Springer Boats

[Pennie]

Ok well I'm sort of new to boating in that though born on a narrowboat and lived in one for sometime as a child I don't actually know much about them at all and now as an adult I've found I need to get myself back aboard because I don't wish to be stuck behind bricks and morter anymore

 

I'm now searching for my first boat and I've come across pleanty of springer boats in my searches. However I don't know what a springer boat mean? Using common sense with the general simerlarity between them it seems to be a description for a style of small boat.

 

Am I right, nearly there or wildly off with what a springer boat is?

[Laurence Hogg]

Ok well I'm sort of new to boating in that though born on a narrowboat and lived in one for sometime as a child I don't actually know much about them at all and now as an adult I've found I need to get myself back aboard because I don't wish to be stuck behind bricks and morter anymore

 

I'm now searching for my first boat and I've come across pleanty of springer boats in my searches. However I don't know what a springer boat mean? Using common sense with the general simerlarity between them it seems to be a description for a style of small boat.

 

Am I right, nearly there or wildly off with what a springer boat is?

Sam Springer built boats at Market Harborough. They were "entry level" cheap and cheerful boats with a character all of their own. Springers got a lot of people afloat for not a lot of money, there isnt really an equivelent today.

I would advise that you get any boat you see and want to buy surveyed, Springers were built to a price, properly maintained they can still be a good buy today. With the depressed second hand market there are plenty of bargains around, however as with any purchase buyer beware.

[the grinch]

i'd agree with lawrence, sam built some good boats, many still going strong, our own trip boat Zachariah Keppel is one, although it has had extensive waterline plate renewal. have a look round find something you like and come back here with the details, someone will know the boat and probably wether its any good.

 

edit to put a few comma's in!!

Edited September 14, 2011 by hamsterfan

[David Mack]

Ok well I'm sort of new to boating in that though born on a narrowboat and lived in one for sometime as a child I don't actually know much about them at all and now as an adult I've found I need to get myself back aboard because I don't wish to be stuck behind bricks and morter anymore

 

I'm now searching for my first boat and I've come across pleanty of springer boats in my searches. However I don't know what a springer boat mean? Using common sense with the general simerlarity between them it seems to be a description for a style of small boat.

 

Am I right, nearly there or wildly off with what a springer boat is?

 

Pennie, Welcome to the forum.

 

To add to Lawrence's comments, the most distinctive feature of Springers is the 'moustache' above the bow, as in these two examples:

 

Early Springers were reputedly made of ex-gasholder plate, well pickled by the gasworks tar, and flattened by Sam driving his Landrover over it.

 

They were built of thinner plate than many boats of the day. Well maintained examples can be a good buy, but in others the plate may have thinned to the point of being uninsurable. A survey is recommended for a boat of this age, so you don't end up in the position of Bux' son here and here.

 

There's been a few threads on bargain older boats recently, so have a look around the forum. Some good points in this thread.

 

David

[Athy]

Pennie, many Springers were small or smallish: in the '70s and '80s when most of them were built, leisure narrowboats tended to be shorter than they are today. A common size was 36 feet, but they range from tiny 21-footers to full-length 70-footers.

Last year, Canal Boat magazine published a two-part article on their history, with many illustrations. It might make interesting reading for you.

[Laurie Booth]

My 35ft Springer.

 

 

[jonk]

I gather from what has been posted by others that Springers were usually built with 6mm hulls and that the hull baseplate was not usually flat as are most narrowboats, but a V. The only problem with that seems to be that if a full replate is needed then it is more difficult than a flat baseplate (and hence more expensive). Since these are older craft this has to be born in mind and a full hull inspection is probably essential before considering a purchase. Others with more experience will correct me if I have anything wrong.

They seem to have great character, from the ones that I have seen, and many owners seem very pleased with them.

 

John

[Athy]

Laurie's is, I think, an example of a Springer "Tug", which did not have the distinctive "moustaches" or splashboards at the bows. Yes, most but not all Springers had shallow V-shaped bottoms; Sam Springer and his successors would build you just about anything you wanted. They even built a sea-going bottle-shaped one, illustrated in the abovementioned Canal Boat article.

[Laurie Booth]

Laurie's is, I think, an example of a Springer "Tug", which did not have the distinctive "moustaches" or splashboards at the bows. Yes, most but not all Springers had shallow V-shaped bottoms; Sam Springer and his successors would build you just about anything you wanted. They even built a sea-going bottle-shaped one, illustrated in the abovementioned Canal Boat article.

Yes, mine is a Springer Tug. V hull, which came in very handy on the K&A canal.

Yes I do love her.

[Pennie]

Thank you for all your responses. I now understand the Springer boats much better :-) Thankfully I have half a brain and know not to buy a boat without a proper inspection first.

 

I'm still unsure whether or not to buy a second hand boat and leave it as it is, gut a second hand boat and re-fit it; or build from a new shell. I guess its all going to depend on what I find out there in the market place over the next year before I take a year out to focus on my boat.

[Athy]

Much will depend of depth of your pockets - you will need a lot more, er, pennies to buy a new one, these days even the "budget" narrowboats cost around £1,200 per foot brand new and fully fitted. The upside of brand new is that you can have the interior fitted exactly to your taste: look around s/hand boats and you'll find many that are partly or nearly to your taste: if you see one which you think is ideal, snap it up!

[Speedwheel]

They even built a sea-going bottle-shaped one, illustrated in the abovementioned Canal Boat article.

 

Taken this year.

 

[Neil2]

Our first boat was a springer and I would happily have another one provided there was evidence it had been looked after.

 

There's a big advantage in these days of water shortages with a V hull, you can get into the side much more easily even when water levels are low. We really miss this now we have a flat bottom NB.

[FadeToScarlet]

Springers are kind of the equivalent of a Lada- functional, cheap, and loads made.

 

Colecraft and Liverpool Boats are Volvo and Ford Mondeos respectively, XR&D are Audi, Steve Hudson and Mel Davis boats clearly BMW and Mercedes respectively.

 

Which means that Joshers are Bentleys!

Edited September 16, 2011 by FadeToScarlet

[alan_fincher]

I gather from what has been posted by others that Springers were usually built with 6mm hulls............

Not sure why you should gather that.....

 

Although Springer allegedly used all kinds of different thickness of plate, I think it is generally accepted that few of the early output were built as thick as 6mm (or 1/4") initially, unless that happened to be something he could get cheap at the time.

 

My memory in the 1970s is that 3/16" (so not quite 5mm) was the normally quoted thickness of the standard Springers, and that the "even more budget" ones (usually under 30 feet) were often thinner than this.

 

Not sure if the "standard" spec got any thicker as later ones were produced, though.

[bizzard]

Harborough marine were also single chine boats and handled beautifully bizzard

[alan_fincher]

Springers are kind of the equivalent of a Lada- functional, cheap, and loads made.

 

Colecraft and Liverpool Boats are Volvo and Ford Mondeos respectively, XR&D are Audi, Steve Hudson and Mel Davis boats clearly BMW and Mercedes respectively.

 

Which means that Joshers are Bentleys!

Does that mean the small "Stars" were Morris Travellers, because of the mixed metal and wood construction ?

 

If you carry on with this analogy, does it mean Phylis has a Reliant Robin, (or, let's be gracious, a Reliant Scimitar)?

[Athy]

Mel Davis = BMW? Do you mind??

MD owners are not all arrogant roadhogs.

[FadeToScarlet]

Mel Davis = BMW? Do you mind??

MD owners are not all arrogant roadhogs.

 

Nah, beemers are Hudson boats. MD is Merc, much more stylish and classy.

 

Does that mean the small "Stars" were Morris Travellers, because of the mixed metal and wood construction ?

 

If you carry on with this analogy, does it mean Phylis has a Reliant Robin, (or, let's be gracious, a Reliant Scimitar)?

 

Hmmm, Woolwiches must be Jaguar, big Northwiches Aston Martin, Royalties Alvis.

 

Which makes the Admirals Land Rover, and the River Class Jeep!

Edited September 16, 2011 by FadeToScarlet

[Chertsey]

Nah, beemers are Hudson boats. MD is Merc, much more stylish and classy.

 

 

 

Hmmm, Woolwiches must be Jaguar, big Northwiches Aston Martin, Royalties Alvis.

 

Which makes the Admirals Land Rover, and the River Class Jeep!

Big Woolwich = Volvo 240; looks big and clumsy but steers beautifully and goes faster than it looks...

[blackrose]

There's a big advantage in these days of water shortages with a V hull, you can get into the side much more easily even when water levels are low. We really miss this now we have a flat bottom NB.

 

But in terms of low water, the disadvantage of a V hull is that it has a deeper draught overall than the equivalent flat bottomed boat.

[jonk]

Not sure why you should gather that.....

 

Although Springer allegedly used all kinds of different thickness of plate, I think it is generally accepted that few of the early output were built as thick as 6mm (or 1/4") initially, unless that happened to be something he could get cheap at the time.

 

My memory in the 1970s is that 3/16" (so not quite 5mm) was the normally quoted thickness of the standard Springers, and that the "even more budget" ones (usually under 30 feet) were often thinner than this.

 

Not sure if the "standard" spec got any thicker as later ones were produced, though.

 

I'm not sure! 6/4/3 seems to be a figure that came to mind when Springer was mentioned. Glad to be put right though.

 

John

[Athy]

Springer's would build a boat of varying steel thickness depending on the peice which the customer was prepared to pay. The later standard Water Bugs were 3/3/3 but could be upgraded to 5mm steel. I think that 5/5/3 was the basic configuration for larger Springers, but I heard from one owner who paid extra and had something like 8/6/4 on his newly-built boat.

[jonk]

Just seen this advert - looks like a shallow V hull. Looks like anodes fitted. Probably too short to live on but looks cute don't you think? Good price isn't it?

http://www.notts-boats.co.uk/narrowboat-rocky.html

 

John

Edited September 17, 2011 by jonk

[Athy]

Very useful for tying up at places like Buxworth Basin where, as mentioned on a recent thread, everyone seems to moor 25 feet part!

This is the entry (and, a few feet further back, exit)-level Springer Water Bug made from the mid-'80s until Springer went under (as it were) in 1994.