up in the river (jewellery, watches etc.) give them to a passenger first.
 

Dropping the pole

Right, so you're now on the platform with a ridiculously long pole and acutely aware of your (lack of) balance.  I will assume you're right handed (sorry left-handers, just change 'right' to 'left').  Hold the pole upright and over the right hand side of the punt, totally clear of the water.  Drop the pole.  This takes some courage - it's best if you completely let go of the pole (but keep your hands around it).  This is for three reasons: the pole will pick up water from the river and so letting it slip through a relaxed grip strips it all off over you (not good), letting it drop means that if the river bed is nice and gravely or even solid stone the metal cap will make a nice 'clunk' and tell you that it's alright to push hard on the pole, and finally if you take a long time to get the pole down to the river bed it drifts away behind you and so you can't push for as long.

Ignore all of the above if punting towards Grantchester, as the pole may disappear due to a lack of bottom (the pole might not hit the bottom of the river before the top has disappeared under the water). If this does happen, don't worry: poles are made of wood and so will float. To avoid it, keep hold of the pole but pass it quickly hand over hand into the water.

Aim to drop the pole very close to the punt, slightly behind where you're standing and as upright as possible.  If the pole goes in away from the punt you will push the punt round in circles rather than straight ahead.  If the pole goes in level or ahead of you the punt will go backwards when you push.
 

Pushing

So, now the pole is vertical, in the water, hard up against the punt and a bit behind you.  Push!  (push down on the pole).  The harder you push, the faster you will go.  (Also, the harder you push, the more you drive the pole into the river bed.  See picking up the pole below.)  As the pole is off to the right of the punt, pushing on it will tend to make the punt swing to the right.  To counteract this, when you push try to push the metal end of the pole under the punt a bit (not too much or you'll swing to the left).  It may sound complicated, but once you're doing it things are more obvious. If you know 'A' Level physics, it's all about moments, torques, etc.

You may have deduced from the above that pushing on the pole serves two purposes: propelling the punt and steering.  For most of the time it is possible to steer just by pushing a bit to one side or the other.  You really shouldn't need help from someone with the paddle.  The pole can be left dragging in the water at the end of the push and pushing the metal end of it sideways (like a rudder) can also help with steering.  This used to be considered bad form, but nowadays it's OK, particularly compared to using the paddle.  See advanced punting for a more extreme method of turning (the punting version of the hand-brake turn).

If you're feeling really enthusiastic (and confident that the pole is on a nice solid bit of river bed) then you can lean on the pole.  By this I mean transfer you weight to it, so you're not just pulling on it with your arms but letting gravity do the work for you.  This really gets you moving along quickly, but can also drive the pole into mud, so do it with caution.

Picking up the pole

This is the tricky bit. where it (you) can get rather wet.

Remember the Golden Rule.  If you followed the advice given in dropping the pole, then if the bottom was muddy you should have realized this and not shoved the pole in too far.  But I shall imagine that the pole is stuck and you are in danger of pulling yourself in.  Remember the metal cap on the end of the pole, and those prongs?  This is where the prongs come in useful.  Don't just engage the river bed in a game of tug o' war: twist the pole first.  It is likely that in twisting the pole you lever one prong free, and so the pole is easier to extract.

Another thing that determines how easy / risky it is to pick up the pole is where you stopped pushing.  If you stopped pushing when the top of the pole was about waist-height, then it should be easy to get out again.  If, on the other hand, you went for speed and continued pushing until the end of the pole was nearly in the water (and quite a way behind you) then you have made life hard for yourself.  There is a trade off between speed and ease of getting the pole out, that has to be learned.

The Paddle

The paddle is for two purposes only:
  1. moving the punt to the pole when they are separated (this happens when the pole gets stuck and you follow the Golden Rule)
  2. splashing people (only do this to your friends!)
It really isn't for steering, although when you start out you may need some help in this department. There is an art to splashing people with the paddle, which boils down to the question 'how far do I have to make this reach?'  If the answer is 'a long way' then go for a shallow stroke, just skimming the water.  This will propel a little water a long way.  If the answer is 'not very far' go for a deeper stroke, more of a chopping or even digging action.  This will propel a lot of water a short way.

Where to Punt

The obvious answer is 'on the river,' but this isn't all of it.  The puntable bit of the Cam stretches from near Grantchester, up the Backs (in case you don't know, the Backs are just the Backs of some of the older colleges), and stops at Jesus lock, by Jesus Green.  The ground and river drops between Grantchester and Jesus Lock, and this is resolved keeping it level, with a weir near the Silver Street bridge / the Garden House Hotel.  It is possible to take stout-bottomed punts from one stretch of the river to the other via the Rollers, which are at the weir, but this is something that only students usually need to do.

The public can hire punts from several places and several companies.  (You can also be punted by a chauffeur who can tell you about Cambridge history.)

Punts can be hired for the Backs:

Punts can be hired to Grantchester: Punt hire places usually don't like people taking punts over the Rollers.  College punts usually can be taken over the rollers.  (See advanced punting.)
 

The Backs

This is the cliché of Cambridge punting, and deservedly so.  It really is lovely gliding along, passing fabulous old architecture, gorgeous gardens and ducks.  Unfortunately, many other people think this also and so you end up weaving between people less experienced than you (who are therefore erratic) and more experienced than you (who zoom by like the clappers).  The backs are at their busiest at the weekend, in summer, after about 10 a.m.  The best time is either really early (9 a.m. on Sunday) or really late (see punting with style).

A confident punter can get from Silver Street to Jesus Green in about half an hour.  It's very nice to start at Silver Street, punt downstream and then do one or more of the following:

There are a few tricky bits to watch out for along the backs.  By Garrett Hostel Lane bridge, Trinity has punts for hire and these take up quite a bit of river.  On the opposite bank is a large weeping willow which narrows it further.  Just a bit further on (downstream) the river does a sharp right turn.  The least expected nasty bit is by Cripps Court in St. Johns College (a big modern white building to your left as you go downstream).  At this point stay over on the right, by the brick wall.  This is because the river suddenly gets very deep between Cripps Court and the bridge - your pole will seem to disappear!

Possibly the trickiest bit is by Silver Street road bridge (not the Mathematical Bridge).  The bridge is quite long, and even though it's wide there are often punts moored under it and lots of people trying to go through at the same time as you.  The weir gives out a fair current which can be a surprise, and the close proximity of 2 pubs means that there may well be people looking for a laugh at your expense, either on the bridge or in a punt.  If that wasn't enough, the punt hire place there is where many people get their first experience of punting and so aren't very good.  To the right of the weir, by the bank with Sheeps Green (where there will be cows and/or people) the river gets very shallow and gravely.

To Grantchester

Not as many people go to Grantchester, so this is where to go for quieter punting.  Also, you quickly appear to be out in the country and in the summer this can feel very lazy and relaxed.  There's not much to see apart from fields and trees, but you do eventually get to Grantchester (although Cambridge to Grantchester and back takes at least 4 hours).  The fields en route are good for picnics, and Grantchester itself provides a couple of pubs, a church and a very nice tea room (the Orchard).  Because of all the trees, the bottom can get a bit sticky, and also the river's depth varies a lot but is on average bigger than along the Backs.

Advanced Punting

Sharp turns

If a flotilla of tourists is careering towards you and evasive action is needed then it's nice to be able to do a sharp turn in a hurry.  For a sharp right turn, put the pole in the water very close to the right hand side of the punt and then instead of pushing backwards in the usual way, bring the top of the pole across in front of you.  This will push the back of the punt to the left, and the front of the punt to the right.  (For a sharp left turn do the same but with left and right reversed.)  This manoeuvre won't push you forwards at all, but you once your direction has been fixed by the sharp turn you can punt forwards in the normal way.  Alternatively, you can push the punt forwards a bit as you bring the pole across in front of you.

When turning the punt around through 180 degrees, you can start by doing a sharp turn and then push the pole sideways from the punt to continue turning.
 

Bridge hopping

Bridge hopping is the SAS / mountaineers approach to punting.  The bridges along the backs are too high off the water for easy bridge hopping, plus the college authorities tend not to like people doing it.  I advise trying this when heading to Grantchester.

Bridge hopping needs 2 people: one who punts and the other who hops.  The hopper stands in the front of the punt and is manoeuvred up to a bridge by the punter.  The hopper then clambers out of the punt onto the bridge, over the bridge and then back into the punt on the other side.  Mean punters can whisk the punt away, particularly when the hoppers weight is shared between the bridge and the punt.
 

One-armed punting

If you look at the chauffeur punters, they could do their job with only one arm.  My friend Ewan once punted with one arm in a sling, to confirm the fact the good punters need only one arm.  One-armed punting isn't much different from two-handed: you pull the pole out of the mud with more of a twist than normal, fling it into the air, catch it and lean on it and repeat.  Done well, it looks very elegant and impressive.
 

The rollers

Taking a punt over the rollers is a bit of a laugh.

Going up: have loads of friends with you as a punt out of water weighs a lot.  Try and approach the rollers at the bottom as accurately and quickly as you can, so that the punt stops as far up the rollers as possible and pointing the right way.  Get everyone out of the punt as it's heavy enough without them.  Then it's just a matter of heaving it up the slope.  At the top: watch out for passers-by and don't use your pole as an extra roller as this is very bad for them.  Push the punt so that it is overhanging the water and only just staying balanced on the bank.  Then, make sure that everyone agrees who is going to get in (only one, but you do need one person!).  This person should get in with the pole and sit down on the platform (with their feet inside the punt).  Everyone else pushes the punt and punter in.  This is very impressive in a lifeboat-launching sort of way.  The punter must know slam the anchors on to the right hand side to avoid bashing into the bank on the other side.  Best way of braking to the right: put the pole in to the right and push the bottom of it forward (against the movement of the punt).  If you do it right you should arc round to the right in a nice graceful way.  If you do it wrong you crash into the far bank which sounds impressive but isn't fun for the punter.

Going down: the only hard parts are lining the punt up at the top before you pull it out, and controlling its descent down the rollers.  Don't let go of the punt with no-one in it, and don't let go too high up the rollers unless you fancy bailing out a lot of water.
 

Piggy back punting

I think it is possible to have one person giving another a piggy back on the platform, with the person on top doing the punting.  I have threatened this to someone, who declined my offer.  It remains to be proven!

The Perils of Punting

There are a few things to watch out for, wherever you punt.  The first is people stealing your pole.  This usually happens when you have just gone through a bridge, when you are raising the pole.  People standing on the bridge can grab it, so don't raise your pole immediately after a bridge and check behind you.

Even when there's no-one about to pinch your pole, bridges can still be a pain.  All but the Garrett Hostel Lane bridge are far too low to punt under so you have to stop punting before you go in and definitely early enough to lower your pole.  As you're not pushing with the pole whilst under the bridge you slow down.  This is especially noticeable under the Bridge Street and Silver Street bridges.  Forward momentum can be maintained by using the paddle or pulling yourself along by grabbing hold of the bridge.

A good sign of a sticky patch of river bed is overhanging trees.  I think that this is because the leaves fall in and eventually sink and then decompose.  Whatever the reason, avoid punting under trees.  (Having your face bashed by branches and getting the pole jammed in them is enough of a reason anyway!)

Punting with Style

Once you have mastered basic punting, there are a few refinements to try.  The first is trying to not splash your passengers with water from the pole.  This means you have to watch where you hold the pole when you lift it up and is another reason to completely let go of the pole when you drop it.

Other style tips are good for punters and passengers alike.  Punting at night is gorgeous: drifting along in the dark, lights in the college windows making the buildings look magical.  As you approach a bridge look up at the sky: you will see stars, then nothing (as the bridge blocks out the sky) and then stars again.  Candles add to the atmosphere too.

2 tips for either day or night: a musical instrument is a very fine thing to bring, e.g. a guitar, and punting was made for picnics.  The pinnacle of punting style (which I haven't seen achieved) is to wear boaters and blazers etc., have a picnic hamper with Pimms etc. and a wind up gramophone with some old 78s.

What I have seen a few times is wedding receptions at the Garden House Hotel ending with the bride and groom punting away down the river.  The punt was fitted with small arches over from one side to the other, and these and the sides were decorated in flowers.  In all cases the groom punted as the bride would have had difficulty punting in her gown.

Don't be Confused...

There are a few things that you could confuse with punting in Cambridge.  They are:
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