onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

[wca_tim]

I was looking at how much weight I've been carying around trying to lighten things up and realized that I've been carrying around over 80 pounds of tools - pretty much enought to all but tear down the entire engine and outdrive. Add spare prop, battery jump starter, and other assorted stuff, and I had a good sized spare person in the engine compartment or my 18 ft I/O.

What are the most important things to have along when heading out? (I'm talking the stuf you leave in the boat for emergency repaits, and assume the coast gaurd and safety stuff is handled.) Assume it's for in I/O...

Just curious what some others think on this. I'm trying to get rid of uneeded cargo, but don't want to forget anything. I also figured some folks might have some interesting / cool things that I would never think of.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

fuses, adjustable wrench, multi tip screwdriver, needle nose pliers vhf radio or cell phone. duct tape. first aid kit.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

I like to carry a voltage meter

 

[AguaSki]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

For my garage I look good quality tools that can be used for the purpose they were designed for. My attitude is much different on the boat because like you I am trying to minimize weight. For my boat tool kit I am always looking for clever multi-purpose tools that can do more than one job. Adjustable wrench's instead of a socket set for example. I also like a good quality Leatherman because it packs a bunch of tools into a single device. I admit the multi-purpose type tools are not desirable for normal maintenance jobs, but I am looking for my on board tool kit to be just good enough to get me out of a bad situation, and I am willing to improvise a bit while I am on the water. By using multi-functioning tools, I have managed to get all my on board tools to fit into a small toilet travel bag.

 

[Lakester]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

hello~

TOOLs

i have tools from 4" adjustable wrench [largest is 18"] and 2" screwdriver... [largest is 30"] up and to include mills, drill presses and even an engine lathe ... and just about most hand tools x 2, also.

my favorite tool pack is the one i always have with me if traveling to ranch, on road or around house. i got it as a present. ugh i thot! junk tools!! but turned out to be a very nice forged set. some tools like small screw driver dint go distance, but the rest have been bulletproof over the past 15 years or so. has:

SAE and metric sockets, wrenches, allens, and related tools a "tool guy" would like. it folds up to about 1' square. i will take it with me on every boating outing. i may augment it with some electrical stuff like light tester and some tape. i really do like this tool kit as i has a lot of mechanical leverage built into it, and... it has a lot of utility, also. recently i had a water pump go out while at ranch. started clacking and howling. so i pulled entire front of engine off, fuel pump, radiator etc... and engine accessories with this kit. i only had to use an 11/16, not in kit, for a nut on the air pump.

but i hope it will be just a redundant 'passenger' onboard. hope not to have to use it out on the water... [fingers x'd!]

for a portable tool kit, i like a compact, well organized set that folds nicely and can be ezily stowed away. i dont like loose tools in a box, nor do i like rusty tools... at all!

i have noted sears' ads this holiday season and they have offered what appear to be some nice portable took kits.

regards,
lakester

 

[Silvertip]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

The list of tools will be very greatly depending on the mechanical and electrical diagnostic and repair ability of the person who must use them. No sense dragging a bunch of stuff along that you have no idea how to use. There are lots of people that do not know which end of a screwdrive to hold. So the question one needs to ask yourself is "what am I capable of fixing on the water?". Then carry the tools that are needed to do the job. If you learn the systems on your boat and how they work, you will have a better chance of detecting problems and fixing them before you go out. Your tools list can be very short if you are an inland lake boater and never leave sight of land. Chances are you are within shouting distance of another boater who would tow you anywhere you wanted to go for one two of your extra adult beverages. Your list gets longer if you frequent open water but the most important item on the list is "knowledge". Mechanical breakdowns happen and you are not likely to have the parts with you anyway so why carry the tools for that job on the boat. All of the tools and parts I carry are in a water proof ammo box about 4 inches wide, 8 inches high and about 12 inches long. It contains a few lengths of wire, fuses, tie wraps, electrical tape, spark plugs & wrench, a VOM, a phillips and flat blade screwdriver, pliers, adjustable wrench, prop nut and and prop nut wrench. They have been out of the box only to fix another boat -- usually belonging to my fishing buddy who doesn't know which end of a screwdriver to hold -- and he admits it with a smile. A separate and more important item to carry is a good emergency first aid kit.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

Cell phone and Unlimited Towing.

 

[Lakester]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

hello,

these are good tips. think i will add a fuse or two... and include my 10' 4,000 psi lift strap.

regards

lakester

 

[HighTrim]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

Depending on the waters navigated and the distance out as stated, this list can change greatly. But assuming you are talking lake boating, I also carry fairly heavy gauge booster cables and the marine booster pack. Have never needed them myself, but have got fellow boaters on their way on Silver stated, and earned myself a brown bubbly pop for my efforts

 

[Coors]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

Per silvertip; I used to carry an engine rebuild set of tools. Useless waste .
If it can't be fixed in 30 minutes, the 30 lbs of other tools are useless.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

All of these are good suggestions. The only one I'd like to add is a good sharp swiss army knife. I never go anywhere without mine.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

Great question and great thread. I might add a quart of gas and a couple ounces of oil... both could be very useful out on the lake.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

I spend most of my times these days in the Tar / Pamlico river areas of north carolina. there are often times when I am out of sight of other boats for realitively long periods of time - probably something to do with the fact that we spend time on the watter all year round.

One of the reasons this has come up is that I'm finding that I virtually never use the tools I have been takinng along, but am kind of afraid to stop carrying them just in case something goes wrong, by the same token, time to lighten the load a bit...

I'm surprised no one has mentioned things like... hose clamps, duct tape (I've been amazed at how long duct tape will hold on a radiator / cooling hose in an emergency), electrical tape, a few jumper wires to go with the multimeter (emergency electrical repair til get home), prop nut wrench, spare prop nut to go along with the spare prop, those in addition to many of the above...

others?

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

Something to tighten any electrical connections and some strong tape and some extra rope.

 

[Csalt]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

Here are a few things I carry:
Extra alt/power steering belt
Engine hose/splice/clamps
LED headlamp
Quart of oil
Zip ties
Epoxy/JB weld
It's always nice to be prepared.

 

[Expidia]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

A search for tool kit at Iboats turned up no kits . . . but I picked up a decent 30 piece marine tool kit in a plastic case at West as a loss leader in one of their ads for $19.99. A search with the words "tool kit" shows they still have it now as a featured product on sale for $29.99.

I used it just last month to winterize my boat and was surprised how good the quality was. Just keep it dry so the tools won't rust. I keep the whole case inside a plastic bag.

Nice part of this kit is when I'm not on my boat, I keep it in my car's trunk.

All I had to do was add a corkscrew, which was the only thing it was lacking

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

Complete set of regular sockets. complete set of deep sockets, 2 3/8 drive rachets, one 3/8 breaker bar, one long and one short extension, one swivel, one plug socket.

One complete set of combination wrenches. Misc specialty wrenches for those hard to reach places.

One complete set of screwdrivers, straight slot & Philips.

Three vise grips, different sizes.

One pair channel locks, one pair "dikes," one pair needle nose, one pair square head pliers.

One spare set of spark plugs, misc wire, electrical tape, small bunch of wire ties, duct tape, cotter keys, wire terminals & splices, about a half dozen bolts and nuts of different sizes, tube of grease, rope with t-handle for manual start. Probably a couple of other things that I am forgetting about.

And a partidge in a pear tree (hey! It's Christmas!)

 

[maxturbo]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

2 things other than my tool kit is a test light which you can get for like 1.99 to check for power and ground and a circuit breaker. If a fuse blows i would put the circuit breaker in and see if it pops. If it does than that tells me i have a short. Cause no sense in carring fuses if you have a short. Theyll just keep blowing. Once you determine where the short is than you can put a regular fuse in.
A roll of electrical tape would come in handy too. Just my 2 cents

 

[aspeck]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

A Philips and straight screw driver, vice-grips, duct tape, chewing gum, and don't forget the hammer!

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: onboard tool kit... what's needed / in yours?

If you do a lot of off-shore boating, a life-sized, painted to match toy M16 can be useful. Nothing says I'm not an easy target to criminals like the silhouette of someone holding what appears to be a perfectly functioning assault riffle. Probably more useful if you boat in wreck-rich waters where neffarious activity seems to converge.