Coupling Solution Ends TV Boat Drama

Renold Clutches & Couplings, of Cardiff, have helped to solve a last minute technical problem that occurred during the filming of a boat restoration project for the Discovery TV documentary series Boat Yard. Presented by Tom Cunliffe, Boat Yard is a new ten-part series following the loving restoration of five classic boats to their former glory. One of the boats, a 1930s clinker fishing boat, Tern, was being restored and converted to run on electric power, but a suitable coupling could not be found to connect the new Lynch electric motor to the propeller shaft.

There was a danger that filming would be delayed unless the last minute technical problem could be solved, as the boat could not be launched until the motor was connected to the propeller. Working with engineering distributors BSL Brammer, Renold Clutches & Couplings' applications engineer, Luck Gill, was able to solve the problem with a standard RC10 rigid coupling. Fortunately, BSL Brammer's local depot had the coupling in stock and was able to despatch it immediately avoiding any delay in filming. The new drive system worked perfectly when the boat was launched and it was featured in the 21 December 2005 episode of Boat Yard. Tern's owner, Bill Ward, said: "We were literally hours away from filming when we encountered a coupling problem and decided to contact Renold Clutches and Couplings direct. Luck Gill was exceptionally helpful and asked us to e-mail technical drawings with a description of the problem. Within the hour he called us back with the solution and the good news that he had arranged urgent delivery of precisely the right coupling from our local BSL Brammer depot. The coupling arrived with time to spare and we were all relieved when it fitted perfectly straight out of the box."