Engine spares (and tools)- how much do you carry?

[Old Harry]

The nut on the wheel is in there... what you are seeing is the quick and dirty fix caused by realising, off the Long Sand Head, that I’d left the socket set ashore...

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with A :triumphant:

 

[capnsensible]

.
Looking at these lists I have to say I see issues for those of us planning to get away on boats under 30ft and with cruising budgets under 25k per annum.

Maybe a 'sailing on a shoestring' forum?


- W

Good comment. I've lived on my 33 foot boat for 21 years now and we have always kept things simple. The list of stuff that people think they need to carry for extended cruising is generally way over the top. Don't blame them but once you get going, there is masses that you plan for but never use.

Despite a regular sort through, as well as knowing this, I've still probably got half a ton of unused stuff!

Remembering too, that rare is the place now where you can't get stuff done. I've replaced the engine and gearbox and fitted an anchor windlass but I didn't chose to do it up some creek in outer deadville.

There have been some great suggestions on this thread but simple smaller yachts don't need half as much. Bearing in mind I've also delivered a squadron of yachts all over the place, that's probably shown me that most people tend to overdo it. All my opinion, of course.

 

[KellysEye]

>Everything on a boat is made for weekend and holiday sailors, except electronics, everything will break more than once, as we found.

>>Where do you get that idea? Many liveaboards do less sailing than weekend sailors, particularly racers. We no longer day sail, the boat moves when we're going somewhere. I can not think of anything mechanical, electrical or rig, which has broken due to longer passages rather than sailing around the Irish Sea with far more challenging sea state and weather.

To put it into context we crossed the Atlantic and spent six an half years in the Caribbean, I spent one or two days a week either doing maintenance or fixing something. The longest I went wihour doing anything was a month in the Venezuelan out islland, when we arrived in Bonaire three things broke on the first day there.

 

[Graham376]

>Everything on a boat is made for weekend and holiday sailors, except electronics, everything will break more than once, as we found.

>>Where do you get that idea? Many liveaboards do less sailing than weekend sailors, particularly racers. We no longer day sail, the boat moves when we're going somewhere. I can not think of anything mechanical, electrical or rig, which has broken due to longer passages rather than sailing around the Irish Sea with far more challenging sea state and weather.

To put it into context we crossed the Atlantic and spent six an half years in the Caribbean, I spent one or two days a week either doing maintenance or fixing something. The longest I went wihour doing anything was a month in the Venezuelan out islland, when we arrived in Bonaire three things broke on the first day there.

The point I'm trying to make is that breakages are the result of wear and tear due to use. Where the boat is located has no bearing, bits will wear out (or not) given the same amount of use in home waters. The problems I have encountered wer trying to locate anything imperial such as heads hoses or shaft anodes as EU is predominately metric. I had a major engine failure which would have happened wherever I was located and spares arrived by courier the next day so no problem. Most failures in 12 years of living on board 6/12 plus several years previously of doing extended holiday passages, have been more with switches, interior lights, inverter, instruments, domestic batteries, etc, not on critical sailing gear. Having to spend one or two days a week fixing something, maybe says something about your boat's suitability for the purpose.

 

[One A.]

You mentioned 'exhaust elbow' if you have a cast one look into getting a SS one made up, I had trouble in Greece locating a calorifier
thermostat, when eventually did I bought 3, you'll find yourself doing that alot, but keep a list of what you do have or you will become the chandler's cash cow.

 

[Kelpie]

ordered from UK Monday morning and arrived in Portugal via courier, before 12 noon the next day

I can't get anything like that at home! Most recent disappointment was waiting a full week for a tin of antifoul that was advertised as 24hr delivery.

 

[Kelpie]

.
Looking at these lists I have to say I see issues for those of us planning to get away on boats under 30ft and with cruising budgets under 25k per annum.

Maybe a 'sailing on a shoestring' forum?


- W

It's really about trying to save hassle and money down the line. I don't want to fork out to stay in some expensive marina awaiting delivery of parts.

 

[jdc]

Most problems I've encountered while abroad or at sea have been with plumbing. Water, oil, fuel or gas. So My tip is to take

- spare lengths of tube/hoses and a few Jubilee clips.

- unions of various sizes: mostly 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 BSP, but some NPT if you have Racor filters: everything to bypass an annoying leak or blockage.

- A plastic male 1/2" BSP to 3/4" male BSP. This is because taps abroad sometimes have female threads, meaning the 'standard' Hoselock 1/2 or 3/4 female adapter can't be used. Cost: <£2, time saved and gratitude from those I've lent it to: enormous!

Can't generalise from one person's experience of course, but actually on a 3-year voyage we never had any issues with the engine or problems finding filters etc so the spare alternator, lift pump etc just stayed in the locker as expensive ballast. The anodes on the prop did need changing (by breath-hold diving) so I'm glad I took those.

 

[One A.]

Jabsco bog parts, a whole kit for a quick fix..

 

[capnsensible]

Jabsco bog parts, a whole kit for a quick fix..

I got a lavac. One thing I do always carry is a complete new pump. Plus a parts kit. Swap pump, repair old one in slow time.

 

[geem]

I got a lavac. One thing I do always carry is a complete new pump. Plus a parts kit. Swap pump, repair old one in slow time.

Loved my Lavac on the last boat. Current one has two Jabsco loos. They are so hungry for parts compared to the Lavac. I wish now that I had bitten the bullet and fitted a pair of Lavacs before we left the UK

 

[t21]

As we inch closer to our goal of becoming full time cruisers, I am starting to consider what stock of engine parts I should take with me. There are so many horror stories about people getting stuck in an invariably horrible and expensive harbour whilst they await delivery of components which are hard to source, overpriced, subject to customs fees and bribes, and might turn out not to fit. All part of the fun I'm sure but it seems sensible to avoid all that trauma if possible.


Anything else to consider?

I won a free rudder so of course that came along, but never needed. Modern delivery services can get anything delivered anywhere. The "waiting ages for stuff" might be code for when people run out of cash. The "inching" thing, hummm

 

[Roberto]

Modern delivery services can get anything delivered anywhere. The "waiting ages for stuff" might be code for when people run out of cash.

Absolutely not, it depends very much where you are.
Try importing some piece of equipment in Brazil, you might well end spending weeks around Sao Paulo Customs warehouses while your boat is 2-3000M away, notwithstanding the load of cash you are ready to spend.
Even France/France: the DOM Overseas Departments (Martinique, Guyane, etc) have different Customs regulations, try importing anything and you might as well wait weeks and weeks before it is cleared. Of course I am talking about goods sent to an individual, though I have echoes it is not too different even with established local agents.
It depends where you are, I surely have a number of places where I would definitely not want to import anything, as a matter of fact in case of smaller items it is often much better to pay for the return plane tickets for one of the crew to fetch what you need than try and get it the "regular" way.

 

[t21]

sheesh roberto hope you enjoy these self-imposed nightmares. Maybe avoid Brazil ?

 

[BobnLesley]

I ... Modern delivery services can get anything delivered anywhere. The "waiting ages for stuff" might be code for when people run out of cash...

So you've not been in the Pacific yet T21? In many places - even a few in the Atlantic/Caribbean (Cuba, Dom Rep & Haiti spring immediately to mind) getting things to the country that you're in is just the start, you still have to get it from the Customs shed and onto your boat.

 

[GHA]

sheesh roberto hope you enjoy these self-imposed nightmares. Maybe avoid Brazil ?

Not just Brazil, even the canaries can be a challenge with not know just which office or warehouse your vital engine bit might turn up in. Chaguaramas the same or worse despite being packed full of cruising boats which by definition spend their lives in a varying state of brokeness, been waiting there 2 weeks before for overnight and it eventually turned up it what was basically a corner shop which did some mail. So anchor up in a smelly port for a few weeks waiting for bits while everyone else is out having fun in the islands. Like Ghandi said of democracy - overnight deliveries sound like a great idea....
Just the way it is.

 

[t21]

Yeah, I've been inthe pacific and round the world. Lots of shops in lots of places, and in the unlikely event of things not being available at the shops, there's lots of agents willing and able to get things right to the boat too. But yeah, take spares of course.

 

[geem]

I won a free rudder so of course that came along, but never needed. Modern delivery services can get anything delivered anywhere. The "waiting ages for stuff" might be code for when people run out of cash. The "inching" thing, hummm

I know of several people who have waited weeks for parts. Friends had a windlass sent to the Caribbean from UK. When it arrived it was broken. Damaged in transit. They then had another sent. Time being gobbled up sorting stuff and waiting for parts can be a problem. Its why lots of us carry a comprehensive set of spares. Every trip home is an opportunity to restock the boat with parts. If friends come to visit they are parts mules. Thats the way it is.

 

[One A.]

Loved my Lavac on the last boat. Current one has two Jabsco loos. They are so hungry for parts compared to the Lavac. I wish now that I had bitten the bullet and fitted a pair of Lavacs before we left the UK

I found I could get a lot more life out of the Jabsco bogs and pipes if you can flush with fresh water, our set up made it easy as the shower head was above it.

 

[geem]

I found I could get a lot more life out of the Jabsco bogs and pipes if you can flush with fresh water, our set up made it easy as the shower head was above it.

Ours have fresh water flush option by closing heads wash hand basin waste seacock and turning on cold tap. This feeds fresh water directly to the heads. Its been like that since the boat was built. It doesn't improve the reliability of the Jabsco toilets in my opinion. It simply makes them less pongy