springer

[denboy]

A friend of mine is looking at buying a springer the boat is supposed to have been built 1990 i thought they stopped building in the late 70s can anyone shed any light on this thanx

[John Orentas]

A friend of mine is looking at buying a springer the boat is supposed to have been built 1990 i thought they stopped building in the late 70s can anyone shed any light on this thanx

 

 

I would have said mid 80's but that's only a guess.

[saltysplash]

I would have said mid 80's but that's only a guess.

 

I seem to remember it was all around the late 70's possibly early 80's but my memory is too far gone. It is possible the name was bought by another company or someone made the boat under license or something like that

[kienik]

springer were still building in 1990, chas hardern in beeston on the shroppie has always used springer boats as his hire fleet as i remember it he had a new one built in 1990 ish maybe give him a call he will probably be able to tell you the exact day that they stopped building boats haha.

 

Nik

[tony collins]

A friend of mine is looking at buying a springer the boat is supposed to have been built 1990 i thought they stopped building in the late 70s can anyone shed any light on this thanx

 

Sam Springer stopped building boats AFAIK before the company moved to the new factory on outskirts of Market Harborough. They were building there in the 1980's. One thing about the company is that they never hid anything. You were free to visit the factory and wander round unsupervised to see your (or anyone else's) boat being built. After they went bust, and I can't remember when it was, somewhere in the late eighties or early nineties, A smaller operation started up again in Sam's original factory near the town centre. I think this was short lived, but I am fairly certain that this went into the nineties.

Can't be much more help than that- sorry.

 

Tony

[blackrose]

As far as I am concerned Springers stopped in 2001 when I got rid of mine!

[AlanH]

A friend of mine is looking at buying a springer the boat is supposed to have been built 1990 i thought they stopped building in the late 70s can anyone shed any light on this thanx

 

 

Mine was built in 1991 which is the year that I believe they gave up.

[Maverick]

We were talking about springers the other day. Regardless of their reputation it appears the biggest problem now is trying to get someone to re-weld the bottom for you should it need doing.

 

Apparently due to there V-shape hull a welder has to get his back dirty and they dont need the money bad enough to bother with them. I've also heard you get charged more to have it pulled out for blacking for this reason also (If you can find a boat yard that will)

 

Shame really because a new bottom welded on a cheap springer and youve got a cracking first little boat.

[IanS]

A friend of mine is looking at buying a springer the boat is supposed to have been built 1990 i thought they stopped building in the late 70s can anyone shed any light on this thanx

 

 

Our Springer was built in 89 so after then. I was given chapter & verse on the history of Springer at Street Hay Wharf when I called in last summer - could be worth a call.

 

Ian

[denboy]

Thanx folks made things a lot clearer thought someone was trying to pull a fast one appears not

[MaryP]

We bought a cheap Springer Water Bug, and now we've tarted it up a bit, people are always saying what a lovely little boat we have! We think so too!

Ours is being blacked at Venetian on the Shroppie next week, so they will work on them.

I have heard of yards being put off by Springers if they pull them out rather than use a dry dock, as if the hull is weak, they can buckle under their own weight. OK in the water of course.

Springers cost slightly more for blacking as they have to do the whole hull rather than just the sides as on a flat bottomed boat.

 

We were talking about springers the other day. Regardless of their reputation it appears the biggest problem now is trying to get someone to re-weld the bottom for you should it need doing.

 

Apparently due to there V-shape hull a welder has to get his back dirty and they dont need the money bad enough to bother with them. I've also heard you get charged more to have it pulled out for blacking for this reason also (If you can find a boat yard that will)

 

Shame really because a new bottom welded on a cheap springer and youve got a cracking first little boat.

[Dan]

Just to confirm, the company changed name slightly - after the 'bump' from Springer Engineering to Springer (UK).

 

They were still going in 1992, but it was soon after or on this year that they ceased.

 

Shame really, I guess amongst other things there was a flood of smaller, budget builders appearing around that time - whilst perhaps no better (many probably worse) I guess they just didn't have that Springer stigma, perhaps their trademark lines and standardised lines didn't help their success on this issue in the end

 

Dan

[John Orentas]

Quite touching all this nostalgia for Springers, a bit like people being reluctant to speak ill of the dead. Personally I have always taken the view that it is as easy to make a nice boat as it is to make a thoroughly ugly one.

 

Edit. "Sorry Mary"

Edited August 3, 2007 by John Orentas

[carlt]

Quite touching all this nostalgia for Springers, a bit like people being reluctant to speak ill of the dead. Personally I have always taken the view that it is as easy to make a nice boat as it is to make a thoroughly ugly one.

 

Edit. "Sorry Mary"

I know what you mean:

 

Edited so as not to cause any offence.

 

Edit: Sorry John

Edited August 3, 2007 by carlt

[WJM]

"a thoroughly ugly one"

 

 

What did (do) they look like then? (Im too young to remember!)

[Dan]

Here's a picture of one currently for sale.

 

Like this one a lot of the smaller ones had no forward well and the same forward, opening window shown. The welds were not normally ground smooth but the most obvious way of identyfying 99.9% of all of them is the 'moustache' at the very front. That kind of raised little section.

 

Dan

[carlt]

"a thoroughly ugly one"

What did (do) they look like then? (Im too young to remember!)

An early prototype:

[Dan]

Here's one of the "Water Bug" range that was a big hit for them.

 

They launched in 1987 and you could have a 20ft or 23ft which then had a forward well. They were normally powered vy an outboard, though an inboard was an option. They are easy to spot, as in the photo. They had a porthole in the centre with a windiw either side. Standard layout was 2 dinette singles aft, wc room, galley opposite and cross double forward. I always liked them but the outboards put me off, and the thinner steel on this design may be a potential problem today.

 

Generally they were quite well built, with decent but thinner steel used and with strength & practicality in mind, sometimes over beauty!

 

As well as the standard Water Bug they also had other standard layouts such as 34ft or 38ft 4-6 berth layouts, but would build non standard ones if desired. Perhaps a bit like an early version of todays New Boat Company ? Though their standard and choice of finish quality is undoubtedly higher!

 

Dan

 

Pics... 23ft Water Bug

 

 

[John Orentas]

An early prototype:

 

 

Isn't that one of your sophisticated chums from Portland basin.

[Dan]

Now that did make me laugh Carl!

 

Brilliant!

 

Dan

[carlt]

Isn't that one of your sophisticated chums from Portland basin.

Strange as it may seem John, I don't actually agree with most of the wcbs ethos. I'm not in a position to judge though (I don't think anyone is) so I support their right to do whatever they want with their boats, on their property. They've also saved many wooden boats which would have been broken up otherwise and that'll do for me.

[John Orentas]

Strange as it may seem John, I don't actually agree with most of the wcbs ethos. I'm not in a position to judge though (I don't think anyone is) so I support their right to do whatever they want with their boats, on their property. They've also saved many wooden boats which would have been broken up otherwise and that'll do for me.

 

 

I really don't know why you are winding yourself up over this Portland Basin, Wooden Boat Society thing. I only casually mentioned it as they do seem to be something of a disruptive influence, many of the local people have after many years managed to get the basin into an attractive looking area. If there is one thing I have learnt about this restoration and conservation lark, you must get the locals on your side and you must take them with you.

 

You cannot expect the population of an area to appreciate the fine aesthetic qualities of a working boat when it is piled high with rubbish and with daylight showing between the planks. However worthy you may consider this exercise to be, but quite honestly I think you are wearing your rose tinted specs' you must agree that it would be better carried out in a less prominent location.

[carlt]

I really don't know why you are winding yourself up over this Portland Basin, Wooden Boat Society thing. I only casually mentioned it as they do seem to be something of a disruptive influence, many of the local people have after many years managed to get the basin into an attractive looking area. If there is one thing I have learnt about this restoration and conservation lark, you must get the locals on your side and you must take them with you.

 

You cannot expect the population of an area to appreciate the fine aesthetic qualities of a working boat when it is piled high with rubbish and with daylight showing between the planks. However worthy you may consider this exercise to be, but quite honestly I think you are wearing your rose tinted specs' you must agree that it would be better carried out in a less prominent location.

They could always move to a traditional working wharf, in the heart of industrial lancashire.

 

Edited to say: And I'm not the one who insults other peoples' boats (wooden, or springer) because they don't suit your peculiar aesthetic taste.

Edited August 3, 2007 by carlt

[AlanH]

Here's one of the "Water Bug" range that was a big hit for them.

 

They launched in 1987 and you could have a 20ft or 23ft which then had a forward well. They were normally powered vy an outboard, though an inboard was an option. They are easy to spot, as in the photo. They had a porthole in the centre with a windiw either side. Standard layout was 2 dinette singles aft, wc room, galley opposite and cross double forward. I always liked them but the outboards put me off, and the thinner steel on this design may be a potential problem today.

 

Generally they were quite well built, with decent but thinner steel used and with strength & practicality in mind, sometimes over beauty!

 

As well as the standard Water Bug they also had other standard layouts such as 34ft or 38ft 4-6 berth layouts, but would build non standard ones if desired. Perhaps a bit like an early version of todays New Boat Company ? Though their standard and choice of finish quality is undoubtedly higher!

I love mine (23ft) but I'm very careful to have it blacked every year and I've Waxoyled the inside of the hull because it was starting to rust there. Still 3mm thick all over according to a recent survey. I don't mind the outboard (15hp Honda) It has proved very reliable over the last six years and we've been to quite a few places (York, Llangollen, Weaver, Stratford etc.) in her with no trouble apart from finding petrol once or twice. Off on the four counties ring tomorrow.

I'd buy a bigger boat - I could afford it - but there seems little point whilst we are still working and can only use it for weekends and one two week holiday a year.

 

I suppose one advantage of an outboard is that you can buy a new engine, gearbox, prop shaft and prop for under £2,000

[John Orentas]

They could always move to a traditional working wharf, in the heart of industrial lancashire.

 

Edited to say: And I'm not the one who insults other peoples' boats (wooden, or springer) because they don't suit your peculiar aesthetic taste.

 

 

And just how do you insult a boat that's nonsense. There is something universal about the 'aesthetic taste' of a rotting hulk whether it be on a posh Thames mooring or on the Ganges, it is not peculiar to me.

 

One of the major changes that has happened on the canals in recent years is the public acceptance and appreciation of what we do, do you really want to turn the clock back.

Edited August 3, 2007 by John Orentas