FO WLING-P UNTS. 445 



from the upper to under edge, when fixed across 

 the boat. 



All fowling-punts should be built with a swell 

 aft of midship section ; that is to say, the beam 

 halfway between midship section and stern should 

 be from 3 to 5 inches wider than halfway between 

 midship section and stem, as the craft is large 

 or small. The spring of a punt's floor should 

 run from the stern to one foot aft of her midship 

 section, with a drop of not more than an inch, and 

 then gradually increased out to the stem. 



In a single-handed punt the greatest beam should 

 be loin, aft of her midship section. This will not 

 be too far aft to hide the motion of the fowler's 

 arms, and will divide the weight of man and gun 

 near her centre. In a double punt it should be 

 at the midship section or centre of length. In 

 narrow single punts up to 2ft. 6in. the floor may 

 be built of a i6in. to iSin. plank for the centre 

 (this will then take stem and stern rigidly), the 

 breadth being made up by a narrower plank on 

 either side. The joints on the floor of all punts to 

 be covered by thin ribbons of ^in. wood 2in. wide, 

 to prevent leakage, and to permit the seams to be 

 filled from the outside if necessary. The raised 

 rail that connects after ends of coaming in a punt, 

 and of the same height, should be i^in. wide, and 

 be riveted to the large beam underneath (twice as 

 large as the other rafters that support the decks). 



The after end of centre fore-deck plank is nailed 

 down over the gunbeam, and a ^-in. by 2-in. wide 

 oak fender over all between the fore ends of 

 coaming. This looks neat, and will prevent the 



