An engineering student has invented a new way of powering a traditional river punt – by pedal power.

Barnaby Walker, 22, took up the challenge from his supervisor after trying to find new ways of powering a punt and came up with the ‘puntcycle’.

The Cambridge University student converted an unloved old punt into a sleek, two-wheeled speed machine – capable of leaving all other river-users in his wake.

He decided to breathe new life into French Hen, a punt which was a year older than himself, and rescued it after being beached for three years.

Traditionally punts – long narrow boats with flat fronts and sterns – are powered by a pole which is pushed onto the river bed.

The engineering student said: “At the moment we are about the same speed as a traditional punt, but I reckon we can get up to nearly double that.

“In terms of performance we haven’t yet taken it up to full speed, we just need to put on splash guards, as it currently gets a bit of water in the boat.

“You don’t need to put anywhere near as much energy into it and it’s a lot more stable than a punt, as you’re sat a lot lower.

“We wanted to show people engineering isn’t just about really complicated or boring things, and at the end of it there is a product people can engage with and see for themselves.”

A traditional punt is a long, narrow flat-bottomed boat which is square at both ends and is propelled by a person using a long pole to push off the river bed.

But Barnaby found a new way to power it and took to the River Cam on Friday (20/5) after spending his final year in Cambridge creating the masterpiece.

His supervisor, Dr Hugh Hunt, challenged him to the invention last April and he spent months finalising the design.

Barnaby said: “He had been discussing the idea of alternative ways of powering a punt, and he was looking for someone to do it as an engineering challenge, to put the idea into reality.

“I have built a lot of bikes in my time, and I like boats and have sailed a lot, so throughout this year this has been the project I have been working on.”

He liased with staff at Trinity Punts where they picked the 23-year-old piece to be renovated – the invention means a couple of holes have been cut into the back of it which could be boarded up and used as a normal punt again.

Barnaby, who is due to start work as a structural engineer when his studies finish this year, is already working to hone the design, with plans to challenge the Trinity Punt chauffeurs to a race along the Backs.

ENDS