Tool Kits on Boats

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DougH

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I am in the process of removing all unused and therefore surplus items from the boat to create more usable space.

The toolkit is the next in line and I have been surprised at the number of 'essential' tools I have never used.

It has been posted on the forum (by hib or DAKA I think) that a boat only gets heavier.

So, what tools does the forum consider essential?

Come on jfm admit that you need a trailer to carry all your tool kit.
 
My boat tool cupboards are certainly over subscribed, but then I know that the minute I take something off and religate it to the shed then I'll need it!!

OK so maybe one of the four socket sets could come off, one of the soldering irons, half of the open ended/ring spanners, crimp tools, screwdrivers, pliers.

Hmm probably more of consolidation excercise. In the process of still learning about the boat and have a small empty tool bag which is being populated as I use the tools for a specific purpose, that may work


Ian
 
DougH said:
I am in the process of removing all unused and therefore surplus items from the boat to create more usable space.

The toolkit is the next in line and I have been surprised at the number of 'essential' tools I have never used.

It has been posted on the forum (by hib or DAKA I think) that a boat only gets heavier.

So, what tools does the forum consider essential?

Come on jfm admit that you need a trailer to carry all your tool kit.
Click to expand...

This one is tricky, cos you might only need a tool once but when you need it you need it. And btw, TCM was much worse than me. I only have about 5 of those A4 file archive boxes of tools (which I know cos currently they're in storage

I have the usual spanners and sockets, but also very big movable spanner and gaspliers, hot air gun, elec jigsaw, vice, poprivet gear, soldering gear, elecrical (crimps, cutters, multimeter, cable stocks, crimp connector stocks), elec sander x2 (mouse+ rectnagle), battery makita 90deg drill-cum-screwdriver, angle grinder, big electric mains drill, holesaws, G Cramps, mitre block and handsaws. i don't think I could get rid of any of that stuff; it all gets used, occasionally.

I also have lots of boxes of spares. Whole internal workings for Tecma loos, the usual engine spares, genset spares, outboard spares, decklights, sikaflex/gripfill/grp goo, and so on. Plus big stocks of s/s fasteners - pretty much every bolt size and head up to M12

On the last boat it got annoying trying to store this stuff where is was easily reachable. That's one of the reasons I'm changing to a bigger boat, though I accept it is irrational to buy a £2m plastic floating tub just to cart around £500 of B+Q tools. A bespoke oak and cedar shed would have been cheaper. But this whole tools thing is never rational is it? :)
 
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jfm said:
This one is tricky, cos you might only need a tool once but when you need it you need it. And btw, TCM was much worse than me. I only have about 5 of those A4 file archive boxes of tools (which I know cos currently they're in storage

I have the usual spanners and sockets, but also very big movable spanner and gaspliers, hot air gun, elec jigsaw, vice, poprivet gear, soldering gear, elecrical (crimps, cutters, multimeter, cable stocks, crimp connector stocks), elec sander x2 (mouse+ rectnagle), battery makita 90deg drill-cum-screwdriver, angle grinder, big electric mains drill, holesaws, G Cramps, mitre block and handsaws. i don't think I could get rid of any of that stuff; it all gets used, occasionally.

I also have lots of boxes of spares. Whole internal workings for Tecma loos, the usual engine spares, genset spares, outboard spares, decklights, sikaflex/gripfill/grp goo, and so on. Plus big stocks of s/s fasteners - pretty much every bolt size and head up to M12

On the last boat it got annoying trying to store this stuff where is was easily reachable. That's one of the reasons I'm changing to a bigger boat, though I accept it is irrational to buy a £2m plastic floating tub just to cart around £500 of B+Q tools. A bespoke oak and cedar shed would have been cheaper. But this whole tools thing is never rational is it? :)
Click to expand...

John, you forgot to mention the oil suction pump and the d12 flywheel rotation gear!
 
volvopaul said:
John, you forgot to mention the oil suction pump and the d12 flywheel rotation gear!
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Yes, I thought about those. I'll give the oil pump to my brother for his boat because I have Reverso on new boat. The d12 flywheel rotator comes in handy as a hammer :D but I think I'll have to post it to you (along with CD I owe you) because at least then it will get used. Expect a hard thud on your door mat sometime :-)
 
A few years back, after getting hacked off rooting around numerous tool bags, I threw away an old TV that was in a cupboard and installed one of these: http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/s..._productId_745201_langId_-1_categoryId_212500

It's now much easier to quickly get any tool I want (except the power tools that are stored elsewhere). Got to be one of the easiest and best improvements I made to the boat.

Also got about 16 waterproof boxes of spares which are a bit harder to get to.
 
DougH said:
The toolkit is the next in line and I have been surprised at the number of 'essential' tools I have never used.
Click to expand...

just like spares - if they are essential it's because of what happens if you don't have them when you need them; not what you do with them every week.

the key bit is balance. no point in carrying tools with you that you aren't going to use, but if you might need it and would be stuffed without it - carry it.
 
jfm said:
Yes, I thought about those. I'll give the oil pump to my brother for his boat because I have Reverso on new boat. The d12 flywheel rotator comes in handy as a hammer :D but I think I'll have to post it to you (along with CD I owe you) because at least then it will get used. Expect a hard thud on your door mat sometime :-)
Click to expand...

Oh yes for got about the fyeo cd, expensive hammer id say!
 
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