The Pros of Flat Bottom Boats
Many people are not aware that flat bottom boats are also called punts. Boats like this are commonly used in rivers or in shallow waters and you will see that boats like these are run by pushing a pole against the river bed. Boats like this do not have motors and these are commonly used for fishing in rural areas and of course, using a punt boat means you are going punting. You should not mistake this for a gondola because is propelled by paddles and oars, not poles.
In origin, punts were built as boats for cargos or as platforms for fowling. Punts have no keels and because of this, these boats are very easy to drive or maneuvers in comparison to many boats that are very difficult to turn around. This means it is quite easy to turn around in streams where it may prove difficult had you been using a different boat. Flat bottom boats are argued to have come from the river Thames in England as early as 1860.
Flat bottom boats are made with a square bow and this provides better or greater capacity for carrying things aboard. The choice of material is wood, although nowadays fiberglass is becoming a popular alternative. The sides or ends, known as huffs, are made of hard wood such as narra and mahogany. Traditionally, a punt can be as long as 24 feet. The planks are caulked and this means the caulks need replacement annually so you may want to consider this responsibility and expense before buying one.