What should be in my boat toolbox?

Ru88ell

Ru88ell

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My previous boat, a Cape Cutter 19 trailer sailer, didn't require much more than a 17mm spanner and a screwdriver. I never touched the outboard engine, and most of the work I did to her was on the drive at home, where I had access to all of my tools. These need to stay at home.

I now have a bigger boat, with Beta 20 inboard, at the coast, so need to build a tool kit to leave onboard. What do you suggest I need as a minimum?

I've got a Stanley 10" Maxgrip wrench and a voltmeter to start me off.
 
Ru88ell said:
My previous boat, a Cape Cutter 19 trailer sailer, didn't require much more than a 17mm spanner and a screwdriver. I never touched the outboard engine, and most of the work I did to her was on the drive at home, where I had access to all of my tools. These need to stay at home.

I now have a bigger boat, with Beta 20 inboard, at the coast, so need to build a tool kit to leave onboard. What do you suggest I need as a minimum?

I've got a Stanley 10" Maxgrip wrench and a voltmeter to start me off.
Click to expand...

a set of metric spanners
set of allen keys
hammer
set of good screwdrivers
brass feeler gauge
a set of hhs drill bits & something to turn them
multi meter
a good torch ( LED Lenser T7)
bluemels gasket sealer
spare impellers,oil,stern tube grease
 
A length of bailing wire - useful for retrieving halyards, re-reeving reefing lines in the boom, running wires through inaccessible spaces, re-reeving leech lines, etc. And don't forget tapes - gaffer, self-amalgamating, sail-repair, .... Then there's lubricants and sprays ...... and don't forget a cuddly toy!
 
This is what I posted when the question was asked before. Covered various maintenance and running repairs over three years of ownership of a Cornish Yawl, and fitted in the companionway step locker, so seems like a pretty good fit for your needs :)

The one thing missing is a socket set, as it wouldn't fit in the locker. If I planned to work on the engine I would bring one down, but otherwise the spanners were adequate for day-to-day use.

prv said:
  • Screwdrivers, all sizes from jeweller's for electrical equipment to huge flat-head more often used as a small crowbar
  • Spanners, covering all nuts and bolts on board plus a big and small adjustable
  • Hammer
  • Strap wrench for fuel and oil filters
  • Flexible corkscrew thingummy for getting packing out of stern gland (not something you'd need unexpectedly, but nowhere better to keep it)
  • Analogue multimeter
  • Junior hacksaw, with wood and metal blades in a plastic bag with WD40 to avoid rust
  • Hand drill and bits from 2 to 10mm
  • General-purpose pliers
  • Side-cutters
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Battery spanner (normal spanner wrapped in tape except the business end, so it can't accidentally cause a short)
  • Set of allen keys
  • Special modified allen key for tightening the grub screw on the aft side of the rudder head.
  • Waterpump pliers
  • Small vice that clamps onto a surface (usually the companionway sill)
  • Set of files
  • Knife
  • Gas soldering iron + solder, plus other tips for hot knife, blowtorch, hot-air, etc
  • Special homemade big spanner for stuffing gland nut
  • "Bodging" chisel (ie one that's no longer used for fine woodwork and I don't mind using for prying or scraping, though it's sharp enough to be used for its intended purpose in a pinch)
  • 1/2" socket drilled to take a glued-in tommy bar, forming a key for the vent screws on the Racor fuel filters (only imperial bolt on board).
  • Ten feet of wire with cigarette-lighter plug on one end and black+red croc clips on the other, for diagnosing or working around electrical problems.
  • Small torch with LED head on a flexible stalk, for looking in awkward spaces.
  • Electrical tape

I've probably forgotten some stuff.

As well as the tools, there's another locker containing both specific spare parts and miscellaneous items of the sort that come in handy for improvised repairs. Lots of odd metal fittings, copper tube and sheet, rubber bits, washers/screws/bolts/etc, hoses, hose clips, springs, scrap wood, sikaflex, grease, epoxy putty, electrical wire, gaffer tape etc etc.

This is on a small 24 footer used mostly for day and weekend trips with the odd longer excursion but (so far) not very far. The tools in the list fit into the small locker inside the bottom step of the companionway.

Pete

EDIT: Seeing KAL's list, I do also have a small bosun's bag containing braid fids, my rigging knife/spike/pliers set on a rope belt, ball of marline, waxed thread, needles, palm, and a tub of tallow for greasing the leather bits on my old-fashioned rig. But I wouldn't necessarily count that as "tools".
Click to expand...


Pete
 
Tip that I picked up from Kawasaki, take loads of tools down to the boat, as you use a tool put it in a separate tool bag, after a year or so you will have assembled all the tools you need in one handy container, the rest can go back to the shed.

Just been sorting my shed...it's raining...I've got three complete spanner sets, 2 socket sets, about a Kg of Allen keys, 5 Stanley knives, and more hand saws than you can shake a stick at. Might have to revisit kwacker's plan with the bin being last resort.
 
It's a simple fact that how ever many tools you carry, you won't have the one you need, so don't worry too much about having a set that would make a garage jealous.

Something to consider to consider is quality. Good tools are a pleasure to work with and won't let you down when the going gets tough. BUT... they rust just as quickly as cheap ones and the Oh Bugger factor is significantly less if a cheap tool goes bonk, bonk splash than a Snap-On.

The other simple fact about the marine toolbox is that Neptune has a predilection for good tools. Rusty car boot tools stay around far longer than shiny new quality ones.
 
Whilst you may need a particular tool at a particular time the attitude " It's always handy even if you never need it" is not a good one for a boat
You need to look at items like the egine, assess what spanners you need for fan belts, filters , bleed screws etc
Allen keys need only be the sizes you use
The same with screw drivers, if there are no philips screws then you do not need philips screw drivers
A hammer is handy but tools such as for changing stern glands etc are not necessary. A stern gland starts to drip & you can take the tools to the boat a couple of weeks later if you want to do an on board repair
What is useful is a selection of split pins, screws jubilee clips to suit the various hose plus a few nuts & bolts of a common size
Some spare engine oil is good & you will not need an extra can of 3 in one or WD 40
I also carry a tube of winch grease which doubles up for other jobs
A roll of paper towels & a pair of rubber gloves stops you getting smothered
A couple of spare nappy liners can be used for mopping up spills
A funnel for fuel & oil
A tube of gasket compound
A junior hacksaw. i use a coping saw as it goes in the tool box
Pliers & long nosed pliers, Some spare lengths of wire & fuse wire Some wire cutters
A few cable connectors & ends
A cheap multimeter
Insulation tape & self amalgamating tape
Spare fan belt, a set of filters & pump impeller plus a couple of spare screws for the impellor housing & filter bleed screw as I always drop one in the bilges
& finally a set of jump leads so if you have flat batteries you can beg borrow or steal another for an emergency start
 
I think a mix of the suggestions will be found to suit you. Definately go around the boat looking at everything you feel confident/competent to work on - make a list - and identify all the tools needed for those jobs as an initial tool kit (plus the suggested tapes, wires, etc). Although much maligned as a permanent installation, I'd include chock-blocs for quick extension and connection of wires, but remember to make a more permanent job if you want it to be reliable. I've lnown people who carry only two sockets and a handle, but unless you're racing or very short of space a good full tool kit may enable a benevolent visitor to carry out a repir you weren't confident to do yourself.

Over the years, some tools will prove uneccessary and you can relegate them to the garden shed or garage, others will prove useful and be added to the kit. It's a dynamic thing.

Rob.

P.S. Guess how many jobs remain undone at home as the specialist tool is on the boat!
 
Thanks all. There's certainly some items I wouldn't have thought of. Did anyone mention grease gun? I need one of them for the prop.
 
Not too much on a small boat. Set of screwdrivers with everyone but the one you need Set of spanners with every. .................. .
Long nose pliers. Junior hacksaw and blades. Black and White Pvc tape, permanent marker pen. Plug spanner. Wire cutters, selection of cable ties. I have a something which allows me to see the strength of spark for the outboard.
Tape measure, I find vernier calipers very useful for gauging screw, pin, rope etc. diameter. Cheap metal one rusted. Now have cheap plastic ones off ebay but wild buy better quality plastic ones next time.
 
davidpbo said:
Not too much on a small boat. Set of screwdrivers with everyone but the one you need Set of spanners with every. .................. .
Long nose pliers. Junior hacksaw and blades. Black and White Pvc tape, permanent marker pen. Plug spanner. Wire cutters, selection of cable ties. I have a something which allows me to see the strength of spark for the outboard.
Tape measure, I find vernier calipers very useful for gauging screw, pin, rope etc. diameter. Cheap metal one rusted. Now have cheap plastic ones off ebay but wild buy better quality plastic ones next time.
Click to expand...

gauging screws
measure the head in 1/16s x 2 -2 = size

screw head measures 4/16 x 2 = 8 minus 2 = size 6
 
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