Your Most Essential DIY Boating Tool or Spare Part

[Tracy D'arth 561]

8 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

No one has mentioned an infrequent red thermometer yet.

 

Miss!  , Miss!  Please Miss!    I did!

Edited September 28, 2020 by Tracy D'arth

[Jen-in-Wellies 1595]

1 minute ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Miss!  , Miss!  Please Miss!    I did!

Sorry! I've clearly not read the entire thread.

[Tracy D'arth 561]

3 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Sorry! I've clearly not read the entire thread.

Well I thought I did, damn, loosing it again.

 

 

No, I did in post #2

Edited September 28, 2020 by Tracy D'arth

[TheBiscuits 3775]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Sorry! I've clearly not read the entire thread.

 

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I did in post #2

 

Not reading the whole thread is very common, but not reading the first two posts is impressive!

[MartynG 371]

Filters may be  best bought  a few at a time since  mail order charges are often fixed regardless of order size .  I have found some car filters that avoid the marine price tag.

When servicing the engine its usually only the oil that I need to buy in.

 

A filter wrench is probably a good investment . The choice may well be influenced by the boat and the ease or otherwise of reaching the filters.   Other tools such as spanners , screwdrivers I try not to keep in excessive quantity but have a selection that I use regularly  . A socket set is useful . I have added one off sockets for certain jobs.

 

A collection of electrical connectors is often useful . 

 

If you remove drive belt and it looks half reasonable then keep it as an emergency spare - this may ensure you will never ever need the spare 😀

 

[Ianws 50]

I’ve got one of these that are great for me working in the engine bay . Magnetic, flexible and bright. https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjtvM_33YzsAhVEze0KHYDeCc8YABAFGgJkZw&ae=1&ohost=www.google.co.uk&cid=CAASEuRom6vzfvA84wQwyEdq6PbTOw&sig=AOD64_3k9Vz7FKgyUWdYzpzRuPxMec6jZw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjBmcj33YzsAhXiWhUIHfxXCmgQwg96BAgLEBU&adurl=https://www.toolstoyou.com/sealey-led180-rechargeable-slim-folding-inspection-lamp-12-1-smd-led-lithium-ion%3Fgclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI7bzP992M7AIVRM3tCh2A3gnPEAQYAiABEgJxX_D_BwE

[WotEver 3160]

Shorter link:

https://www.toolstoyou.com/sealey-led180-rechargeable-slim-folding-inspection-lamp-12-1-smd-led-lithium-ion

[Tracy D'arth 561]

I have a couple of these-

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50W-LED-Light-Rechargeable-Car-Outdoor-Camping-Work-Torches-USB-Charging-Lamp/383595865820?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=651997144653&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Very cheap, very bright, solar charge or USB charge.

Great as an emergency tunnel light.

[Goliath 384]

Not a tool,

But I’d be at a loss without ‘Gorrila’ tape. 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Goliath

[WotEver 3160]

53 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Not a tool,

But I’d be at a loss without ‘Gorrila’ tape. 

It is The Force.  It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

[Hudds Lad 451]

i got one of those cheapy inspection cameras, can either be USB or WiFi so any flavour of phone or computer, waterproof & has a bright LED round the lens you can adjust or turn off, 5 metre cable which is sort of rigid but bendable. Thought it would be great for those end of cruise prop inspections or any wintery ones, and it kind of is once you get used to directing it.

Then we moved to Dunchurch and the water in the marina is so clear you can lift the weedhatch and see the prop, the rudder, passing fish and everything, so this year its stayed at home  

[MrsM 103]

Not a tool but useful:- our wardrobe is shallower than a household one. Normal size coat hangers are too wide. TKMaxx sell packs of children's coat hangers which fit perfectly. They are fine for hanging all our stuff and mean we can shut the doors more easily. 😄

[system 4-50 1104]

A spanner, of the right size, almost but not quite completely covered in insulating tape.

[Blue Knight 54]

My apologies to everyone for my absence but we've both been up to our eyeballs in helping a pal with his house project.  Our free labour certainly won't help us pay for any future boat repair bills 😁

 

Many thanks to everyone who has posted their advice and tips.  I'm quite a handy DIY'er at heart but I normally have a house load of tools available so having to select just a few things to fill the limited space onboard is the main challenge.

 

Thanks again for all of your help.

 

Regards,

 

Andrew

[Dav and Pen 353]

My daughter brought me a Swiss Army knife for my 60th some years ago Best thing ever and not many days when on board when it doesn’t get used.

[jetzi 219]

I love this thread and feel quite validated that I have one of almost all the items mentioned!

I'm not going to list the real basics like spanners, sockets, screwdrivers, a battery drill, a work light. Also not going to focus on essential locking gear that you need at least two each of - windlasses, handcuff key, CaRT watermate key. I don't keep lots of spares - I do have a spare bilge pump and enough of all consumables to service my engine at least twice at any given time - but this thread has made me think I should probably pick up a couple of other things (a spare freshwater pump and a spare cable for my gearbox control in particular).  @Tracy D'arth makes me feel woefully underprepared with "alternator, starter motor, one injector, a fuel solenoid, and a gasket set for the injection pump and a head set"!!! But it makes me think - I'd be (fairly literally) up the creek without a paddle if the starter motor went. 

I'd rather mention my top three things that I didn't know I needed until I got them:

Not sure what this is called but it's really handy for loosening rotating things that have become tight due to vibration. Everything from oil filters to jam jars. I got it when I replaced my exhaust and found many more uses for it than I would have guessed. If this fails, a Stilson wrench is an aggressive backup. 





Clamp multimeter. This is 100% essential and I use it at least once a week. Changed my life to be able to measure amps. I actually bought a spare just in case.

 

 

 

Ratchet straps. These are useful for so many things, attaching things to the boat, emergency repairs, particularly inducing a list to clear the bilge. Here is one which in conjunction with a bicycle inner tube and a bit of plumber gunk has held back a leak in my calorifier for an entire year. 2 GBP each from Lidl.

 

 

I'll also second the infrared thermometer, crimper/stripper/cutter/wire. The inspection camera seems like it would be a good idea I suppose. I'm sure I could find use for it, but it doesn't jump out as an essential. I could use it to take a look inside my water tank and fuel tank? What else would you suggest using it for? The bilge I make sure I can inspect without any tool - I want to stay on top of that!

[Jen-in-Wellies 1595]

1 hour ago, ivan&alice said:

But it makes me think - I'd be (fairly literally) up the creek without a paddle if the starter motor went. 

If you had a paddle, then you wouldn't need a starter motor.

Wonder how fast you'd need to go before you could jump start the engine by putting the prop in to gear?