Falmouth, with a good deep water harbour situated near the Western entrance to the English Channel, was a popular port for merchant sailing ships to call "for orders".
[1]: 213 The term "punt" was commonly used around the British coast for a smaller version of the local working craft, often an open boat, propelled by oar and/or sail.
The early Falmouth Quay Punts were clinker built open boats, about 18 ft. in length, rigged with a standing lug on the mainmast and a jib-headed mizzen.
They had short, stumpy mainmasts and did not set a top-sail – this was so that their rig did not foul the yards and braces of square-rigged vessels as they came alongside.
[3] The even smaller Quay Punt Teal - originally built as Little Pal for the writer Percy Woodcock, and also operated without an engine, recently undertook a long voyage to the Baltic Sea.