On-board tool list

[Dave Neptune]

Tom, the "floss" is a great idea. I have not seen an O-ring fashioned before. I have seen braided fishing line used as a temporary packing though.

One important thing to me is a "rechargeable Dremel set". It has saved my but more than once.

Another is a big "nylon" hammer, for knocking things loose and causing no dents or major collateral damage.

The coated aluminum clothes wire is light and easy to bend, twist and tie. It also makes a great hook for grabbing and an excellent rod for poking out lines. The coating works good in case you have to poke around electrical stuff. I even use it cruising to hold things out of the way, an easy fabrication that won't rust or mar surfaces.

One more specialty tool is a "magna-visor", you can magnify and still have both hands.

That leaves the shot glass, it is actually metal.

Dave Neptune

[joe_db]

and because I had to use them once... I would never leave the dock without a good set of those, knowing exactly where they are stored.

I haven't used mine on my boat for an emergency yet, but I have used them to change seacocks without hauling the boat and I have used them to save other boats.

[Administrator]

Thinking outside the box

GOOD first-aid kit
CPR face mask
Narcan
EpiPen

Plus this thought:

I sprained/strained my wrist trying to get a Racor element off.

These are ridiculous. I once had to sacrifice the filter element to replace the filter itself.

Bill

[joe_db]

GOOD first-aid kit
CPR face mask
Narcan
EpiPen

Plus this thought:


These are ridiculous. I once had to sacrifice the filter element to replace the filter itself.

Bill

This is why I use $12 Sierra filters now. They pay for themselves in not having to buy Ace bandages alone, let alone being cheaper filters
Speaking of toolkits for fixing people, I was at the drugstore stocking up for a Bermuda trip. It involved 3 kinds of antibiotics, 2 kinds of narcotics, scopalamine, and some other stuff. I was 16. When I handed the druggist the stack of prescriptions, he took a long look at me, and then said "Son, what kind of disease do you HAVE to need all this!"

[ronstory]

I think it would be interesting to see what tools you would leave at the dock if you were trying to 'live light' and will the goal of fixing most things to last for a few days until you can fix it right. In my case that means I would leave pull my 5 crimpers off and go with wirenuts. Yes, wirenuts are 'bad' on a boat... but IMO not if it's just get home.

Funny story. One time out 4-wheeling a wiring harness in a friends truck somehow got snagged and *then* somehow got pull into the open knuckle u-joint and just shredded (a million to one shot I never would have thought possible). While it started off as just headlight wires by the time it was done it had snaked in the part of the engine wiring harness as well and the truck was DOA in the middle of nowhere.

We were stealing bits of wire in pieces from other vehicles and their stereo/speaker, twisting wires and black tape to get enough engine wiring to make it go.

That's when I started putting the 20' of 4 conductor cheapo trailer wiring and wire nuts in all the rigs (and boat). With that, we could have not only got the engine running, but the headlights too.

[edwardc]

One addition I just made to my onboard toolkit after 10 years of cruising is a 3/8" flare nut wrench.

This was because a standard open-end wrench or an adjustable crescent wrench tends to round off the soft brass flare nuts on the carb's scavenge tube, making it almost impossible to remove in the tight confines of my engine compartment.

After struggling for over an hour to remove the damaged flare nut, I finallty wised-up and brought a flare nut wrench from home. It took it off on the first try.

I found a 3-wrench no-name set on Amazon for ~$12 and put it on the boat.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EFL0SHA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's nothing quite so satisfying as having the right tool for a job.

[idreamOfSailing]

which flaring tool to use?

A bit off topic but I don't know how to start a new thread (looked in FAQ to no avail). I'm thinking of moving the location of my oil gauge and so think I may as well redo the copper line from it to my OPSS. My question is, do I single-flare or double-flare the line terminals? Thanks.

[W2ET]

Scroll down this thread for a how-to re threads..

Bill