Punting
You can find below all the information you need to know about punting. This page was put together by the 05-06 Master of the Punts, Jeffrey Lancaster.
Christ Church punting schedule
The official schedule is kept in the Punting Binder located in the Christ Church Porters' Lodge. Please check there for punt availability.
N.B. The punts remain available to all members throughout the summer months. Enjoy!
To all members of the Graduate and Junior Common Rooms, April 2006
The College owns three punts which are available for use by members of all three Common Rooms. They will be available for use in Trinity Term from 1st May. Arrangements for use during the Long Vacation will be circulated later this term. Unless you inform the Manciple in writing before Friday 12th May that you do not wish to be able to use the punt, all members of the JCR and GCR will be entitled to use it over that period, and will be battled automatically for the annual charge of £5.00.
The punts and poles will be kept in the Cut beside the boat-house, and when not in use must be securely locked to the stakes provided. The paddles and cushions must also be locked away when not in use in the cupboard against the left wall of the Magdalen boathouse. The risk of theft cannot be over-emphasized: great care should be taken by all members of College to see that the punts and equipment are secure when not actually in use.
Keys to the punts, poles and equipment cupboard can be obtained from the Porters' Lodge for three periods: from 9am until 2pm; from 2pm until 5.30pm; and from 5.30pm until 9pm. A charge of £2.00 on battels will be made for each period, and a deposit of £10.00 must be left with the porters. If the keys are returned late to the porters, or if equipment is damaged or lost, the deposit will be forfeited, further fines may be imposed, and individuals may be prevented from using the punts again. Can you please notify Neil Greenham (07763 785507) or Jeffrey Lancaster (07748 756052) should you find any equipment missing.
The punts can be booked up to one week in advance. Booking is now open. The maximum number of people allowed on a punt at any one time is six, and the punts are only for use by members of College and their bona fide guests.
The scheme is necessarily to some extent experimental. The cost of a punt provided in this way is a great deal cheaper per outing than would be the case if it were hired from a commercial enterprise, although it represents a considerable financial investment by the College. Great care of College property should of course be taken at all times; and that care should also be taken of life and limb goes without saying.
The Junior Member administering the scheme is Neil Greenham, the Graduate Member is Jeffrey Lancaster, and the Senior Member in charge is Dr Martin Grossel.
Punting guidelines
What:
Punting is one of the joys of trinity term in Oxford, and in order that members of Christ Church may be able to punt without paying the huge sums of dosh required to hire one of the tourist punts Christ Church owns 3 punts and a rowing boat (Blind John of Bohemia) for use of its members. Each person pays a punt fee on their battle of £5 and can then book out the punts for £2 a session which will get batteled. Each day has 3 sessions, 0900-1400, 1400-1730, 1730-2100.
GCR members enjoying a relaxing punt
Booking:
You can book 2 of the punts upto a week in advance in the porters lodge. To book you need a deposit of £10 per session which will be returned to you when you hand the keys back in. Each member is only allowed to book one punt and one session at a time, however if you and friend want to do a long punting session trip then can book 2 consecutive sessions on the same punt.
The other punt can booked out for one session at a time on the day. Again £10 deposit returned when you hand keys back in. Double sessions are not possible for this punt.
There will hopefully be an electronic copy of the booking sheet on the JCR website which the porters will update, to save you having to go to the lodge to check availability, although this hasn't been sorted yet.
Where:
The punts are situated beside the boat houses where the Cherwell and the Isis meet. Note we are not licensed to punt on the Isis (the big river). They are chained upto the metal scaffold at the end. Equipment is in the cupboard against left wall of Magdalen boathouse, and the poles are in the gutter. When finished with, the punts should be chained up to the scaffold and all equipment put back into relevant store, to prevent things being stolen.
How:
Having booked a punt, turn up at the porters lodge at the beginning of the session and hand over to them your bodcard. They will give you a key. This is the key to the padlock and equipment room. Each punt has a paddle, a set of cushions, and one metal pole. Once all equipment and people are onboard, unchain the punt, and off you go. (Padlocks are joined to the chain in order that they aren't lost). Each punt can carry a maximum of 6 people, and are to be used only by members of college and their bona fide guests.
The punt needs to be locked up, with all equipment locked back inside the cupboard, the punt poles in the gutter, AND the key returned to the porters by the end of your session ie 1400, 1730 or 2100, if not you will lose your deposit. Further fines maybe imposed and individuals prevented from using the punts again. The punts represent a significant investment by college and great care should be taken at all times. There is a high risk of theft of the punts so all members are asked to make sure all equipment from the punts and the punts themselves are locked securely away. An eye will be kept on equipment but if anything goes missing please let Neil Greenham know so that the culprit can be chased and problem solved. Likewise if something breaks please let him know, so that it can be fixed.
If you and your friend have booked a double session together, then can hand over both bodcards at the start of the first session, so you don't have to bring key back in the middle as used to have to do.
How to Punt:
Best way of finding out how to punt is to ask your parents/years above to show you, often bribery of alcohol or chocolate goes down well.
One thing to mention though is that there is the Oxford way to punt and a Cambridge way. It is expected that all members of the House will punt correctly ie the Oxford way.
Last piece of advice maybe not for you but those you take as guests on the punt, remember your basic physics, each action has equal and opposite reaction, ie if you step from punt to bank the punt will go backwards. So if you try to stand on both bank and punt at same time you will fall in. you have been warned!
Weather forecasts
10-day Oxford weather forecast from weather.com
5-Day Oxford weather forecast from the BBC
Maps
This map shows the location of the punts, poles, paddles and cushions at the Christ Church boathouse.
Map of punts, poles, paddles and cushions
Here is a map of the Isis, the Cherwell and Tributaries (well, sort of). Click here to enlarge the map in Google Maps. The red flag shows the approximate location of the Christ Church boathouse.
Map of the Isis, the Cherwell and Tributaries
Click here to enlarge
