What's in YOUR toolbag?

bluewatersailor

Hi, all -

As a newbie to gas-powered jet boats, I'm in the (rather intense) middle of the learning process about What I Need To Know. I've lived aboard, and worked on, diesel-powered sailboats for the last 20+ years, but have little to no experience with these beasties.

There's not a whole lot of space aboard my little Rocket, so I'm trying to keep everything small and compact - but I would still like to have a nice, complete bag of tools for servicing it when (not if, but when) things go wrong. So, I'd love to hear what the rest of you folks - especially those who are seriously mechanically-inclined - carry on board. (Hey, if we manage to come up with The Ultimate Boat Toolbag, I'll ask the mods to make it a sticky here in the forum... and I'll be happy to stand any Tampa-area contributors to it a beer. Sounds like an all-around win to me. )

So: what's in your toolbag?

randy56

welcome to the forum, Tools -  Advil, tums, complete set of sockets, ratchets, screw drivers, nut drivers, mirror on long handle, tape, ss screws, fuses, various electric connectors,  Teflon tape,  knife's, pry bar, wire, wire ties, wire cuter, set of end wenches, channel locks, 2 sizes of crescent wrench, few light bulbs, flashlight, oil, outdrive oil, there's probably more. tough to fix something if you do not have the parts. 

reneechris14

Same as @randy56 and a bottle of scotch. 

bluewatersailor

reneechris14 said:

Same as @randy56 and a bottle of scotch. 

Well, heck... whadja bother bringing all the other stuff for, then?
Sounds like a one shot - OK, a six-shot - solution to all problems. Too bad it's only temporary!

Dream_Inn

I have a socket set containing 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 in ratchets with extensions and deep sockets as well.  All of them lock separately in so they're easy to find and stay in place.  Also in that same kit are screwdriver bits and hex/allen bits that fit both in a screwdriver style handle or the ratchet set.  Also I have a chapman tool set, channel locks, vise grips, socket that fits my prop (for removal).  Set of wrenches, also individually locked into the same set mentioned above.  Larger set of wrenches that are separate from above, but not used as often.  Electrical butt connectors, rescue tape (well, I guess I'm going off on a tangent, since these are spares, not really tools).

Let's see, I also have pliers, side cutters, bolt cutters, wire strippers and crimpers.  Hand impact screwdriver tool (I've had to use this many times for removing the gear lube screws on outdrives).  I guess that is about it.  I try to do most of my maintenance and those tools seem to cover most items. 

Another boating fried that I do a lot of work with has a small electric impact screwdriver that works really well at quickly removing screws or bolts (I've gotta get one).

And always a bottle of rum when the job is done!

bluewatersailor

randy56 said:

welcome to the forum

Thanks - a pleasure to be here!

Tools -  Advil, tums

I like the fact that you think of these as tools. They'll come in useful for fixing the loose nut between the steering wheel and the throttle on my boat, I suppose...

I actually carry a whole first-aid kit; once you've had crew stabbed in the hand by a saltwater catfish, or got their toes mashed by a windlass (while they were operating it), you start kinda overpacking that kind of thing. I'm with you on the spares, too: as a cruising sailor in the Caribbean, I always carried a spare alternator, starter, shifter and throttle cables, and enough other stuff to sink my little Rocket. Here, I think I'll just stick with a set of plugs and plug wires for spares - unless I see something that's really useful and small mentioned here.

bluewatersailor

bluewatersailor said:

So: what's in your toolbag?

Now that I'm thinking about it, I suppose I should post my own list:




Small and large ViseGripsDual (1/4" & 3/8") ratchetSmall and large adjustable wrenches7 1/2" prybarCam-action needlenose pliers w/cutterOffset screwdriverElectrical cutters/strippers/crimpersMulti-bit screwdriverStubby multi-bit ratcheting screwdriver350-lumen headlamp
Long, thin #2 Phillips screwdriver
16-oz hammerSAE stubby wrenchesMeter with leads and jumpers with alligator clips (black box)

• WaterWeld epoxy
• Gorilla duct tape
• Hanger strap
• Teflon tape
• Rescue tape
• Velcro cinch straps
• Electrical rubber mastic tape
• Whipping twine

Not shown: 16" Husky toolbag with a high-power LED flashlight, a small bottle of Gorilla Glue, a bunch of 12" tie wraps, and spare electrical wire in its three outside pockets. All of the above except the Ziploc bag fits comfortably into it, and leaves a bit of room for extras.

I'll also be adding a Clamp-Tite tool and some stainless lashing wire, as well as a couple of spare plugs and long plug wires when I get to a store tomorrow.

rmfriday

i have the following in a small 3 drawer tool box:
extra serpentine belt
3/8" socket set
screw drivers
channel locks
impeller(boat motors and generator)
MSHA tape
fuses
electrical connectors
3M 5200
line wrenches
spark plugs for the generator
wd40
di-electric grease
I am sure i am forgetting a few thing but i have enough to get me out of most jams i might get myself into. The one thing i would stress would be having extra belts on board, i can be the difference between a tow in and a ice day on the water. 

LaRea

For working in tight places, such as changing the raw water impeller, you can't beat a set of indexing ratcheting wrenches like this:



I keep two boxes of stainless steel bolts, nuts, washers and sheet metal screws.  Every time I buy fasteners, I buy extras for the collection.  It has saved me many, many trips to the store.

And zip ties ... LOTS of zip ties!

davidbrooks

Gotta agree with everyone. Have to add multimeter, 14 g wire, Allen wrenches, movers blanket, magnetic grabber for the 1000 times you drop stuff in the bilge.

mattie

Bluewatersailor - there’s not a scratch on that stuff!

Willhound

Flashlights in several configurations and extra batteries. Old eyes ain't what they used to be. 

bluewatersailor

mattie said:

Bluewatersailor - there’s not a scratch on that stuff!

Spotted that, did you? I wasn't about to share my RV tools, and certainly not the motorcycle kit; the Rocket gets its own set!
Yeah, the Home Despot bit a chunk out of my wallet yesterday... but hey, it's a boat. And decent quality tools are way up the "must-haves" list - not optional.

That's why I figured I'd start this thread: should be of use to other newbies, as well as reminding them of what's really important.

bluewatersailor

Willhound said:

Flashlights in several configurations and extra batteries. Old eyes ain't what they used to be. 

Heck yeah. At one point, I had a flashlight habit like other people have a heroin habit: never met a new (LED) flashlight that I didn't like, and wanted to cuddle them and take them all home. Then I realized that I just needed to put up permanent lighting in places where I needed to see to work, and always have good-quality flashlights to hand. West Marine has some great retainer clips for mounting flashlights, and now I'm free of the monkey in my back.

Except now, I've got a heck of a battery bill...

(Just kidding. LED flashlights are great on batteries, of course.)

trip_n

 i notice a dirty ratchet.......ewwwwww

bluewatersailor

trip_n said:

 i notice a dirty ratchet.......ewwwwww

That's it. I'm going away to die of shame now.



I have, um, a few spare tools (tell me if this tune sounds familiar: I'll lose a tool, go buy a replacement, and then find the original.) I figure that as long as I keep the total under 100 lbs,  and it all fits in the "garage" - one of the slideout trays in the RV basement - it's still within reason...

And hey, this is proof that they get used up as time goes on! (About three tools over the last 20 years, but we won't mention that part to the Admiral.)

dalek

Agree with everyone, especially about the magnetic grabber. I have never completed any job on the boat without dropping something into the bilge.

Willhound

There is still a socket and short extension rolling around somewhere in between my waste tank and the side of the hull where I can't reach it.....the replacements are in the tool bag.

rasbury

I have ever thing under the sun...i have a grabber, I have a mirror on a stick, I have fuses and clamps and wire ties and heat shrink. I have sockets, the star type bits. I just have odds and sods of collecting stuff in there for about 35 years and would not leave a piece of it behind!

Ian

Zip ties, rescue tape of a couple of types, whipping cord, an old wire coat hanger or 2 and some spare rags just in case. And the LED headlamp the wife picked up for me is one of the most useful tools even after putting up an LED strip under the lip of the engine bay. 

randy56

I'm afraid to ask, (BUT) what is whipping cord? 

Ian

The cord used to dress the ends of a rope to prevent fraying or unraveling. I was told it was called whipping cord and is a thin string that has what appears to be a wax coating. In this they use twine. https://youtu.be/wECupgmIJio

davidbrooks

Learn something new every day.  My first thought was kids... as in "if you don't stop I'm going to get my whipping cord".

Bizmark

Some rosin core solder and one of those BIC Lighter torches. Fast and efficient for all those wiring jobs..

MarkB

Haven't read everything, just adding to randy56's first post:

- quick ties, heavy duty

- electrical tape

- fuses (check what your boat has and carry at least one spare of each type).

- extra batteries (again check, for flash lights, tools, etc).

- multi-meter (AC/DC, with illuminated screen).

- head lamp (helpful when working in the dark, so you don't need to hold a flash light).

- alan keys.

bluewatersailor

icoultha said:

Zip ties, rescue tape of a couple of types, whipping cord, an old wire coat hanger or 2 and some spare rags just in case. And the LED headlamp the wife picked up for me is one of the most useful tools even after putting up an LED strip under the lip of the engine bay. 

A coat hanger! Great reminder; a length of stiff wire can be really useful. I've always used SS TIG welding rod: it comes in 36" lengths, and if you make a tiny loop on the end of two rods and bend them at 90º, you can slide them through each other and have an almost 6'-long section. Given that I used to pull alarm wire for a living, it's crazy for me to have forgotten something like that!

(Oh, and from the same domain: for anyone who needs to troubleshoot long runs of wire - you know, the kind of thing you get on a boat - I recommend getting familiar with a "fox and hound" rig, a.k.a. "toner and probe". You can easily trace a wire run through a wall with a good one.)