Clare College MCR

Punt Rules

Rules and Instructions

Clare MCR owns two punts: “The Silence of the Cam” and the “M.C. Ark.” Use of the punts is free of charge and a long-standing privilege of MCR members. In season they both live by the Clare Bridge and they are at the boathouse between November and April (weather and maintenance permitting).

The rules regarding their use are below. Some are our own and some are imposed by the Conservators of the River Cam (who have bailiffs empowered to fine). Please read and follow them. Punts are expensive to keep afloat and it is in our interests to look after them. In particular, locks and keys were lost so many times in 2008-09 that many people’s punting plans were ruined and it cost the MCR money to replace them. So please be considerate, look after the boat, and don’t do anything reckless. Have a great trip!

Rules

By using the punts you are agreeing to the following:

  1. All punts must be booked via the Clare MCR online booking system.
  2. Do not exceed the time you have booked (maximum 3 hours) and only use the punt between 8:30am and midnight.
  3. Only MCR members (and fellows as MCR guests) may book and use MCR punts. This means you, the MCR member, must be on the punt at all times – subletting invalidates insurance and is not on.
  4. Be careful. Don’t run over people or animals and don’t hit walls. Keep your arms and legs inside the punt to avoid injuries from bumping into other punts. Especially don’t sit in the punt when it’s on the rollers by the Mill as this has written off punts in the past.
  5. Take away everything you brought onto the boat and leave it the way you’d like to find it. This includes getting rid of trash, returning the pole, and storing the cushions and paddle back in their cage (ensure it is properly locked). You may leave them in the punt if the next punting party is already at the dock. DO NOT, however, in this instance hand over the punt keys to the next punter (as you need to reclaim your Cambridge ID card from the porters and the following person needs to leave theirs).
  6. No unsupervised beginners. Sorry, but it’s a condition of our insurance that if you haven’t been out before you must take someone experienced to teach you.
  7. Accidents & Problems: if you have an accident, the member who booked the punt must report it to the Punts Officer (Tim Beeson-Jones, mcr-admiral, 07761452919), who has to keep a record of such things for the Conservators. Also report lost keys/locks or other equipment immediately so that they don’t affect other people’s outing. You will be responsible for paying to replace lost keys and locks.
  8. No more than 6 people per punt including punter (a requirement of the Conservators).
  9. The Conservators don’t want punts to be lashed together as it blocks the river.
  10. Punt on the right and go through right-hand bridge arches.
  11. If people are at risk following an accident, provide assistance if it is safe to do so.

To Use A Punt

  1. Make sure you have booked it via the Clare MCR online booking system.
  2. Get your set of keys (one set for each punt with punt key and cushions key) from the porters in the Old Court porter’s lodge in exchange for your Cambridge ID card. They should log into Raven to confirm your booking. This also prevents confusion as to which punt the porters are providing keys for (since the MCR has two punts and they are booked differently from the single JCR punt).
  3. Pick up the pole, cushions and paddle. They are all in the alleyway between Old Court and Trinity Hall. To get there, go along the passage past the Chapel entrance and turn left. Poles are on the wall in front of you and much further at the end of the alley there are two cages with cushions and paddles. The MCR cage is the one on the left (the other is for the JCR punt). Use your cushions key to unlock and remember to re-lock before leaving.
  4. If it has rained the punt will probably need bailing. The Punts Officer is responsible for the general upkeep of the punts but may not have bailed the punt at the time you wish to use it. A dustpan suitable for the job can be obtained at the Porter’s Lodge – just make sure you ask them nicely!
  5. If you notice any damage to the punt, or if damage occurs during your outing, please report this to the Punts Officer (Tim Beeson-Jones, mcr-admiral, 07761452919). This is really important – from experience, the longer such problems are left, the more expensive the repair bill for the MCR. If you have an accident on the river, send the details to the Punts Officer as stated above.
  6. Make sure you are back by the end of your booked time.
  7. Locks & Keys: Upon return, it is very important that punts are locked up properly to the cross-chain at the back of their berth. There are several ways to lock up the punt since there are several hooks and chains attached to the punts. Please remember to make sure that the locks are not submerged underwater – this causes corrosion and makes locking difficult. I recommend attaching the lock directly to the hook on the front end of the “Silence of the Cam” and to the ring on the back end of the “MCArk.” Also, remember to check that the lock is actually secure before leaving the punt since they have drifted away in the past when simply tied! Some locks require the key to be turned while locking. Finally, remember never to take the locks with you while punting. Please leave them secure on the cross-chain furthest from the river ABOVE WATER-LEVEL or on the wall-mounted ring closest to the steps. Keep the keys in a safe place while punting and avoid dropping keys in the river!
  8. Return all equipment, relock the cushions cage, and return the keys to the Old Court porters lodge in return for your Cambridge ID card. Do all this correctly and others won’t have to waste their punting time looking for keys and equipment.