Most Useful Repair Stuff to Carry on Board

[PamlicoTraveler]

The only tools needed for boat repairs are WD-40 and Duct Tape.

If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the Duct Tape.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Is it just me or not but almost all the stuff mentioned so far is what I call just normal on board repair items and are being used as intended by its original design intent.

How about cutting up your wetsuit for a temporary rubber gasket or seal or using some earwax in lieu of silicon grease .

i am hoping to hear of the un-normal stuff.....

cotton tampons,can be used to plug up bullet wounds........as ear plugs, for nose bleeds,mopping up excess epoxy,and hard to reach drips .

i keep them in the head,as it also shows female crew that you"care"........

[Cotemar]

1) LifeSeal made by Boatlife : Use for re-bedding your stanchions and cleats. It provides a durable permanent watertight seal. May be used above and below the waterline.


2) Marine-Tex Epoxy Putty: It is easy to mix, dries quickly and is incredibly strong. Comes in white and grey. You can form the goop into useful shapes and can drill it and cut it with wood tools. We once rebuilt a broken head with Marinetex.

3) West Epoxy and fillers: West sells kits of resin and catalyst that you can mix in a plastic cup and apply with a small brush or a flat piece of wood like a tongue depressor.
As plain epoxy, you can use this resin to mend just about anything with a clean dry surface
650-K G/flex Epoxy Repair Kit.
655-K G/flex Thickened Epoxy Adhesive Repair Kit.
If you have a larger project you can use the West 105 Resin/205 Hardener Add a spoonful of West Micro Balloon filler and you have a paste that will fill cracks and gouges and will also be an excellent adhesive.

4) Two part Underwater Epoxy: There are several brands but they all come in two part-packs. The epoxy and catalyst are mixed by hand (with surgical gloves if possible) and then can be pressed into cracks, gouges and dings below the water. When you need to repair the hull right now and there is nowhere to haul out, underwater epoxy is the right stuff for the job.

5) SuperGlue: For those really small gluing jobs, SuperGlue is the easiest and quickest way to rejoin pieces, fix plastic parts, attach small labels, repair your glasses and much more. I wouldn't sail far without it.

6) Contact Cement: Its water proof and dries quickly. There are many uses for contact cement aboard a boat. You can use it to repair a torn sail with a quick but secure patch. You can use it to apply chafing patches on engine hoses and other plumbing where the tubes run against and through bulkheads. You can use it to repair veneers on furniture, and much more.

7) Elmer's White Glue: For gluing wood pieces together, there is nothing like plain old Elmer's. It is easy to work with, works well on grainy surfaces, dries relatively quickly and is easy on sharp tools when finishing the woodworking job.

8) Butyl Tape: For re-bedding cleats and stanchions

[SabreKai]

A boxful of 3/4 tech screws. They are designed to put sheet metal patches on HVAC ducting but if you have some on board they will work beautifully on fiberglas. A cordless drill with the appropriate nut driver, a box of screws and some galvanized sheet metal scraps and you can make up patches on the fly. The screws will drill through thin sheet and into the glass.

http://www.powellgee.co.uk/stainless...s/mat_tech.gif

I've never tried them on wood but I expect they would work just as well. For steel boats, they won't do the job, that's for drills and machines screws or bolts.


Sabre

[zeehag]

screws, nuts, bolts, splash zone, pipe repair kit, toilet wax seal..LOL....
more splash zone, another pipe repair kit, tampons--hole seals!!!!! not just for hoomins.>LOL..... sounds funny , but is serious..not the smallish ones-- use the huge ones...... and hose clamps of alll sizes.
extra line --all sizes.
old mooring lines. ( make good docklines and bridles)
snubbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fenders!!!!!!!

oil and fuel filters and oil and fuel
potable water and water filters--i WANT a water maker..LOL

coffee and chocolate and nido milk--or skipper will revolt......lol
kat fud and litterz..lol or i get bitten.....



spot -- so momma can see her baby sailing away from her

[James Baines]

Thanks everyone for some very helpful input, I'll be carrying quite a bit of stuff up to the boat this weekend to add to my already good stock of “Just in case” stuff. To add to the “Normal” stuff, I'm sure you all carry a few wind up torches with you but if you don't I highly recommend them. I have one that is also a radio and phone charger, they're cheap and they work.
BUT: What I was hoping to hear about were more of the oddball uses for products, uses that are light years away from their original design intent, uses of things you have lying around to fix or improve stuff on the cheap and avoid high “Designed for marine use” costs.
For instance, (And I'll be the first to admit that this is not a great example) I use a 28 volt angle drill to raise my mainsail, haul my dingy aboard and as a general purpose power winch, a $400 tool to avoid paying thousands for a “Genuine” power winch and it works just fine. I use the motor from an old car radio antenna to raise and lower my ensign, and a cheap electric drill to drive a syphon to fill my tank from dockside rather than lifting heavy diesel cans aboard. Again, not great examples, but they are things that do jobs they were not designed for.
Let's hear about some other oddball ideas please...

[zeehag]

toilet seal wax isnt oddball???? hhhmmmmm....i gotta rethink htis one....

[sigmasailor]

How about an assortment of wooden plugs for when you loose the prop shaft or sea cocks.

[imagine2frolic]

I can't think there is much that hasn't been used in some odd way. Sailors are an inventive bunch, and sailing has been going on a long time. Even your power winch is not new. It seems no matter what you carry, most likely what you don't have is what you will need..............i2f

[erasmos]

I love this forum Two additions to the oddball fixes

1) for sailbattens for reasonably sized smaller mains and short battens, I found the bamboo that grows in riverbeds in greece is most excellent. In fact equipped with a bit of duckt or tesa tape in the ends it almost matches the performance of an expensive fiberglass batten, and..its organic

it needs to be quite fresh, and having grown straight

2) an old singer or pfaff regular sewing machine from the 30ies can be found on ebay for 10 bucks or so. equipped with an old windshield wiper motor hooked to 12 V you should be able to race through any sailrepair aboard so long as the cloth is not more than 3 layers of 5 oz cloth

[TeddyDiver]

Water tap tube to bypass a glogged fuel filter in a gale..

[James Baines]

Underwater Hull Scrubber: As I mentioned in a different post, I also use two (2) Ltr tightly sealed empty Coke bottles lashed under a 10” scrubbing brush on a long pole. Their buoyancy gives me about 9 ½ Lbs of “Push” against the hull and it works way better than my power washer. You can’t do the entire hull but the crud that comes off makes it well worth the effort. And before anyone should ask; I guess Dr. Pepper bottles would work just as well…

[boasun]

A 'Replicator' with the data of all the spare parts you may need programed into it. They had one on one of those Sci Fi TV shows... Now that would be nice to have... Does anyone know where I can get one??

[David_Old_Jersey]

Knowledge.

[tager]

Aluminum foil.