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What is a Springer? |
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As I stated on our home page, many people believe that the name comes from the spring type door stops on the front of the boat, used to play water polo. When in fact the boat is named after John and Dave Springer of San Francisco. Originally designed by John and Dave in the early ‘90s, the boat is used as a one class design to play tugboat games and water polo. The major rules limit the hull to a specific shape and size, the motor is limited to a 6V powered 500 series motor, and the prop must be a 3-blade 1.50” prop. Outside of these rules, and a few minor specs, the rest of the design/build is left to the builder’s imagination. There have even been a few builder advocating a “SUPER” Springer class with larger hulls and more powerful drive gear.
I spent most of this last summer entertaining the crowds by pushing a soccer ball around the ponds. Quite frequently, I have been asked what does it cost to build a Springer and what parts did I use. I’ll answer the first part of that question later. Take a close look at “THE RULES”, there is some flexibility in parts selection. As far as what I used, I chose components that were in stock from a couple of vendors with good reputations. Below is a list of the major components I used to build my first Springer. As you can see, most of the parts I ordered via the Internet. Though I did purchase a few items, not listed, at the local hobby shop or the local hardware store. Now back to cost, based on the components I used, you could expect to pay $350 or more for a finished boat. YES, that is a lot of money to pay for a boat, but you could always use lesser expensive parts as long as they comply with the rules.
For Springer plans and more information on how to build your own Springer, the Springer polo rules, and other helpful information, please visit our “How to…” HERE
To see what other people are doing to their Springers, you can visit the Springer thread at the forum site, rcgroups.com: HERE
Some of the best advise I can offer: - BUILD YOUR BOAT AS ROBUST AS POSSIBLE, especially if you plan to play water polo. Playing water polo with these boats can get a little rough. I have seen boats rammed at full speed trying to get to the ball first. To make my boat as strong as possible, I used 1.5 ounce fiberglass and resin on the hull below the water, then coated all interior surfaces and everything above the water line with epoxy.
- Make sure that you hull is water tight. I used a piece of Plexiglas to cover the cabin hatch, and applied a bead of silicon around the combing. I have seen a couple of boats nearly sink after only a few minutes of play because the deck was awash and water coming in over the combing.
- In the event you do take on some water, install all of your electrical components as high inside the hull as possible. Many people place the receiver, servo, and speed controller on an elevated platform under the rear deck. You could even use the old trick of putting your electronics inside a balloon to keep them dry.
- Keep the center of gravity as low as possible. These boats are long for their beam, meaning that a tall superstructure will cause it to roll quite heavily. Place the batteries flat against the bottom of the hull. Also, leave yourself access to the lower portions of the hull in case you need to add ballast.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAVE FUN WITH IT! I spent most of the summer pushing a soccer ball around the pond. The deckhouse wasn’t finished, but I did not care. I was running a new boat and having fun (not to mention it looked stealthy sitting low in the water).
I look forward to seeing a few more boats on the water each Spring. I hope that the spring of 2008 proves more exciting with a few more Springers on the water having fun!
Matt Engebretson
- The parts list below is for the major components only and does not include the additional building materials need to finish the hull or superstructure. This list also does not include any fasteners or minor electrical hardware.
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David Wendel |
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Richard Starr |
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Bob Pulse |
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Ron Johnson |
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Karen Starr |
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Matt Engebretson (Work In Progress) |
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These are photos show the operational Springers, as of October 1st, 2007. It is a bit difficult to see, but the hulls are all the same shape and size. |
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Gary Slack |
