Of course, the expense might be lessened by using thinner wood, and therefore less heavy copper rivets. It is indeed a disputed question whether copper or iron nails and rivets should be used for fresh-water boats. Many Thames watermen prefer iron. This would, of course, make the cost of the punt less. I had our sides one inch thick, in order that the boat might stand very heavy work, and in case of cracking from extreme heat, might be cured without danger of battering the sides in by caulking them, and without the necessity of patching them. I should add that we strengthened the ends with stout oak stem and stern posts nailed or riveted up the centre of the ends inside. They should be about 2 in. square. Into these we drove staples, to which a rope could be fastened.
I should, moreover, advise iron pins instead of, or as well as, ordinary thowls. We had them as well as thowls, there being halfway between each thowl-hole a hole for an iron pin half an inch thick. Then, if we wished to use thowls, we took the pins out, or vice versâ. The advantage of pins which run through the oar in places where the punt is used for fishing is, that the oars may be left on the pins without risk of slipping overboard.
“The great thing in punting is not to lose your pole.”
But it is also important not to lose your punt!
CHAPTER XXVII.—RAFTS AND CATAMARANS, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM.
By W. J. Gordon and W. L. Alden.
Over twenty years ago the Fairlie foundered in the Indian Ocean. Spars had been thrown overboard to form a raft, yet before anything but the skeleton of the framework could be lashed together the ship went down. The crew jumped into the square, scrambled on to the boundary spars, and remained astride them with their legs in the sea until they were rescued a day or two afterwards.