There are two classes of small craft in the UK called "Punt", the river punt, and various coastal craft.

==Coastal craft classed as "Punt"==
The term punt was used to indicate a smaller version of a regional type of long shore working boat, for example the Deal Galley Punt.  According to March<ref>March</ref> and The Chatham directory<ref>The Chatham Directory</ref> there were punts peculiar to Yarmouth (Norfolk), Itchen Ferry (Falmouth (clinker open stem built general purpose boat.

==River Punt==
right|thumb|Punting while dressed for [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge graduation]]
''This article concentrates on the history and development of punts and punting in England, for other usages see Norfolk punt and the general disambiguation pages at punt and punter.''

A '''punt''' is a flat-bottomed bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water.  '''Punting''' refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole.  A punt should not be confused with a gondola, which is propelled with an oar rather than poled.

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.  

== Punt construction ==
A traditional river punt differs from many other types of wooden boat in that it has no stem or in (10&nbsp;cm) cross planks, known as "treads", spaced about 1&nbsp;foot (30&nbsp;cm) apart.

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 1860 and 1880.<ref>Rivington 1983, p.1</ref>
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.

thumb|left|A punt builder's workshop in OxfordSince a punt has no keel, it draws only a few inches even when fully laden; this makes it very manoeuvrable 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.

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 teak.  The bottom is made of softwood and may be replaced several times during the life of a particular boat.

A traditional punt is about  long and  wide. The sides are about 18&nbsp;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.

600px|center|The construction of a Thames pleasure punt

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&nbsp;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.<ref>Rivington 1983, pp.5–9</ref>
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.

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&nbsp;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. A small minority of punts, such as those made from fibreglass at thumb|right|A Thames punt adapted as a [[pedalo]]

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.

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&nbsp;feet (60&nbsp;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.

== Punt poles ==

''A punt pole differs from the quant" in that it does not have a cross piece at the top, and from the more generally used setting pole in that it only has a metal shoe on one end''.<ref>Rivington 1983, p.160</ref>

Poles for pleasure punts are normally made of lb (5&nbsp;kg). In both Oxford and Cambridge long  poles tend to be used exclusively.

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.

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 [http://www.collars.co.uk/site/scripts/module.php?webSubSectionID=12 Collars of Oxford], and they cost about&nbsp;£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.

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 technique ==

The basic technique of punting is to shove the boat along with a pole by pushing directly on the bed of the river or lake.  In the 1870s, when punting for pleasure first became popular, the normal approach was for the passengers to sit at the stern on cushions placed against the till, and for the punter to have the run of the rest of the boat.  The punter started at the bow, planted the pole, and then walked towards the stern, shoving the punt forwards.  This is known as "running" the punt.  It was the normal technique used to move heavy fishing punts.  As pleasure punts became lighter, it became more usual for the punter to stand still – normally towards the stern – while shoving.  This is called "pricking" the punt. Pricking has the advantages that  the punter is less likely to walk off the end of the punt inadvertently, and that more of the punt can be used to carry passengers.<ref>Rivington 1983, p.10</ref>

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.

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 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.

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.  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.

=== The technique of punting ===
Typically, a punter pulls the punt pole out of the water until less than  of pole is beneath the water. Then the pole is allowed to fall under gravity straight down through the punter's hands until it reaches the bottom of the river; pushing at this stage is counterproductive.

The punter now uses judgement to decide if the river bottom is gravel or mud depending on the sound and feel of the pole striking the bottom. If it is gravel he will push hard to move  the punt; if it is mud he will push gently to avoid getting the pole stuck.

In general the punter will use the pushes of the pole to direct the punt, but if he feels this is not enough he will trail the pole in the water behind the punt with at least half its length submerged, using his hip as a pivot, and swing it as a rudder. This technique is much used (out of necessity) by novice punters.

=== 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.

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 of the punt, because it is more efficient to do so.  Indeed many racing punts have cross braces with canvas covers both fore and aft, so it is only possible to stand in the middle.  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.

==Punting in England==

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.

Punting is a popular Avon in Bath, the Cam in Cherwell & Isis in Thames near Sunbury.  A small number of private punts are also registered on these rivers, especially by the colleges in Oxford and Cambridge.

===Punting in Cambridge===

thumb|right|Crowds on the [[River Cam|Cam]] 
Traditional Thames pleasure punts were not introduced to Cambridge until about 1902&ndash;1904, but they rapidly became the most popular craft on the river,<ref>Rivington 1983, p.155</ref> 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 The Backs) which makes it ideal for punting, but mainly because the Cam goes through the heart of Cambridge and passes close to many very attractive old college buildings.  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. 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.<ref>Rivington 1983, p.171</ref> During tourist season, students have been known to steal the poles of tourist punts as they pass below the College bridges.<ref>Rivington 1983, p.159</ref>

There are several companies on the Cam operating tours and hiring punts to visitors, as of 2006 these companies included: Scudamore's (who acquired their long-standing rival, Tyrell's, in 2006<ref>{{cite web
 | author = O'Connor, Sarah
 | url = http://www.varsity.co.uk/archive/638.pdf
 | title = "Punting giant buys out local rival"
 | work = Varsity
 | pages = 4 of 39
 | format = PDF 6M bytes
 | year = 2006
 | month = April
 | accessdate = 2006-06-08
}}</ref>
), Cambridge Chauffeur Punts, and Granta Punting Company.  There are also some independent operators (although these are currently under threat<ref> {{cite web
 | author= Campbell, Tim
 | url = http://www.cambridgerivertour.com
 | title ="Campaign to Save Independent Punting"
 | format = html
 | year = 2008
 | month = March
}}</ref>
) 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.

thumb|right|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, and sometimes with a deck at both ends.<ref>Rivington 1983, p.169</ref>  Photographs of punting on the Backs in 1910 show that the practice was well established by then;  according to an old Cambridge boat man, Don Strange interviewed in the 1970s, the practice was started by women from Girton anxious to show off their ankles.<ref>Rivington 1983, p.162</ref>

thumb|Vlet
Een '''vlet''' is een klein vaartuig van hout, staal of tegenwoordig ook kunststof.

Qua afmetingen en gebruik wordt het tot de aak. Het verschil met een sloep is de aan de voorzijde schuin oplopende bodem en zijden van de vlet, (de voorsteven van een sloep is vrijwel recht en verticaal) en het ontbreken van een middenkiel, maar er zijn twee '''kimkielen'''.

Uit de oorspronkelijke roei- en zeilvletten zijn de motorvletten ontwikkeld. Deze vletten zijn buitengewoon sterk door de ronde rompvorm; daardoor zijn ze ook heel erg wendbaar en zeewaardig. Motorvletten zijn veel gebouwd voor baggerbedrijven, die er uitstekende werkschepen aan hadden. Veel van deze vletten hadden ook een voorziening om te slepen. Deze motorvletten zijn dankzij de baggerindustrie over de gehele wereld uitgezworven. Vaak werden ze na afloop van een werk ter plaatse verkocht. Aangezien ze onverslijtbaar zijn kom je ze ook nu nog overal tegen.

Hoewel de oorspronkelijke vorm (ronde lijnen, alleen het achterschip was plat) heel lang gebruikt is zijn er in de jaren vanaf 1970 aangepaste ontwerpen gekomen, zoals de knikspantvlet en de multi-knikspant. Met name de multi-knikspant wordt veel toegepast in de jachtenbouw omdat deze eenvoudiger en dus goedkoper te bouwen zijn. Er is dan sprake van misschien wel 4 tot 6 'gangen' waaruit de romp wordt opgebouwd.

Veel motorvletten zijn ook in gebruik (geweest) als peilboot waarbij de geringe diepgang en de zeer grote wendbaarheid belangrijke voordelen waren. Bij dit laatste type was het belangrijk dat de schroef en het roer minder diep waren als de romp. Zodat in geval van vastlopen het vaartuig zichzelf los kon wrikken.

Nadat in de baggerindustrie door de schaalvergroting behoefte ontstond aan grotere werkschepen raakte de motorvlet daar uit de gratie. De kustverdedigingswerken - met name in Engeland tegen de eeuwwisseling - maakte het weer noodzakelijk om op ondiep water te kunnen werken. Aanvankelijk werden hiervoor ponton-achtige vaartuigen gebruikt maar om de nadelen qua vaareigenschappen hiervan te verbeteren werd toch weer een vlet-achtig vaartuig ontwikkeld. Deze Nederlandse ontwikkeling wordt het 'shoalbuster' type genoemd en werd ontwikkeld door de Nederlandse werf Damen. Deze 'shoalbuster' verenigt de eigenschappen in zich van vlet (de ronde vormen) en ponton (het draagvermogen); is zeer veelzijdig en wordt ook wereldwijd ingezet.

== Benaming ==
Vlet komt van vlot wat in oudnederlands ondiep betekent, een vlet of vlotschip was dus een ondiep stekend schip, met een platte bodem, waarmee je ook bij laagtij of lage waterstand de bestemming kon bereiken (je was er vlot). Het Engelse woord flat in de betekenis van plat is hiervan afkomstig.

== Verschillen ==
Er zijn verschillende soorten vletten, De oude zijn altijd in hout gebouwd, als de ijs vlet,haringvlet en de Helderse vlet. de moderne voor pleziervaartuig gebruikte vletten zijn vaak in staal gebouwd zoals de Lelievletten en Beenhakker-vletten. In een vlet kun je over het algemeen roeien, wrikken en zeilen. Roeien gaat in een vlet meestal met zes personen en een roerganger. Wrikken gebeurt altijd door één persoon. Zeilen doe je in de grotere (meer dan viermeter) meest stalen vlet, met vier personen, de kleinere houten of kunststof vlet alleen of met twee.
Bij het zeilen in een vlet maak je gebruik van een fok en een grootzeil. Vroeger was dit algemeen een spriettuig, maar nu veelal een toren of bazaantuig: zie tuigage