Onboard tool kit

Joel · Post by **Joel** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:53 pm

Just hoping some of you more experienced sailors can give some advice on what to have on board for spare parts and tools.

Jesse Days Pacific Star 2 · Fri Jun 11, 2004 2:19 pm

I carry an assortment of metric and american wrenches, sockets, and rachets. Pliers, wire cutters, fuses, wire, and electrical tape. Wire strippers, cresent wrench, and channel locks. An assortment of pins, nuts, washers, and screwdrivers. Spare set of spark plugs. Through in some snap ties, wire cutters, and anything else that might be needed to make emergency repairs.
That's a good start.

Jesse

SPC Paul · Post by **SPC Paul** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 2:39 pm

A few assorted sizes of hose clamps can also come in handy for fixing anything from fuel lines to plumbing. If you have an imagination, they can almost fix as much stuff as duct tape.

SPC Jared Paul
"Old Ironsides"
1991 Mac 26S

Jesse Days Pacific Star 2 · Fri Jun 11, 2004 2:47 pm

Duct tape is always a good thing. Right on Jared!

craiglaforce · Post by **craiglaforce** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 4:32 pm

I travel pretty light too.

Bucket with: 5200, gunk solvent remover,Antibond for 5200 removal, fiberglass repair kit, underwater epoxy sticks, Ball pean hammer, push saw with 2 types of sawz-all blades, hack saw, oil, winch grease and brush, liquid wrench, WD40, wasp killer, Mclube, silicone lube gel from radio shack and fasttrack cleaner (for luff groove on furler), duct tape, sail repair tape, needles and waxed thread. I don't carry the 2 part marine-tex anymore. It seemed to go bad quickly in the boat. tapered wood hull plugs, short pieces of spare hose for through hulls and antichafing.

Plastic tackle box with files, picks, typical full set of hand tools (wrenches,screwdrivers, stubbys, pliers, vise grips, needlenose, sidecutter pliers), nicopress swage tool, swages and thimbles, spare turnbuckle with jaws, 1/4" and 3/8" socket sets metric and SAE, several sizes of channel locks. inspection mirror, parts retrieval grabby thing, glass fiber corrosion buster pen, heavy knife, steering wheel puller, steel rigging cable cutter, cordless drill and light, sandpaper, scraper, allen wrenches.

medium sized vise, heavy leather gloves, spare spreader tubes and ends,

2 plastic compartment boxes with spare fasteners, pins, fuel filters, fuses, bulbs, hose clamps, spark plugs, gapper, antisieze, spare propeller thrust washer, nut, cotter pins and rings and clevis pins and some other junk like that.

Small plastic tackle box with electrical tools (VOM meter, excellent radioshack crimper-stipper tool, box of terminals, electrical tape, butane torch, solder, electrical wire, SS wire for misc stuff, funnel, .

small tupperware container for a spare set of the common quick grab tools, rigging knife, clevis pins and rings, leatherman. small jumper cables. rags.

thats about it. usually spray with WD40 to slow the rusting process.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 6:25 am

As seen in the Mods section of my website, (old Photo) I used to carry around 3 times as many tools as I do now. Extreme overkill for the lake we sail on. Ive paired back to 1 of those cheapo tool kits in its own carry case. Basically, sockets, open ends, a crescent, a plug wrench, screwdrivers, allens and a few cutting implements. We carry a plastic organizer with spare pins, ring dings, hose clamps, clips, screws, nuts and bolts, fuses, wire ends and splices, spare wire and a loop of cord with duct tape and black tape on it, oh yeah, a simple circuit tester. The most commonly used tool on our boat is "SUPERKNIFE", A med sized Swiss Army knife. With the exception of the motor the Mac requires very few tools to maintain during the season. When we trailer to another lake I load up more significant toolage in the pickup but leave it at the marina. I suppose if you are doing crossings or circumnavigating more would be appropriate but I found that I do well with little. For now, if I must do major work during the season, I load up a bucket at home and return it that evening.

Tom Root · Post by **Tom Root** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:00 am

GreatLooperDave wrote: I realize that Tom Root is busy preparing to start his new job, but his previous posts indicate an obsession w/that great old dictum, "prior planning prevents poor performance!" So, I'll bet Tom has a great checklist & on-board toolkit. Can't wait for him to weighin.

Here's hoping you never need any tools for enroute repairs,
David

Nope, I hate lists, and the lack of such has bit me more than once, but as far as tools, the kit that came with the engine, Leatherman Wave (never leave home without it!) duct tape (or 250 MPH tape!) 2 different adjustable crescent wrenches~ 6" & 12 ". These are my bare bones tool items! Now, what I believe some enterprising person should come up with is Stainlees Steel tools! I am sure many out there have ratchets and many other tools that that are so rusty, they don't work anymore. And WD-40 is, as I have learned is what NOT to coat them with, as it attracts salt like a magnet, and makes things even worse!

Now, my many other accessories are another matter altogether! The 1st mate let's me know all the time when we are out I get the inevitable "So, just WHY do you think we needed this", and my equally inevitable reply " Better to have it and NOT need it, than to need it and not have it!"

I have said this before, but I also point out many times, that if we had a MacGregor 65, I'd have all the room I need for all my "STUFF"!

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:30 am

I almost forgot, when we replaced our rigging this year I coiled up the old ones and put them under the aft berth as spares. And Tom I beg to differ re: having enough room to hold everything on the 65'. Bigger boat requires more stuff! Oh yeah, a bottomless bag of spare spark plugs.

kevin carroll · Post by **kevin carroll** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:47 am

One of the things I am preparing to do is making an emergency tiller to get me back to dock, when my steering fails. Has anyone else done this ?? I have heard too many stories of failure and would like to be able to get back to my slip when it fails.

Tom Spohn · Post by **Tom Spohn** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:59 am

Kevin, I have not done this myself yet, but I've been told that a good emergency tiller is to lash a paddle (required equipment in my state) to the head of the motor and leave the motor connected to the steering bar.

Tom Root · Post by **Tom Root** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:10 am

Scott wrote: And Tom I beg to differ re: having enough room to hold everything on the 65'. Bigger boat requires more stuff! Oh yeah, a bottomless bag of spare spark plugs.

Shhhh, we both know that....it's just that I have to justify getting it!

Tom Root · Post by **Tom Root** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 8:46 am

Dave, Now that truly is way tooooo funny! And I see you really know Frank M.'s logic fully! You pegged him ....dead on!

Actually I have my eye on 2 different 65' Macs here on the left coast, not that I wouldn't love to start a dream vacation/lifestyle & adventure in sunny FLA, it's that my plan is to sell nearly lock, stock & barrel, and with my investments, and proceeds from liquidation, just do it! But the boat would be bought, and shakedown, & mods,(SCUBA Compressor, water maker, power concerns...etc) provisioning, outfitting phase has to occur on the left coast! I will live the dream someday, I am nearing the big ~ five o, and wanna cut the land lubber ties soon! My target is 55 actually, but as we all, know, 1st there was the plan......

Tripp Gal · Post by **Tripp Gal** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:51 am

We keep things light but have found our "kit" has taken a life of it's own, but it far less than some of my other racing friends who have portable screw drivers or the cruiser who made a fully notated cross-referenced catalog with locker numbers (can you say ex-Navy?)

We have a Target brand general tool kit that way we know when a piece didn't get put back. Includes US and Metric, pliers, crescent wrenches, crimpers, screw drivers, circuit tester thingy, etc.

We added a couple pair of vice grips, rigging cutter, hose clamps, spare shackles, spare cam cleat or two, tie wraps, tapes (duct, ripstop, taffeta/dacron, electrical, slippery, rigging, and paper [for splices]. 2 fids, a spool of Yale brand Pulse line, spool of wire (correct guage for the boat electrical) impeller, filters, common motor parts, shock cord/hog rings/bungees. Nothing exciting really.

Don't forget the toilet wax and can of Great Stuff. The toilet wax can hold together cracks and holes til you get home, and the great stuff can fill larger holes and can set up under water. Seen both used on a number of accidents with great results.

All these things are what we have used to get us up and operational while cruising and racing.

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 11:08 am

Great Stuff is a great tip. I never considered that it might set-up under water!

Tripp Gal · Post by **Tripp Gal** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 5:54 pm

It was a secret I learned from some licensed captains who have used it. While I hope I never have to use it myself, I just as soon have some ready.

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Onboard tool kit

Onboard tool kit

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tool Kits