In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

x-no-archive:yes "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:

Well, the reality approaches, and while I have a pretty well equipped
landside tools and spares selection ("Dad's hardware store"), I'm curious
what those who have done it would suggest.

This is what was written on the subject on the CSY list about 3 years
ago. This guy also had a 4-154 before he repowered.

The tools are
separated by type and usage. The commonly used tools are stored in a ready
service canvas tool bag fitted with pouches and pockets, this takes care of
the vast majority of the day to day projects.

I second the separation by type and usage, but have an even smaller
"first" kit: Right at the companionway is a small, bright red box with
the most common open-end wrenches, a 4-in-1 screwdriver, eyeglass kit,
rigging knife, chisel, adjustable wrench, Channel-Loks, allen wrenchs
and raw water impeller. Nearby is a Racor filter. That kit handles most
of the quick and emergency jobs. It's easy to tell anyone to hand me the
"x" in the red box in the top drawer; both Pat and I find it easy to
return those tools whenever they escape. The real tools are in other
kits stowed low in the center of the boat.

Oh: On our outboard's gas can is a dedicated kit + 2 prop pins & spark
plugs. Coulda used that kit a couple of times on charter.

There are probably hundreds of "spares" and "tools" lists, so I'll just
mention our odd ones.

A *neat* unusual tool I got is sort of a cross between a Stilson (I
think) adjustable wrench and a socket wrench. Two "V" shaped jaws in
line with the handle, one of them on an adjustable thumb screw. Will
open to about 2" and studs fit through the frame between the jaws. It
works surprisingly well, and outperformed sockets a couple of times
since the effort is in line, not offset -- particularly if I had to go
at it with a deep socket to clear a stud.

Though I have all sorts of sanders, the only one on the boat is a 5"
flexible spindle that chucks into the drill. Does a great semi-finish
job of sanding and doesn't gouge or scallop. (Sears has an inexpensive
version with a rubber mount; some high-end outfit makes one with a
universal joint.) Use it for buffing, too.

An amazing prop "puller": Brass "knob" that threads onto the shaft.
Smack it once or twice and the prop's free.

1/2" hand impact driver with screwdriver bits (at Sears or motorcycle
shop). Sometimes will extract screws with rounded-off slots. Don't
bother with special sockets, though. Get Craftsman or similar and trade
in the rare one that breaks.

All sockets should be 6 point. A 2-3 foot 3/8" socket extension can be
very useful when rebedding deck gear.

Sometimes a honkin big pipe wrench is just the ticket on an old boat --
but don't expect to use that part again.

We carry a "universal" "V" belt; the type that you cut to size. Haven't
had a belt break in 10 years, but a friend got home with ours once.

A cheap Radio Shack digital multimeter is far more useful than any
analog one. Get two and seal one against corrosion.

The manual slam-with-a-hammer crimping tool for big cables. Cable and
lugs aren't tough to find, but they aren't worth much if you can't
attach them properly.

Loos gauge, if one will work with your shrouds (not sure if they work
for rod). I check ours about monthly; indicated a problem that I found
was a dry-rotted compression post that I hadn't noticed until I looked
carefully. I marked the various tensions on the gauge to assist fallable
memory.

Squeeze-bulb siphon. I built ours so it can also be temporarily inserted
into the fuel line to help bleed down or diagnose the system. With the
fittings taken off, it sucked the junk out of the bottom of the tank.
Can also replace the outboard's fuel line.

Hand bilge pump. Ours empties the ice box, bilge, dink and so forth.
Handier than I expected. Fits in pretty much no space, but I wish I got
one with more than 2' of hose.

Spares, seldom used tools & all my electrical stuff go into metal ammo
boxes. Yes, the steel can rust, but they seal much better and are more
durable than anything else I've found. Don't forget something to lable
the boxes.

Personally, I go for small vs sexy: I love those fancy oil suckers, but
they're 10-20 times bigger than the brass hand pump that does the job in
10 minutes (with 20 minutes of clean-up ;-) Lust after a 1 gallon shop
vac, but a sponge and bucket gets it drier. Love the 174 piece
everything-in-its-place kits, but can put the 50 I actually use in a
10th of the space.

Re-evaluate your needs year or two into your trip: Any tools that you
don't use for a year or two probably aren't needed and can be sold or
bartered. Those Leatherman tools *sound* good, but ours stayed home one
Spring after a couple years' attempted use. Same with the standard
pliers and survival knife.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Get a set of magnetic trays for holding screws/nuts, etc. Cheap and worth
every
penny. Also a couple of GOOD worklights.


That wouldn't work since 90% of the screws and bolt are non magnetic. The
only that are, are on the engine..

I don't like to have anything magnetic around the boat. Ya never know where
it might end up being stored and that would mess up the compass
compensation..

--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Get a set of magnetic trays for holding screws/nuts, etc. Cheap and worth
every
penny. Also a couple of GOOD worklights.


That wouldn't work since 90% of the screws and bolt are non magnetic. The
only that are, are on the engine..

I don't like to have anything magnetic around the boat. Ya never know where
it might end up being stored and that would mess up the compass
compensation..

--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Steve wrote:


Get a set of magnetic trays for holding screws/nuts, etc. Cheap and worth
every
penny. Also a couple of GOOD worklights.


That wouldn't work since 90% of the screws and bolt are non magnetic. The
only that are, are on the engine..

I don't like to have anything magnetic around the boat. Ya never know where
it might end up being stored and that would mess up the compass
compensation..

--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

it was engine work that I was thinking of.

You asked for suggestions....


--

Don't like the looks of nudists? Complain to the manufacturer.

Steve wrote:


Get a set of magnetic trays for holding screws/nuts, etc. Cheap and worth
every
penny. Also a couple of GOOD worklights.


That wouldn't work since 90% of the screws and bolt are non magnetic. The
only that are, are on the engine..

I don't like to have anything magnetic around the boat. Ya never know where
it might end up being stored and that would mess up the compass
compensation..

--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

it was engine work that I was thinking of.

You asked for suggestions....


--

Don't like the looks of nudists? Complain to the manufacturer.

Anyone have plans (showing dimensions) for the Stearn Sailboat Systems
(defunct) Backstay Tensioner. My O-ring phenolic nipple shattered and I need
to get dimensions to have another one built (or pay $700 for a new Backstay
Tensioner).

art

Anyone have plans (showing dimensions) for the Stearn Sailboat Systems
(defunct) Backstay Tensioner. My O-ring phenolic nipple shattered and I need
to get dimensions to have another one built (or pay $700 for a new Backstay
Tensioner).

art

x-no-archive:yes

Dazed and Confuzed wrote:
Steve wrote:

Get a set of magnetic trays for holding screws/nuts, etc. Cheap and worth
every
penny. Also a couple of GOOD worklights.

That wouldn't work since 90% of the screws and bolt are non magnetic. The
only that are, are on the engine..

I don't like to have anything magnetic around the boat. Ya never know where
it might end up being stored and that would mess up the compass
compensation.
--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

it was engine work that I was thinking of.

You asked for suggestions....

Actually it was Skip and not Steve who asked. But I agree - NO
MAGNETIC TRAYS. Too easy to screw up your compass on which you
depend. And there's more than one compass if you have an autopilot -
at least ours has a fluxgate compass under the aft cabin berth.

You don't really need a magnetic tray for engine work anyway - all
that stuff is going to be down in the bilge and probably won't fall
overboard.

grandma Rosalie

x-no-archive:yes

Dazed and Confuzed wrote:
Steve wrote:

Get a set of magnetic trays for holding screws/nuts, etc. Cheap and worth
every
penny. Also a couple of GOOD worklights.

That wouldn't work since 90% of the screws and bolt are non magnetic. The
only that are, are on the engine..

I don't like to have anything magnetic around the boat. Ya never know where
it might end up being stored and that would mess up the compass
compensation.
--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

it was engine work that I was thinking of.

You asked for suggestions....

Actually it was Skip and not Steve who asked. But I agree - NO
MAGNETIC TRAYS. Too easy to screw up your compass on which you
depend. And there's more than one compass if you have an autopilot -
at least ours has a fluxgate compass under the aft cabin berth.

You don't really need a magnetic tray for engine work anyway - all
that stuff is going to be down in the bilge and probably won't fall
overboard.

grandma Rosalie

Skip: I sent you my spares inventory off list in a Word document, if your
e-mail isn't spoofed. The most useful thing I have on board is a good
cordless drill. As far as "special" tools, I have one of those big razor
cutters that looks like a big pair of scissors, but with a long razor blade
on one side as the cutter. I use it all the time for hoses, ropes, etc. I
also use an infrared thermometer to take all kinds of temp measurements.
Things like the alternator, each injector on the ME, the shaft log, the A/C
units, etc. I have a HUGE crescent wrench, 24" I think that is worth it's
weight in gold occasionally. A chain type vise grip gets used sometimes;
almost nothing else will do. I also have a strap wrench that gets used
fairly often. I have a Fein multimaster that is great for finish sanding,
working on teak decks, and other things.

--


Keith
__
"My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to
be an uncle or an aunt."
-Chuck Nevitt , North Carolina State basketball player,
explaining to Coach Jim Valvano why he appeared nervous at
practice, 1982.
"Skip Gundlach" wrote in
message ink.net...
Well, the reality approaches, and while I have a pretty well equipped
landside tools and spares selection ("Dad's hardware store"), I'm curious
what those who have done it would suggest.

It's a 46 foot ketch with a Perkins 4-154 and a Northern Lights 8kw
genset,
both in the "mature hours" segment of their lives but surveyed as sound.
It
has the usual assortment of electrical stuff which I hope to mostly keep
happy with ample solar and some wind generation plus more storage than is
currently (pardon the pun - about 440AH) available, as peace and quiet is
high on my list (vs running engines and gensets). Unfortunately to my
taste, a great deal of the electric stuff is 110, but it's got lots of
inverter capability, so the trick will be to keep power happening (see
solar, etc., peace and quiet, above).

The storage available is pretty good, so space isn't a particular
challenge,
though, of course, every boat has a limit. For at least the expected
first
year, we'll be island hopping, working our way from Ft. Lauderdale or
equivalent to Trinidad or so, and back to our expected Saint Thomas base,
ETD/ETA Nov 04/05.

So, the question is, for a full-time cruising boat equipped as above, what
tools and spares would you bring along? Would you bring specialized tools
(such as some electronic diagnostic/reading stuff) or spares (ability to
rebuild stuff)? If they're not commonly available, I'd appreciate
sources,
as well.

Thanks...

L8R

Skip and Lydia

--
"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a clear
night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize that you are
quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to you that in the
general scheme of things you are merely an insignificant speck on the
surface of the ocean; and are not nearly so important or as
self-sufficient
as you thought you were. Which is an exceedingly wholesome thought, and
one
that may effect a permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly
appreciated by your friends."- James S. Pitkin