Springer built steel canal boats from the late 1960's until the early 1990's. They were one of the most prolific builders of narrow boats  and there are still many Springer built boats on the Inland Waterways today. 

The majority of the boats that were built were between forty and fifty feet in length.  Springer were based in Market Harborough and the company changed ownership several times before folding in approximately 1992.

Springer narrowboat hulls were produced using thinner steel and were built in a V shape to create a stronger structure. Their Water Bugs were built using a 3mm steel hull and the larger boats were built with 5mm steel hulls. The Water Bug was developed as a trailerable version of the narrowboat and they were built in two sizes, twenty and twenty three feet in length. They were aimed at the smaller boat market so that they could be transported on a trailer easily.

Springer boats offer a good budget option when buying a boat. The fact that there are still so many Springer narrowboats on the canal system today proves that they were one of the most produced boats until their demise, and proves that even though the hulls were manufactured using thinner steel, Springers are often still very serviceable and reliable after more than twenty years on the waterways. We would always recommend that you get a hull survey done on any boat of this age to make sure that the hull is sound before buying. 

See our You Tube video about Springer Narrowboat Hulls for more information.

If you want to buy a narrow boat on a small budget we usually have a selection of used Springer boats for sale and at the moment we have three which are listed below:

Teddy B is a 31ft narrowboat built by Springer in 1990 for sale priced at £12,950

Barney is a 45ft cruiser style narrowboat built by Springer in 1981 for sale priced at £23,950.

Romany is a 45ft traditional style narrowboat built by Springer in 1989 for sale priced at £23,500