Springer register anyone??

[daves6guitars]

Does anyone out there know of a register of Springer boats or an archive of vessels built. Having recently purchased one I'm finding great difficulty in finding out any concrete information about these craft and their manufacturer. I've heard all the anecdotal tales concerning build quality, finish, reliability, but no written evidence. Maybe I'm clutching at straws, but after having been in the Vintage Motorcycle club for years I could always rely on finding information from members about the most obscure makes of machine.

If anyone could point me in the direction of any such information I would be grateful. I find the Springer provokes many different reactions amongst boaters, which I find interesting, as it proves there must have been something about them that lifts them above many other makes to generate such a wide ranging debate. Love 'em or hate 'em, they obviously are not being ignored. I know what I like about mine, it has that bit of character that can't be defined, but you know it's there!

 

Be good to hear some other views and perhaps some hard evidence.

Edited December 4, 2009 by daves6guitars

[Athy]

Does anyone out there know of a register of Springer boats or an archive of vessels built. Having recently purchased one I'm finding great difficulty in finding out any concrete information about these craft and their manufacturer. I've heard all the anecdotal tales concerning build quality, finish, reliability, but no written evidence. Maybe I'm clutching at straws, but after having been in the Vintage Motorcycle club for years I could always rely on finding information from members about the most obscure makes of machine.

If anyone could point me in the direction of any such information I would be grateful. I find the Springer provokes many different reactions amongst boaters, which I find interesting, as it proves there must have been something about them that lifts them above many other makes to generate such a wide ranging debate. Love 'em or hate 'em, they obviously are not being ignored. I know what I like about mine, it has that bit of character that can't be defined, but you know it's there!

 

Be good to hear some other views and perhaps some hard evidence.

Info is surprisingly hard to find; one chap did start a web site for them but posted hardly anything apart from a title page.

They were built in Market harborough from 1968 to 1994, the firm was founded by Samuel J. Springer who was a Londoner. he died in 1984, having retired three years previously, and his son-in-law then ran the firm.

I too have been fascinated by these boats (and indeed have just bought one to "do up"), I'm just dashing off to the boat for the weekend but will tell you more when i get back, unless everyone else has beaten me to it.

One last thing: Sam Springer once said "I used to build water tanks, building boats is the same thing but in reverse", which could explain their hull shape, at least that of the early ones. Post 1980 they became rather shapelier.

[Lady Muck]

I really like them, they have character.

[Laurie Booth]

I have a 35ft Springer and really love her.

I knew nothing about boats when I bought her and it took about 3 months before I was told she had a V hull.

Best thing I have ever spent my money on.

It seems to be the Morris 1000 of narrowboats, if that makes sense, it does to me.

 

Edited December 4, 2009 by Laurie.Booth

[alan_fincher]

Does anyone out there know of a register of Springer boats or an archive of vessels built. Having recently purchased one I'm finding great difficulty in finding out any concrete information about these craft and their manufacturer.

You could be asking for trouble using that word! Maybe what's keeping some of them afloat!

 

No, seriously, I have always rather liked them, and, considering their generally lightweight construction, their survival rate is really remarkable, when other much more substantially built boats of the era have not done as well.

 

They were revolutionary in at least a couple of ways,I would say....

 

1) The price at which Springer was able to turn them out. Nothing came close,at the time.

 

2) The all steel construction was almost universal amongst Springers. A very few seem to have been built with wooden cabins, but it really does only seem to have been a handful. "Better" builders like Harborough Marine stuck with GRP based cabins for years,with all the attendant problems these have suffered. Even premium builders would still only sell you a wooden cabined boat, (usually "Masonite" over planking), backin theearly days of Springers,giving them a decided maintenance advantage over most of their competitors. (How many "top of the range" Malcolm Braine boats still have the timber cabins being fitted when these Springers were turned out ?).

 

Boats like the Rugby Boatbuilders ones soon came along that were prettier, (in most eyes), but still at much more cost, wooden cabined, and generally not as resilient.

 

Eventually other builders managed to build all steel boats that looked far more like traditional boats, at not that much more cost, and Springers became a less competitive way of buying a budget boat.

 

I thought I had an old Springer advertisement in a magazine, but can't immediately find it. If it turns up, I'll post it, but they really were undercutting the going rate for a steel boat for a good many years - no doubt why there are just so many still with us.

[Laurie Booth]

Me on my Springer this year, Tipton to Birmingham.

It was cold and windy.

[MoominPapa]

Me on my Springer this year, Tipton to Birmingham.

It was cold and windy.

What's the URL on the bow, and why is it there?

 

MP.

Edited December 4, 2009 by MoominPapa

[Laurie Booth]

What's the URL on the bow, and why is it there?

 

MP.

It's a web site I run called

Captain Pugwash

[daves6guitars]

Info is surprisingly hard to find; one chap did start a web site for them but posted hardly anything apart from a title page.

They were built in Market harborough from 1968 to 1994, the firm was founded by Samuel J. Springer who was a Londoner. he died in 1984, having retired three years previously, and his son-in-law then ran the firm.

I too have been fascinated by these boats (and indeed have just bought one to "do up"), I'm just dashing off to the boat for the weekend but will tell you more when i get back, unless everyone else has beaten me to it.

One last thing: Sam Springer once said "I used to build water tanks, building boats is the same thing but in reverse", which could explain their hull shape, at least that of the early ones. Post 1980 they became rather shapelier.

 

 

Thanks for that, hope you enjoy your weekend and I'll look forward to hearing more...Dave

 

I have a 35ft Springer and really love her.

I knew nothing about boats when I bought her and it took about 3 months before I was told she had a V hull.

Best thing I have ever spent my money on.

It seems to be the Morris 1000 of narrowboats, if that makes sense, it does to me.

 

 

Know what you mean....makes perfect sense. must say it did look rather chilly on your video...Dave

 

You could be asking for trouble using that word! Maybe what's keeping some of them afloat!

 

No, seriously, I have always rather liked them, and, considering their generally lightweight construction, their survival rate is really remarkable, when other much more substantially built boats of the era have not done as well.

 

They were revolutionary in at least a couple of ways,I would say....

 

1) The price at which Springer was able to turn them out. Nothing came close,at the time.

 

2) The all steel construction was almost universal amongst Springers. A very few seem to have been built with wooden cabins, but it really does only seem to have been a handful. "Better" builders like Harborough Marine stuck with GRP based cabins for years,with all the attendant problems these have suffered. Even premium builders would still only sell you a wooden cabined boat, (usually "Masonite" over planking), backin theearly days of Springers,giving them a decided maintenance advantage over most of their competitors. (How many "top of the range" Malcolm Braine boats still have the timber cabins being fitted when these Springers were turned out ?).

 

Boats like the Rugby Boatbuilders ones soon came along that were prettier, (in most eyes), but still at much more cost, wooden cabined, and generally not as resilient.

 

 

 

Eventually other builders managed to build all steel boats that looked far more like traditional boats, at not that much more cost, and Springers became a less competitive way of buying a budget boat.

 

I thought I had an old Springer advertisement in a magazine, but can't immediately find it. If it turns up, I'll post it, but they really were undercutting the going rate for a steel boat for a good many years - no doubt why there are just so many still with us.

 

 

Yes, thanks for that Alan...mine is a wooden top so I guess that makes it a bit unusual and on top of that there is a brass plaque inside the cabin that states she was built to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth 11,...1952 to 1977 or 53 to 78 whichever!

As for the concrete, none evident exept for a couple of 25litre plastic jerry cans filled with the stuff in the bow locker, presumably for ballast though may not be needed with the new hull....Dave

[WJM]

I think the Lada Drivers Club run a Springer register.

 

(I'll get my coat)

[Naughty Cal]

I think the Lada Drivers Club run a Springer register.

 

(I'll get my coat)

 

That was a little harsh

[WJM]

I know, Ladas were made out of papier-mache, not cut up gasometers!

[alan_fincher]

Yes, thanks for that Alan...mine is a wooden top so I guess that makes it a bit unusual and on top of that there is a brass plaque inside the cabin that states she was built to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth 11,...1952 to 1977 or 53 to 78 whichever!

Ah well, if yours is 1977 / 1978, it's a lot older than I can turn up an advert for.

 

Try this, though, from November 1984,issue of "Narrow Boat"

 

 

Less than 2 years later the same advert still appeared, but the "ex VAT" prices had risen a lot....

 

£8,920 became £10,128

 

£6,350 became £8,253

 

£840 became £1,314.

 

(So shellpries rose a lot faster than fully fitted boats,it seems)

 

I guess I'm surprised you have an example as late as you do that is a wooden top. I guess there was no such thing as a "standard" boat.

[alan_fincher]

I know, Ladas were made out of papier-mache, not cut up gasometers!

Nobody seems to be able to make up their mind whether the latter is fact, or urban myth, though !

 

Although it sounds kind of plausible, the usual claims seem to be that it was the earlier boats, and sometimes that the steel was 6mm.

 

I doubt many early Springers used steel as thick as 6mm, to be honest, but I'm sure someone will pop and say they have a 1969 one that has been measured at more than that!

[MarkAdrian]

Im wondering from the amount of queries this forum generates about springers, whether there would be enough members or interest to start a web based owners club?

 

How about starting a thread "Im a Springer Owner" and go from there?

[journeyperson]

Ah well, if yours is 1977 / 1978, it's a lot older than I can turn up an advert for.

 

Try this, though, from November 1984,issue of "Narrow Boat"

 

 

Less than 2 years later the same advert still appeared, but the "ex VAT" prices had risen a lot....

 

£8,920 became £10,128

 

£6,350 became £8,253

 

£840 became £1,314.

 

(So shellpries rose a lot faster than fully fitted boats,it seems)

 

I guess I'm surprised you have an example as late as you do that is a wooden top. I guess there was no such thing as a "standard" boat.

 

The ad confirms that they built broad beam boats, 8, 10 & 12ft. There was some debate about this on the narrowboats in france thread when someone posted a pic of one emerging onto the Seine.

[daves6guitars]

Im wondering from the amount of queries this forum generates about springers, whether there would be enough members or interest to start a web based owners club?

 

How about starting a thread "Im a Springer Owner" and go from there?

 

Good idea...I'm willing to set up a simple database if anyone wants to contact me....Lada enthusiats excluded of course!!

[madcat]

I like Springers and its time they had an owners and enthusiasts group. They are historic boats in their own right and started many people off on boat ownership.

[woolies]

Me on my Springer this year, Tipton to Birmingham.

It was cold and windy.

Was that gas street basin?

kool movie clip, it looked a nice day..molly xx

Edited December 5, 2009 by woolies

[blackrose]

I like Springers and its time they had an owners and enthusiasts group. They are historic boats in their own right and started many people off on boat ownership.

Yes, they started me off (and almost finished me off too!)

 

The thing is that most new owners can't see much difference between narrowboats - they all look the same when you first start. When the guy selling it started talking about Springers I thought he was talking about his dog!

 

Springers are ok, but mine was a piece of cr&p and I was glad to see the back of it

[daves6guitars]

Yes, they started me off (and almost finished me off too!)

 

The thing is that most new owners can't see much difference between narrowboats - they all look the same when you first start. When the guy selling it started talking about Springers I thought he was talking about his dog!

 

Springers are ok, but mine was a piece of cr&p and I was glad to see the back of it

 

 

I can understand completely what you mean!!

 

I like Springers and its time they had an owners and enthusiasts group. They are historic boats in their own right and started many people off on boat ownership.

 

 

How right you are....I have just started today a page on Facebook called Springer Owners Unite...pass the word and look us up....Dave

 

Ah well, if yours is 1977 / 1978, it's a lot older than I can turn up an advert for.

 

Try this, though, from November 1984,issue of "Narrow Boat"

 

 

Less than 2 years later the same advert still appeared, but the "ex VAT" prices had risen a lot....

 

£8,920 became £10,128

 

£6,350 became £8,253

 

£840 became £1,314.

 

(So shellpries rose a lot faster than fully fitted boats,it seems)

 

I guess I'm surprised you have an example as late as you do that is a wooden top. I guess there was no such thing as a "standard" boat.

 

Thanks for this Alan...bows certainly look like mine, but obviously the layout is different, as is the stern arrangement. If you're interested I've started a Facebook page Springer Owners Unite, which I hope will generate some interest....Dave

[MarkAdrian]

Dave. how about a link to yr facebook group?

[Laurie Booth]

Was that gas street basin?

kool movie clip, it looked a nice day..molly xx

The moorings in the video is Sherborne Wharf just before Gas St Basin.

It was very Kool and windy, my hat blew off never to be found again!!!

Went crusing yesterday and the gearbox broke, a kind boater towed me back.

Just have to see how much the gearbox will cost.

[woolies]

The moorings in the video is Sherborne Wharf just before Gas St Basin.

It was very Kool and windy, my hat blew off never to be found again!!!

Went crusing yesterday and the gearbox broke, a kind boater towed me back.

Just have to see how much the gearbox will cost.

do you moore at sherborne wharf? We were there this year, Gas st Was amazing so are the Shops ...molly xxx

Edited December 7, 2009 by woolies

[daves6guitars]

Dave. how about a link to yr facebook group?

 

Good idea... http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/S...20330953?ref=nf

 

That should do it

Edited December 6, 2009 by daves6guitars