June 2002 - Why build a punt?

I'd joined a punt syndicate on the Cam the year before: about six of us shared the cost and organisation problems of owning a flat-bottomed lump of wood called the Cat, and an accompanying pole (or quant, to use the correct term) called the carrot. The enjoyable part was that I got to punt around the river at all hours of the day and night without having to hand over a deposit, whenever I wanted to. I felt like I owned the river.

But punts aren't cheap - look for adverts for new ones and you'll see the asking price is typically about £2000. I thought it must be possible to build a punt for less, and so the punt building project arose. As was usual, the initial idea of building a punt expanded until it became build a camping punt with integral tent and outboard motor.

Now all I needed were some plans, some wood, some spare time, and some perserverence.