Depending on how you use your boat, there may be a difference between what you have onboard and what you have in your dock box (or car).
Following up on what Bill added, I have two or three of those grabby things in different lengths (sometimes 3 feet doesn’t reach). It’s helpful to have the kind with a light at the end. Re: the hammer, I have one of those orange, plastic coated mallets on board that comes in handy a lot. Although not really a “tool,” Shawn noted that he has a dinghy battery for starting if necessary. Based on Bill’s advice a few years ago, I keep a 3000-amp NOCO boost jump starter on board. I haven’t needed it to start the boat, but I’ve used it for other purposes and lent it to several friends to start boats and cars. I keep it in my car in the winter. Matt C&C 42 Custom From: Bill Coleman via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 4:36 PM To: Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Bill Coleman <colt...@gmail.com> Subject: Stus-List Re: Minimum list of Tools to be kept onboard a boat Wow Shawn,, someone who probably has more tools on their boat than me! A couple others I find useful, are the little 3 foot cable thingies that you depress the end with your thumb, and the other end picks up the screw you dropped in the bilge - I also have two sizes of hemostats, regular and pointy end vice grips, and a rawhide hammer, and a 2# Copper Hammer. No steel hammer. And of course, a forehead mounted miners light. One more thing I have to mention is lithium batteries. I have ruined more lights and instruments by using alkaline batteries, that I just took them off the boat. I used to think I would remember to remove the batteries from these in the fall, and come back in the spring to find them all corroded. There, I'll stop now. Bill Coleman Entrada, Erie PA On Wed, Nov 9, 2022 at 1:57 PM Shawn Wright via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > wrote: I carry a lot of tools, but did cull some of them after the first season, as many were duplicates which came with the boat but were of inferior quality, or were badly corroded. I have a large plastic toolbox with: complete screwdriver set (plus a good multi tip driver), (3 each of standard, philips and roberston, plus roberston #0 for small trim screws). Complete wrench set both metric and SAE in a wrap. A wrap of custom made wrenches for the boat, made for hard to access bits on the engine, supplied by PO. Needle nose pliers, channel locks, side cutters, crescent wrenches. Several metal files, hacksaw with spare metal cutting blades. Set of allen keys. Small hammer. Tap and die set with common sizes (full set I leave at home). In addition, I have a decent sized ratchet set in a case with 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" drive sockets both metric and SAE up to 22mm, along with torx and hex sockets. I also have 3 plastic bins with electrical tools (meter, soldering iron, crimpers, etc), connectors and wire, although could probably cull down to one, but I always seem to have several minor electrical mods on the todo list. I would rate this category *very* highly, as it takes very little space, but can make the difference when something electrical goes wrong. I also have a set of 18V tools (circular saw, recip saw, drill, hammer drill, flashlight) that I use for projects, but keep only the drill and light aboard when sailing. Good set of drill bits as well. Spare parts for nearly everything: starter, alternator, engine belts, water pump, impellers, glow plugs, engine coolant premixed, zincs for engine and shaft, macerator pump, water pressure pump. Large assortment of SS fasteners, shackles, etc. We have an electric dinghy motor which charges off solar, and the battery is capable of starting the main engine in the event of total battery failure. So far, I've only had to use it to jump start the car after leaving it for several months... :) Depends on where you sail, but we are often out 4-6 weeks at a time in fairly remote areas, so being self-sufficient is important. -- Shawn Wright shawngwri...@gmail.com <mailto:shawngwri...@gmail.com> S/V Callisto, 1974 C&C 35 https://www.facebook.com/SVCallisto On Wed, Nov 9, 2022 at 10:34 AM CHARLES SCHEAFFER via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > wrote: I've been helping a friend get his sailboat together and it's his first boat and he never has the right handtools, so I bring my own toolbag. I wonder if anyone ever put together a list of hand tools to be kept on the boat that I could share with him. I also need to remove some unnecessary tools as the bag has gotten heavier over time. Thanks in advance, Chuck S
