Did a bit of that back in the 80s when I worked in Cambridge. Once got the pole stuck in the mud and tried to pull it out. Unfortunately the punt didn't want to stop, resulting in an early bath.... I knew a lad who was a fellow of St Johns College and we took one of their punts out all night. We had loads of beer, wine and food. Had breakfast in Grantchester Meadows.
The best thing that happened to me overnight punting was when my best friend - from Huddersfield - was having a wee on an overnight punt as it spun round and nearly snagged on a barbed wire fence in Grantchester and his girlfriend of the time - also from Huddersfield - screamed 'MATT, MATT - PUT YOUR **** AWAY FOR FÛCKS SAKE'. I didn't graduate with a first class degree.