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Must have Tools

6K views 34 replies 20 participants last post by  ChipG 
#1 ·
So being a brand new mariner and starting to look at the world through a 'cruisers' eyes I have decided to go through my tool collection and start trimming back what I don't need. The plan is to setup 3 tool boxes.

1 small box: digital millimeter, basic screw driver set, basic ratchet set, Wire crimpers / cutters, a pair of vice grips, a small monkey wrench.

1 Medium box : Full Socket set in it's own case with full wrench set. Marine wiring kit (terminals, wiring, fuses, heat wrap, soldering iron), full screw driver set, second pair of vice grips, medium monkey wrench, full set of drill bits, sand paper.

1 Large box : Power tool's. Cordless drill, corded oribital waxer, corded palm sander, 25 meter extension cord, coping saw, hand saw, corded jig saw.

This is just what I am trying to setup but my question is what needed tools am I missing or what can I potentially get rid of. Parts will be a seperate issue, this is just for the tools needed for a boat. The boat is a 33' fiberglass sailboat. The current plan is for weekend and some extended cruising in Lake Ontario. The extended plan is to head south in a few years for the winter and then to see where the wind takes me. I might as well start thinning out my tool collection now. Anything I don't need could be sold or traded for what I did need.

Thanks for any input;

Robert
 
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#2 ·
Robert,

I don't have any specific recommendations but I thought I might offer a few thoughts from my own stash of tools and parts.

One thing is that I don't keep all of my tools and parts separate like you are saying.

Electronics/Electrical, I actually keep parts and tools in the same tool kits. I have a small electrical kit that has snips, small meter, PC scope, resistors, caps, transistors, various chips and processors, magnet wire, bits of conductive wire, and other stuff that I use to do circuits and that sort of thing, and that is all kept together. I also have a larger kit used for electrical work that includes another bigger meter, an clamp on amp meter, random fuses, wire, ties, crimp connectors, crimper, and various other bits and pieces, and that is all together. Then I have yet another electrical kit that has antenna connectors, small meter, few parts, bits of wire, etc, that is used for portable amateur radio operation. I have another kit that goes with the bicycle which includes the right sized sockets and wrench for parts on the bike, tools for fixing flats, more bits of wire, etc.

I guess what I am getting at is that I tend to buy more than one tool so that I can keep the tool with the parts so it is all together when I need it. Like above, I must have five different multi-meters, each one part of a different kit, so that I can just grab that kit and do what I need to do without digging around looking for parts and tools. I also do it that way so that I can just grab one kit and take it somewhere if I need to use tools on a project that isn't on the boat, like if I am helping someone else. Socket wrench for example, I have a number of socket wrenches, one is in the bicycle kit that I grab and take with me bike riding, that way I don't have to pull tools from different places just to go bike riding. So I pretty much try to keep a kit geared to whatever tasks I typically do that has everything that I need to do that kind of task, be it electrical, wood carving, splicing and working with line, sewing, or whatever. My sewing tools are, of course, with the sewing supplies and include bits of cloth patches, thread, needles, sewing machine tools, etc, all in one place with a pair of scissors nobody is allowed to use for anything but sewing.

If I start doing something and I repeatedly catch myself pulling tools from different kits then I know its time to make a new kit specifically for whatever I am doing. That is how my bicycle kit was formed, I kept pulling tools from other kits to work on my bike, and then finding when I was out on the road I didn't have the tools I needed because they were back at home base, so finally I just make a kit for the bike and bought redundant tools.
 
#3 ·
I keep one small one with the basic screw drivers adjustable wrench electric tape that I use first to fix the easy stuff. Then I have a electric bag with all the cutters strippers multimeter and all my electric tools. I then have a bigger one for all the wrenches and sockets. Another that holds the hammers saws files and odd stuff. I tried one large tool box, then found I could not move it.
 
#5 ·
Accessibility is important

For tool boxes, I like plastic organizers with see-through lids with clasps. Product

Can't rust. Open it, take out a tool, immediately lock it closed so it can't spill.
Small enough to stow anywhere. Not expensive; get several.

Other thoughts:
- Put a wrist strap on your drill. Davy Jones has an appetite.
- Toss the electric soldering iron. Most here will argue that crimped wiring connections inside a hot-melt-glue-filled connector are the way to go. Get a butane-powered mini torch to melt the shrink-wrap tubing.
- Forceps.
- Waterproof grease. For O-rings, hose connections, etc.
- Dental pick(s).
- Tef-gel or some other anti-seize goo.
- Small magnet, to test for stainless vs. conventional, i.e., rust-prone, steel. I was amazed to find P.O. had installed a couple of non-stainless cotter pins.
 
#6 ·
If you are going to have battery operated tools make sure you have spare batteries and aither a 12-volt charger or an inverter to run your 110-vot charger. Be careful with the inverter, they tend to eat current like you've got a 100-mile extension cord to your battery charger. Also I've found that a tool that will remove screws with stripped heads was very useful (think I got it in Sears). Also for your wrenches and sockets, check what sizes you need and get multiples of each otherwise you'll find that the one you need has been eaten by the boat.
 
#7 ·
I'd add that I would not leave a nicad charger hooked to a boat's inverter all the time. I know in people's garages they tend to just hook these chargers up and leave them running with batteries in them, but I would not do that on a boat because it would waste a lot of power just to keep the batteries warmed up above 90+% full all the time.
 
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#10 ·
hangs head...:rolleyes:
2 items.
Duct tape, WD40.

If it moves and its not supposed to - Duct tape.
If it doesn't move, and it is supposed to - WD40
Hey it was 2 in the morning. :D So duct tape is just as useful on a sailboat as on the hard? I thought there might be a marine equivalent to it. How I missed the WD40, I have no excuse for it.
 
#9 ·
I don't use tool boxes. They have sharp corners that not only don't fit anywhere, but have a way of banging into something that has a nice finish on it.

I use Gatemouth bags like this one:

<snip>

You'll love it.
I use canvas backpacks and other packs for the same reason, easy to stow, easy to carry, etc. I like the military surplus backpacks, they seem to hold up really well and come in different sizes, and they are inexpensive. They are also easier to secure on deck.
 
#12 ·
You are oobviously not a tool freak. Lots to add but if you don't find you need them up to this point then perhaps you can get by. However,

I'd add: hacksaw with lots of extra blades, two quart kit A-788 Splash Zone; sealed plastic tube containing at least a dozen S.S. welding rods (welders are available everywhere specialized rods not so much); pin punch set; hole punch set, two sizes of water pump pliers (sometimes called Channel Locks); tin snips; 2 4" "C" clamps; clamp on vise; a couple sizes of spring clamps; if truly going remote, then a breast drill (Peugeot Freres still makes a nice two speed model that doesn't cost an arm and a leg) because that cordless is going to die (or the charger) or you are going to need to drill some serious holes in some hard to drill material)... I could think of lots more but I would suggest you sit and ponder "How would I repair...?" for a while and think of the tools needed. Hatchet, entrenching tool, machete, strap wrench..... and on and on.

Some tools you will perhaps never need but should you need them you will be glad you had them. During a lecture I attended given by the late Irving Johnson he was describing getting the Yankee stuck on a sandbar up the Amazon River. He went on to say how he dug out the gear he had stowed many years before for just such an predicament and proceeded to extricate the Yankee. So if you aren't going far then the specialized tools are so much needed but if going over the horizon it is perhaps an entirely different matter. Like I was told years ago when I first went to Alaska: "If you didn't bring it with you, don't expect to find it here."

Bests,
Wiley
 
#13 ·
Cafeteria tray to do the messy work on.

Rebuild the carb, clean fish, carry the varnish can, bang/saw/drill on, etc.

This week, rebuilt the furler drum on it. Last week, greased 4 winches.

I have had the same on efor 20 years and it looks terrible!
 
#14 ·
Rebuild the carb, clean fish, carry the varnish can, bang/saw/drill on, etc.

This week, rebuilt the furler drum on it. Last week, greased 4 winches.

I have had the same on efor 20 years and it looks terrible!
That would be an interesting photo! And thanks for that, I would never have thought of getting on.

Now I just have to figure out how to get one out of the mall food court. :D
 
#17 ·
Everybody will carry tools for their level of ability. As jobs come up you will purchase more as needed. But here's a few I carry. Circlip pliers, jewellers files, wrenches to fit stuffing box that are small enough to be used in those confines, socket(s) for keel bolts and a ratchet big enough to move them, sockets and wrenches for all the odd things on the engine or the rest of the boat. One item I treasure is a 4" long ratchet for screwdriver bits (the hex kind), bought on impulse at the cash register of a hardware store and it's proven invaluable for hard to reach places. A Dremel with flex drive is a must have for me. I try to be organized but am currently doing a complete rewire of my 12 volt system as well as working on other peoples' boats. I like the soft bags but would want it to be somewhat waterproof. I keep all my power tools in a plastic bin under the v-berth sprayed with wd-40 where appropriate. Almost forgot - PB Blaster, rivet gun with rivets, and a few good flastlights that will stand up on their own. Clamp on types work well also.
Brian
 
#18 ·
Not mentioned so far:
- small cosmetic mirror for viewing around, under and into places you would otherwise never see
- bolt cutters for clearing away a downed rig in a hurry

Many of your cordless tools can be run directly off your 12V system even if the voltage is not a direct match.
 
#19 ·
For wrenches, get some ratcheting wrenches. When working in a confined space where it's difficult to get the wrench on something in the first place, the ratcheting wrench is worth its weight in gold. For socket wrenches, do not get the inexpensive sets. Get really heavy duty socket wrenches. We broke several of the cheap ones and then got some Sears Craftmen socket wrenches. We can hammer on the things all day (which has happened) and they don't give an inch. On the cheap ones, you lose half your power in the flex of the handle. A rubber mallet, chisel set, etc. are very handy. I'll have to go through our kit later. For storage (in addition to the larger nylon toolbag we have), we bought these pouches from Loews. They are $12 for two. We use one for all of our pliers, another for all of our screwdrivers, another for all of our wrenches, and the last for all of our electrical connectors. By the way (no relation here), but good quality electrical supplies can be bought from GenuineDealz.com - Marine Electrical, Boat Wire & Cable, Custom Battery Cables. Oh yes - a good ratcheting screwdriver with storage for tips in the handle is very handy. Just make sure you get good quality tools. We prefer craftsmen since we can replace them, no questions asked, when we're in the US. Oh yes - other things - Black and Decker Mouse Sander (we have lots of wood), headlamps (energizer LED ones are great - the red light is really a red light, not a red plastic cover).
 
#24 ·
I grew up in my grand fathers 3 bay auto service center. Back when you needed your brain to diagnose a problem with a car, not a computer. He defiantly taught me the value of a good tool set and taking care of your tools. He retired some years ago and I inherited some tools from him including a 200 piece socket set (S&K i believe) he had been using for 25 years. My worry is that I don't want to take in on the boat for fear of loosing a piece over the side. I suppose to my grandfather not using them to take care of my marine engine would be more of an insult than loosing a piece though.

Most of my tools are either Mac, Craftmen, DeWalt or Makita.
 
#23 ·
Would it just be easier to take a corded drill? I already have one and when you think about it a 25 meter extension cord means I can use the drill anywhere on the boat. But I guess that means running an inverter.

What about a small gas generator for when I need to use the power tools? It could double as an efficient way to charge the batteries if I am on the hook for a few days and don't want to run the diesel?
 
#21 ·
Agree on the mirror - I knew a dental assistant years ago and got some discarded dental mirrors. Teflon tape for pipe connections, copper cutting and flaring tool but haven't used this for a few years, double crimpers for 22ga to 4/0, heat gun as I don't use a butane torch, 2 19.2 volt drills w/ matching 19.2 volt lights - great because they stand up and have a rotating head, full tap and die set, lots of clamps and hex key screwdriver bits in a box of 100 assorted.
Brian
 
#25 ·
I keep thinking I need to prepare for the worst and yet I get the feeling i will be lugging around a bunch of tools I won't ever need.

As will be the case though, no matter what I take there will be a tool I need that I will not have and cannot find where I am.

:D

And thanks everyone, I would never have thought of bolt cutters, a turkey baster or chisels.

Keep 'em coming if there is something else out there, I love the knowledge on this site;

Robert
 
#26 ·
I also stow my tools by kind:
There's a box just for power tools, which for the boat means mainly the drills (battery and AC) and bits of all kinds including hole saw and wire wheels. That's fairly substantial but a job either needs it all or not.

And an 'electrical' box, which has the crimpers, linesman's dike, terminals, splicing materials...soldering gun.

Then there's the plain old tool box, which is where the screwdrivers and pliers and everything else live. There's electrical tape in everything except the drill box, some redundancy happens as you acquire tools.

The socket set lives in it's own case, as does the Dremel tool. Things just don't always organize neatly, but rather into "everything in this box/case/roll has a similar purpose" and from there, you learn to either grab the cases you need, or pull them out and grab the tools you'll need for a job. I have a very very old army surplus musette bag that simply refuses to die, which winds up being the "I'll throw whatever I need in here" bag, mainly because it has some pockets and dividers that help keep things orderly--but not too orderly.

What I'd really like, and can't seem to find at any reasonable price, are a couple of old fashioned TOOL ROLLS. Plain canvas tool rolls with either pockets or decent elastic webbing in them. Seems like they've gone out of style except for some high-priced sources, but somewhere in China, someone must be stitching them up and selling yard long ones for under ten bucks a piece. Surely, somewhere.
 
#27 ·
What I'd really like, and can't seem to find at any reasonable price, are a couple of old fashioned TOOL ROLLS. Plain canvas tool rolls with either pockets or decent elastic webbing in them. Seems like they've gone out of style except for some high-priced sources, but somewhere in China, someone must be stitching them up and selling yard long ones for under ten bucks a piece. Surely, somewhere.
Hellosailor,

I make those, for example I have a roll that I use for different sized diodes, very small, put the diodes in and then roll them up. Really easy to make if you can sew. I use ripstop nylon for the ones I have made but I would use canvas or a heavier nylon for big tools and such.
 
#28 ·
Separate boxes for electrical versus non-electrical. I've actually moved *every* tool I have from the house to the boat, and then moved back those I didn't need. Especially when on the hard, I just work on the boat so much more than the house now. (That needs to change a bit. I have a gutter to put back up, and there are other things. Those can wait until sailing season is over.)

For the electrical kit, I have a good multimeter and a few things that others haven't mentioned: protoboard and an assortment of integrated circuits, logic gates, op-amps, voltage controllers, and (my 2 personal favorites) 555 timers and different sized 12v relays. Add resistors, capacitors, choke/coils of various sizes, led lights, and you can make some useful devices. Like something that keeps your blower on for 5 minutes after you shut down the engine.

Add a remote car starter curcuit and you can have your nav lights flash on and off so you can find your boat at a busy anchorage. (I'm just saying.... you could build it.)

I built an underwater metal detector last year, for finding abandoned moorings and such underwater, but I never got the time to tune it. I really needed an oscilliscope to do that, so I guess for me that's my "other tool" that you find you don't have. (I really should get one, I suppose.)

I don't have it but I've been tempted to get one of those things that you attach to an outlet in your home. It has a small remote that makes a noise when near the outlet's circuit breaker. It helps you determine which circuit breaker is associated with that outlet. That device would be useful for tracing wires on your boat.

Dielectric grease. 2 colors of electrical tape (red and black). 2 spools of 14 guage marine wire (1 red, 1 black). A 50 foot piece of household-type wire -- useful when testing things that are far apart with some temporary power. If it is long enough you could help jump start another boat's engine. A 3 foot piece of thick, 2 guage wire for jumping your house battery to your starting battery. (On our boat they are 2 completely separate circuits except for a common ground. The house's Gel cells at a slightly higher voltage than regular lead-acid, which makes for easier jump starts.) Jumper cables so your wife can jump the batteries when you aren't there -- becuase you have to hold the 3 foot red wire "just so" or else it doesn't work.

Digital camera (the one on the phone works for this) - for when a mirror just won't do. It's how I reached up and "saw" the top of my mast recently. It's how I "read' the model number off the charger that is on the side that I can't read because I can't get my head over there. And I may use it to "see" into the bilge area next to the shower sump. (Either that spot has it's own separate bilge or there's a blockage preventing water in that part of the bilge from flowing to the deep part of the bilge.)

30 feet of garden hose. To siphon water in when you want to clean the bilge. (Hint - Bilge pumps use a lot of power. If you are doing a thorough cleaning, turn your engine on first. Also see the jumper-cable paragraph.) You can also connect the garden hose to a pump of any kind. E.g. wrap electrical tape around the end, lightly overlapping the end, and you've made a softer end that will seat onto the shower drain opening. Turn on your shower sump, hold it firmly onto the drain hole, and you can pump water out from other places on the boat. You want to use a different hose than the one you fill your tanks with.

Spare fiberglass mesh and epoxy kit. With all the trimmings and fillers

Spare injectors, belts, engine hoses -- I guess this is another thread maybe. Extra zincs for heat exchanger, prop shaft, any where else. Extra prop, prop nut, retaining-rig/cotter pin or whatever holds the prop on. (See lost prop thread). Stilson wrench for putting prop back on.

I know Billyruff'n keeps a scuba tank onboard too. That's useful for situations with the prop, or clearing an anchor that got wedged somewhere. Ad mask and fins even if you don't have a scuba tank.

"Kitchen" serrated knife. (Was it CD that got flack for saying he "got a knife from his kitchen" ?? Turns out it was from his land based "galley", so it really was a kitchen.) The serated knife is for freeing a prop from lobster pot lines.

Rigging tension device -- so you know the tension of rigging and can tighten/loosen accordingly.

Manuals on everything -- engine, transmission, windlass, radios, etc. Get the detailed ones with parts lists.

I'm considering these too:

IR temperature detector -- for detecting hot spots on your engine or exhaust.

A spare, self priming pump -- useful for so many things.
 
#30 ·
Many great responses and suggestions above.

Here's one nobody's mentioned:



I use this puppy all the time. It really does fit in the palm of your hand. It'll take any 1/4" hex shank bit, so in addition to screwdriver bits you can use nut driver, allen key, torx, etc. Even many of the keyless chuck drill bits use 1/4" hex shanks, and this is great for boring pilot holes in wood.
 
#33 ·
Knee pads!
 
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