Boat builder enquiry

[matty40s]

8 hours ago, bizzard said:

I'd say that one is definitly Harborough. I can just see the curved bollard on the foredeck which all Harborough boats had.

The vast majority do have the washboards. Mostache.

That's definitely Harborough, even though the same bollard appears on Fernies! !

The nose of the boat sticks out much more on Harboroughs ( as this one does). Fernie handrails tend to be finished off welded  to the roof at each end not just blanked off in midair. 

[Laurie Booth]

10 hours ago, bizzard said:

Not sure which upstands a steel topped Harborough boat has, I had a GRP topped one. All Springers as far as I'm aware have a proper V hull, not a flat baseplate. Which engine is in the boat?

My Springer "Tug" with a slight V hull.

[Laurie Booth]

9 hours ago, Rory_d said:

Just looking at springer bows and they all have that dodgy moustache and look quite boxy on the front end nothing like mine!

Not mine

[Rory_d]

21 hours ago, Laurie.Booth said:

My Springer "Tug" with a slight V hull.

That proves me wrong! Have you got any pictures of the hand rails?

[Laurie Booth]

16 hours ago, Rory_d said:

That proves me wrong! Have you got any pictures of the hand rails?

[Boater Sam]

Springers would build a boat with details to the owners request at a price.

As most sold at the lowest price, most are the familiar moustashioed form with tubular handrails.

I remember Maureen Shaw telling me about when her and Jack went to look at Springers in Brum to buy a "josher". Horrified at the shape Jack said, " it aint no josher" but was told that they could possibly build one at a price. No order was given.

There are many odd ones around.

[Sea Dog]

What's with the www.captainpugwash.org.uk thing on the bow? I tried to go there (obviously) and it can't be reached. On the bright side, I did find some more Pugwash, so my disappointment was only temporary!  

[WotEver]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

What's with the www.captainpugwash.org.uk thing on the bow? I tried to go there (obviously) and it can't be reached. On the bright side, I did find some more Pugwash, so my disappointment was only temporary!  

And I discovered that there’s a Pugwash, Nova Scotia, plus an international Pugwash organisation based in Pugwash NS which “seeks a world free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction”

[alan_fincher]

In my experience most of the "trad" sterned Springers, (as opposed to the usual "cruiser stern" style) tend not to have the moustache.

 

I'm sure there may be exceptions, but I can't recall ever seeing a Sringer with the "trad" cabin at the back and a moustache at the front.

That said the OPs boat clearly is not a Springer.

[Albion]

4 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

In my experience most of the "trad" sterned Springers, (as opposed to the usual "cruiser stern" style) tend not to have the moustache.

 

I'm sure there may be exceptions, but I can't recall ever seeing a Sringer with the "trad" cabin at the back and a moustache at the front.

That said the OPs boat clearly is not a Springer.

I entirely agree with Alan on this. The trad style Springers didn't have the moustache. I was considering buying a new one of the trad style at one time way back and IMO the lack of moustache improved the appearance of the trad type.

Roger

[Rory_d]

I’m going to take a picture of the back as it is different to the one pictured. My hand rails are square box section with abrupt ends. No curves or slopes down to the roof. 

 

There is also a high bench at each side of the tiller .

 

maybe it could be a springer but I’m desperately trying to find out if it is or not as i am after fully comp insurance but nobody will touch it because it’s listed as a springer.

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, Rory_d said:

maybe it could be a springer but I’m desperately trying to find out if it is or not as i am after fully comp insurance but nobody will touch it because it’s listed as a springer.

Have you tried craftinsure?  You will need a survey (within the last 5 years) as it will be more than 30 years old.

Edited January 23, 2019 by TheBiscuits

[Laurie Booth]

21 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

Springers would build a boat with details to the owners request at a price.

As most sold at the lowest price, most are the familiar moustashioed form with tubular handrails.

I remember Maureen Shaw telling me about when her and Jack went to look at Springers in Brum to buy a "josher". Horrified at the shape Jack said, " it aint no josher" but was told that they could possibly build one at a price. No order was given.

There are many odd ones around.

Below an advert for a Springer "Tug"

Edited January 23, 2019 by Laurie.Booth

[Laurie Booth]

13 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

What's with the www.captainpugwash.org.uk thing on the bow? I tried to go there (obviously) and it can't be reached. On the bright side, I did find some more Pugwash, so my disappointment was only temporary!  

It's an old web site of mine. I had to remove the sign on the front as it was illegal on the Thames

[Sea Dog]

9 hours ago, Laurie.Booth said:

It's an old web site of mine. I had to remove the sign on the front as it was illegal on the Thames

Illegal? Really? Well there's an odd seeming thing! If it was www.tellytubbies.org.uk I'd quite understand, but good old Pugwash? Laurie, my gast is flabbered!

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Illegal? Really? Well there's an odd seeming thing! If it was www.tellytubbies.org.uk I'd quite understand, but good old Pugwash? Laurie, my gast is flabbered!

I was under the impression that any EA registered boat had to have a unique name - maybe there was already a boat called this ?

[alan_fincher]

20 hours ago, Rory_d said:

I’m going to take a picture of the back as it is different to the one pictured. My hand rails are square box section with abrupt ends. No curves or slopes down to the roof. 

 

There is also a high bench at each side of the tiller .

 

maybe it could be a springer but I’m desperately trying to find out if it is or not as i am after fully comp insurance but nobody will touch it because it’s listed as a springer.

 

 

Get some good photos that show the entirity of both ends from various angles.  (Best not to have any bits lopped off!)  Also details of cabit, roof fittings etc.

 

Based on everything you have said so far, it doesn't sound in the least like a Springer.

 

I'm fairly confident that it is either Harborough, or Harborough variant such as Fernie or (early) Black Prince

[Rory_d]

29 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Get some good photos that show the entirity of both ends from various angles.  (Best not to have any bits lopped off!)  Also details of cabit, roof fittings etc.

 

Based on everything you have said so far, it doesn't sound in the least like a Springer.

 

I'm fairly confident that it is either Harborough, or Harborough variant such as Fernie or (early) Black Prince

 Here’s a couple more pics I took, please excuse the quality my phone camera is far from great! 

[alan_fincher]

Now I'm thoroughly confused!

 

That's not a Harborough / Fernie / Black Prince back end, and does look a lot more like a "trad" Springer.

 

What on earth is with the sideways opening front locker?   Why on earth would any builder do that?

[Athy]

I noticed that too - I am not sure that I've ever seen (or at least noticed) one. The handrails are not typical of Springers, either.

Some Springers were indeed built with the moustached bow and a trad stern: there is one moored not a quarter of a mile from our house. I thought I had a photo of it in my computer but I can't find it. If anyone has the two editions of Canal Boat magazine in which the Springer story was told, there's a photo of it there. But the "tug" (as per Laurie's 'Clarrie') didn't have them. It was possibly an attempt by Springer to build a boat which looked more like a "mainstream" craft. I think all the "tugs" had cants rather than handrails, too, perhaps for a similar reason.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Athy

[matty40s]

On seeing that back end I am now going for early Liverpool hull = most definitely not a Fernie.?

[bizzard]

4 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Now I'm thoroughly confused!

 

That's not a Harborough / Fernie / Black Prince back end, and does look a lot more like a "trad" Springer.

 

What on earth is with the sideways opening front locker?   Why on earth would any builder do that?

Hinge problem because of the shape of the foredeck I expect.

16 hours ago, Laurie.Booth said:

Below an advert for a Springer "Tug"

We have a ''Tug type'' here. I'll take a pic later. 

[Stilllearning]

5 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Now I'm thoroughly confused!

 

That's not a Harborough / Fernie / Black Prince back end, and does look a lot more like a "trad" Springer.

 

What on earth is with the sideways opening front locker?   Why on earth would any builder do that?

I’m sure I’ve seen that sort of front locker cover elsewhere, but can’t for the life of me remember where. The way the cover follows the line of the steelwork is rather fetching, imho.

[David Schweizer]

Deleted - repeat of previous comments

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by David Schweizer

[Rory_d]

After spending hours online google images I can’t find a single springer narrowboat with the same handrails as mine. 

 

I can’t even find one with a matching foredeck ,

 

there was was a picture of a harborough the other day and the side was identical to mine, even the welds were in the same place but I can’t find the flipping picture again for love nor money! 

Im at a total loss now

Edited January 24, 2019 by Rory_d