unpowered old punt

[erice 732]

How does it work? Two large cables are suspended across the fast-flowing river. The punt is attached to both wires, and once your car is onboard, the puntman turns the boat slightly with a rudder, meaning the side of the boat catches the current. Because it's attached to a wire, it can't go backwards, so instead slides across the river. No motors, just pure physics.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/central-otago-lakes/300168958/the-punt-at-tuapeka-mouth-the-floating-road-that-leads-to-a-secret-chocolate-shop

[Priscilla II 450]

Cable ferry old as the hills.

[Steve Pope 253]

very common in Europe.

[erice 732]

see the wake, not produced by engines

are cables on both sides of the boat common in europe? 

the loads on the cables and pulleys must be pretty high

[aardvarkash10 1,105]

same method we use to swing the stern onto the aft pole at our mooring in the Wairoa River.  Works well now we have figured it out!

[aardvarkash10 1,105]

I think (childhood recollection...) that the Whitianga ferry was a cable punt as well.  1960's or thereabouts

[Steve Pope 253]

On 29/11/2020 at 1:42 PM, erice said:

see the wake, not produced by engines

are cables on both sides of the boat common in europe? 

the loads on the cables and pulleys must be pretty high

No, as the current only flows one way. The only alteration on each crossing is the angle of the rudder which then uses the hulls keels angle to the water flow to drive the barge across.

[erice 732]

have also seen similar punts on slow water with 1 cable and a motor

even with a slotted length of wood as a lever to work the cable

yet this pic caught the eye as something rare 

the white-water wake and the dual cables

perhaps the downstream cable is needed to winch the stern across the centre of the strong current?

https://kids.kiddle.co/Cable_ferry

 

[DrWatson 382]

Single cable super common in Europe. There are four of these ferries across the river in Basel, nicely spaced between the bridges you you have additional options when on foot. I used to take this one abotu 3-4 times a week during the summers to get to the watering hole on the other side there where the steps are. A pop up bar each summer, 5 buck beers in the sun

 

 

At first I thought the double cable might be for a river that runs both ways - don't laugh, there are many in the world, or at least over a tidal channel. 

 

But here in Otago I think the second cable is a controlling cable only, and doesn't take any load per se, more to stop the thing getting completely broadside to the stream (for whatever or however that might occur?)

 

 

[Above-the-Fold 15]

My bad. I thought the title was a typo.