Well, I can still punt

[lnr]

And more or less in a straight line at that *and* turn the punt round on purpose without hitting the bank, so who cares if it's really slow right? I mean I even remembered things like to *drop* the pole instead of lowering it, and to give it a twist if it's trying to get stuck in the mud. Watched one other punt lose their pole: least they had the sense to let go rather than falling in, though in this weather that might have been quite pleasant. It's glorious out there.

Lovely way to spend the evening, especially with dinner out beforehand, pimms and lemonade during, nice company, and a drink in the Anchor afterwards, with a surprisingly rock oriented selection of music which was cool. We should do it more often. And Mobbsy: I still owe you some cash.

Comments

[kaet.livejournal.com]

Certainly sounds like you're better at punting than me, :).

[brrm.livejournal.com]

I bet you were doing it from the wrong end, though. :-P
Or do I mean the right end, since I grew up in Cambridge, and punted there before I punted in Oxford?

Sounds like a nice evening, though. :)

[lnr]

They're *both* the right end. Given neither boat actually *has* the end that you would punt from in the other.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

The wooden punts in Oxford certainly have a platform at one end suitable for punting from. Magdalen's fibreglass ones, however, don't.

[lnr]

It's not the same though, it's certainly not as large as the Cambridge ones.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

Really? Bigger than this (http://www.photonhunter.co.uk/cgi-bin/photoinfo.pl?filename=P0003157.JPG&event=punting2&mode=display) ?

Yes, that photo was taken in Oxford. But we were just proving it could be done. Honest. :)

[lnr]

Oh OK, the punts I've used in Oxford certainly didn't have a platform that big, either that or I'm just misremembering. Bare feet work well FWIW.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Other-Trinity's punts have proper platforms, but you don't really need that much.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Dropping the pole is the very first thing you learn, though, isn't it?

Actually, didn't I teach you how to punt, or is that someone else?

[lnr]

Yup, was you. I really haven't punted very much to be honest, so pleased I still seem to have the basics. Want to get better at getting the pole in the right place/angle in the first place so I need to do less steering with it in order to stay in a straight line, but that probably just needs practice.

I think a lot of people *don't* learn that though, because they don't have someone who knows what they're doing to teach them.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Clearly it is my task to teach as many people to punt as possible.