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darrenrigg

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Hi All,

I have recently purchased a Springer built 1980, Its name is rather unusual "Crippin" I have all the records about the craft, but not sure about the hull as it will be taken out of the water next Thursday 12 July 2012. It will be put into a dry floating dock, which I believe will give a few problems because of the space between the hull and the dry dock will only be a few inches. Can anyone tell me if all Springers are V shaped hulls or flat shaped hulls and why they were designed to be V shaped?

I know Springer Engineering went bust in the 1990's can any one shed any more light on their history?

P.s I know the name Crippen was an infamous Dr, who murdered a few people, but Crippin?

Kind Regards

Darrenrigg

Edited by darrenrigg
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Hi All,

I have recently purchased a Springer built 1980, Its name is rather unusual "Crippin" I have all the records about the craft, but not sure about the hull as it will be taken out of the water next Thursday 12 July 2012. It will be put into a dry floating dock, which I believe will give a few problems because of the space between the hull and the dry dock will only be a few inches. Can anyone tell me if all Springers are V shaped hulls or flat shaped hulls and why they were designed to be V shaped?

I know Springer Engineering went bust in the 1990's can any one shed any more light on their history?

P.s I know the name Crippen was an infamous Dr, who murdered a few people, but Crippin?

Kind Regards

Darrenrigg

All Springer's are 'V' bottomed so make sure it is chocked properly when you dock it.

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My ex-boat mechanic...said many earlier Springers were made from old steel panels salvaged from dismantled gas holders ?

Is that true..?

 

Mind you I believed for 20 years...that they hung you upside down when the took out your tonsil !!..(Thanks Mum !!)

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Hi All,

I have recently purchased a Springer built 1980, Its name is rather unusual "Crippin" I have all the records about the craft, but not sure about the hull as it will be taken out of the water next Thursday 12 July 2012. It will be put into a dry floating dock, which I believe will give a few problems because of the space between the hull and the dry dock will only be a few inches. Can anyone tell me if all Springers are V shaped hulls or flat shaped hulls and why they were designed to be V shaped?

I know Springer Engineering went bust in the 1990's can any one shed any more light on their history?

P.s I know the name Crippen was an infamous Dr, who murdered a few people, but Crippin?

Kind Regards

Darrenrigg

 

I used to drink in a pub called The Crippen, I think he was the patron saint of cobblers or something similar.

 

Edit because I just realised the spelling was different :(

Edited by Ratzend
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I used to drink in a pub called The Crippen, I think he was the patron saint of cobblers or something similar.

 

Cobblers!

 

It's St Crispin

 

Richard

 

And gentlemen in England still abed...

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Yes I did read that too and had a giggle about it!!! Many thanx

 

Not named after Arch Crippin then

 

180px-Archie_Crippin-1936.jpg

 

Or Edward Frederick Crippin

 

220px-Edward_frederick_crippen_portrait.jpg

 

Richard

 

Oh, It could be!!! Who were they and what did they do???

Many Thanx

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Yes I did read that too and had a giggle about it!!! Many thanx

 

 

 

Oh, It could be!!! Who were they and what did they do???

Many Thanx

 

I've made the names into links to Wikipedia

 

Richard

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Not named after Arch Crippin then

 

180px-Archie_Crippin-1936.jpg

 

Or Edward Frederick Crippin

 

220px-Edward_frederick_crippen_portrait.jpg

 

Richard

Thank you,

I did click on your link, very interesting. Funny though, The original owner of Crippin was a Doctor!!!!?????

 

I've made the names into links to Wikipedia

 

Richard

 

 

Thanks Richard, I clicked on the link they are interesting!

Regards

Darrenrigg

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Thank you,

I did click on your link, very interesting. Funny though, The original owner of Crippin was a Doctor!!!!?????

 

 

 

 

Thanks Richard, I clicked on the link they are interesting!

Regards

Darrenrigg

 

I think I'd prefer Arch Crippin myself.

 

Richard

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All Springer's are 'V' bottomed so make sure it is chocked properly when you dock it.

How do they chock it in a confined space and what do they use? Any ideas

Regards

Darrenrigg

Edited by darrenrigg
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Hi Darren

I met Sam Springer in the 1970s when he was turning out vee bottomed narrow boats by the mile! He told me that he had originally been making petrol tanks for the huge increase in the filling station business in the 60s and 70s. He claimed to have made a boat for his own use and when customers turned up asking him to make one for them, he was into the boat building game.

The steel he was using when I visited was not gas holder plate but 5mm slightly rusted material which was dragged off the lorry at the factory gate and then cut into components by a man with a set of templates and a gas axe, these components were then cut ,rolled and pressed into boat sections for bow, stern and centre plates before being welded together by numbers of fairly sketchy welders. The welds were rough and the slag was normally left in place and painted over, having said all that they held out the water and the shells seem to be lasting well and have been responsible for lots of people getting started in canal boating at the budget end of the market.

I do know of boats that have been made of ex gas holder plate but not by springers. These boats were not pretty but should last a long time since the plates I saw were a good half inch thick and already coated with black tar.

Ive never seen a flat bottomed or wide beam springer boat.

Sams workshop seemed to me to be a fair representation of dantes inferno, welding sparks and clanging of hammers everywhere, at one side of the premises he had a 36 foot narrow boat fully fitted out in pine and complete with a single cylinder Italian made diesel engine, all for the total cost of 3,600 pounds including VAT. The boat came in grey primer for you to paint yourself.

  • Greenie 1
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B.W.B. first issued index numbers and number plates in 1980. I have quite extensive records of these index numbers and in 1983 your boat was named CRIPPEN.

The boat is called Crippin and it was built 2nd may 1980 by Springer Engineering based 6 Mill road Market Harborough in Leicestershire for the sum of £3040.75p

Does that match any of the index numbers you may have as I am interested in any history of the boat i can find

Kind thanks

Darren

 

Hi Darren

I met Sam Springer in the 1970s when he was turning out vee bottomed narrow boats by the mile! He told me that he had originally been making petrol tanks for the huge increase in the filling station business in the 60s and 70s. He claimed to have made a boat for his own use and when customers turned up asking him to make one for them, he was into the boat building game.

The steel he was using when I visited was not gas holder plate but 5mm slightly rusted material which was dragged off the lorry at the factory gate and then cut into components by a man with a set of templates and a gas axe, these components were then cut ,rolled and pressed into boat sections for bow, stern and centre plates before being welded together by numbers of fairly sketchy welders. The welds were rough and the slag was normally left in place and painted over, having said all that they held out the water and the shells seem to be lasting well and have been responsible for lots of people getting started in canal boating at the budget end of the market.

I do know of boats that have been made of ex gas holder plate but not by springers. These boats were not pretty but should last a long time since the plates I saw were a good half inch thick and already coated with black tar.

Ive never seen a flat bottomed or wide beam springer boat.

Sams workshop seemed to me to be a fair representation of dantes inferno, welding sparks and clanging of hammers everywhere, at one side of the premises he had a 36 foot narrow boat fully fitted out in pine and complete with a single cylinder Italian made diesel engine, all for the total cost of 3,600 pounds including VAT. The boat came in grey primer for you to paint yourself.

 

The boat is called Crippin and it was built 2nd may 1980 by Springer Engineering based 6 Mill road Market Harborough in Leicestershire for the sum of £3040.75p

Does that match any of the index numbers you may have as I am interested in any history of the boat i can find

Kind thanks

Darren

Wow n Thank you for that info Mike!!!

Edited by darrenrigg
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The boat is called Crippin and it was built 2nd may 1980 by Springer Engineering based 6 Mill road Market Harborough in Leicestershire for the sum of £3040.75p

Does that match any of the index numbers you may have as I am interested in any history of the boat i can find

Kind thanks

Darren

I have the B.W.B. index number as 64815 with the boat originally named as CRIPPEN, and still as CRIPPEN in December 1985. Jim Shead's website confirms the index number but lists the boat as CRIPPIN, a name it has carried since at least 2005.

  • Greenie 1
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I have the B.W.B. index number as 64815 with the boat originally named as CRIPPEN, and still as CRIPPEN in December 1985. Jim Shead's website confirms the index number but lists the boat as CRIPPIN, a name it has carried since at least 2005.

The index number is correct, Crippen??? First owner a Doctor???? How strange!!! The Doctors name was not Crippen. But the mind boggles with thought. I will check out Jim Shead's website.

Thanks Pete

Hi Pete, I cant see why the original owner would change the name of the craft when he bought it in 1980 then change the name 5 years later???

Edited by darrenrigg
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Great news!!! Email came through from the surveyor, Just anodes to be renewed, seacock to be changed,rudder barrings to be replaced and blackening to be done whilst out of the water... Not bad for a girl of 32 years of age. No plating needed!! This Springer is still going strong.Thanks to Sam Springer.

Complete report still to come by slow mail,,,,

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