Tools for Sailing?

[CaptRican]

Hello everyone,

I am in the process of selling everything and moving to Florida to start a new liveaboard life.

I have a lot of tools and i am afraid that i am selling tools that i am going to need later on. But the problem is i have no experience with sailboats.

Any advice no matter, will be greatly appreciated, sometimes we already have the answer, all we need is a bit of reinforcement. Thanks

For the engine i am going to keep all of my small automotive tools and wrenches, sockets etc. Vacuum kit, compression tester etc.

For wood, i am thinking my DeWalt circular saw? I have a Bosch 1 1/4 reciprocating saw, squares, belt sander, router, impact screwdriver, regular drill screwdriver, DeWalt 3/8 drill, 1/2 DeWalt drill, oscillating saw, palm sander, jointer, hand saws, coping saws and hand screw drivers. Hydraulic bottle jacks?

Should i keep all this stuff?

Thank you all! Also what other tools i would need.

[Rock-Head]

I imagine that'd depend much upon your target boat. Ready to go or in need of everything? You come off as a DIY type (as am i)... I'd be inclined to keep em.

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[FSMike]

First thing to think about is, where are you going to get the 110 volt ac electricity to power some of the tools you are mentioning? Are you going to pay slip rent at a marina, are you going to have a generator on board, or a 12 volt system with healthy enough batteries/ inverter to power those tools?

[gamayun]

I'd keep them until you know what kind of boat you're going to get and have spent a year or two doing maintenance work on it. If you plan on staying in one spot (so no cruising around to other marinas on a regular basis), then getting a small storage unit is what many people do who live aboard. You can start selling/giving away the tools as you learn more about what you really need.

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Rock-Head

I imagine that'd depend much upon your target boat. Ready to go or in need of everything? You come off as a DIY type (as am i)... I'd be inclined to keep em.

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Yes sir i do believe in doing about everything myself. I am with you about taking my tools with me. But, the price to take them is steep. UPS charges like a little more than a dollar per pound and everybody else seems to be more expensive.

I going with the suggestion that someone made in a post about finding an ugly duckling with solid structure and solid systems and for me to fix the rest, hence my worries about tools.

But since i am getting an smaller boat where am i going to put all that stuff?

Hey thanks for your input!

[Sandero]

Whatever tools you bring... you'll never be able to find the right one when you need it!

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by FSMike

First thing to think about is, where are you going to get the 110 volt ac electricity to power some of the tools you are mentioning? Are you going to pay slip rent at a marina, are you going to have a generator on board, or a 12 volt system with healthy enough batteries/ inverter to power those tools?

So it seems like i am looking at using power 110V from the sailboat. Ok that's a good heads up. Need to make sure i look at those electrical system and those inverters and batteries and see the combination to make sure i am not going to be pulling more than what it can handle and end up with a fire.

I just bought a Generac 7500 PE i think that's the right numbers, i am selling it right now in craigslist. But to put that monster in a sailboat, the size i am going to buy, it would probably sink the sailboat! lol! Or the sailboat would have to be bigger than 26 or 30? I really do not know.

So far i have been told to avoid the marinas if at all possible and to stay on the hook or anchoring. I have never done any sailing or anything so i am listening, but i reckon that you have to use the marina sometimes, right?

Anyways, thank you for the heads up about the electrical system, any books that you would suggest about electrical systems that i am most likely to encounter as a liveaboard of a small sailboat?

Thank you!

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Sandero

Whatever tools you bring... you'll never be able to find the right one when you need it!

Funny you said that, it happens right here in my shop. I bought a drywall handler, is like a thing that you hook under a sheet of drywall, so instead of you using your hand to lift the sheet you use the handler.

Anyway, could not find it for the world! Nothing makes you more frustrated than to know you have a tool for the job, and when you need it, is no where to be found, because is behind the sheets of drywall.

And just as i pulled the last sheet from the wall to lift it, there is the handler! after i had moved 20 sheets by hand. Oh well at least i got to use it with one sheet!

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by CaptRican

Funny you said that, it happens right here in my shop. I bought a drywall handler, is like a thing that you hook under a sheet of drywall, so instead of you using your hand to lift the sheet you use the handler.

Anyway, could not find it for the world! Nothing makes you more frustrated than to know you have a tool for the job, and when you need it, is no where to be found, because is behind the sheets of drywall.

And just as i pulled the last sheet from the wall to lift it, there is the handler! after i have moved 20 sheets by hand. Oh well at least i got to use it with one sheet!

Living proof...

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by CaptRican

-----
Anyways, thank you for the heads up about the electrical system, any books that you would suggest about electrical systems that i am most likely to encounter as a liveaboard of a small sailboat?
----

Buy everything Nigel Calder ever wrote and read it cover to cover. You will then know all about every system on your boat including electrical.

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by gamayun

I'd keep them until you know what kind of boat you're going to get and have spent a year or two doing maintenance work on it. If you plan on staying in one spot (so no cruising around to other marinas on a regular basis), then getting a small storage unit is what many people do who live aboard. You can start selling/giving away the tools as you learn more about what you really need.

That's a great suggestion, i am going to explore the storage angle, the other issue that i have is transporting all of my tools to Florida. At some point i have to look at the weight and the cost and then the storage once they get there to see if it is worth it.

That was the reason why i wanted to buy a sailboat here in Michigan and sail it out to Florida so i could throw all of my tools in it, but everyone told me that it was suicide because of the inexperience and i had to agree. But that creates this other dilemma.

Think, think, think and i have to think so more...

Hey, thank you for your input!

[CaptRican]

Another concern is the fact that i have many saws, for example i have a circular, reciprocating, oscillating, and several hand saws. I am sure some of this saws might be redundant to have. I can't imagine that i will be cutting anything bigger than a 2x4? and sheets of plywood, and small teak, oak pieces?

I can also imagine that there is going to be some fiberglass work, but all you need for that is gloves a can, a stick and a roller.

I have a couple of voltmeters and i plan to keep those, i also have a wire chaser and that bugger is going to see some serious work now. I have wire cutters and wire stripper and a few other tools.

Does anyone knows what type of generator is the one used most by the regular sailor out there to do sailboat repairs?

Thanks

[Rock-Head]

Originally Posted by CaptRican

the other issue that i have is transporting all of my tools to Florida.

Explore freight shipping a pallet on a truck. All things are possible with some ingenuity, a healthy application of sweat and a little $$$ if things get too sticky. Good tools are expensive to replace... but yes, living aboard a 30' boat vs having somewhere to keep it all is a entirely different issue. Good luck w the adventure!

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[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by FSMike

Buy everything Nigel Calder ever wrote and read it cover to cover. You will then know all about every system on your boat including electrical.

I bought the book, Marine Diesel Engines, third edition.
I will do a search in amazon for others.
Thank you!

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Rock-Head

Explore freight shipping a pallet on a truck. All things are possible with some ingenuity, a healthy application of sweat and a little $$$ if things get too sticky. Good tools are expensive to replace... but yes, living aboard a 30' boat vs having somewhere to keep it all is a entirely different issue. Good luck w the adventure!

Sent from my SM-N900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Thanks buddy it is greatly appreciated, that's an option that i had not explored yet, or was in my mind. Thank you i am looking forward to getting going and getting to Florida and stepping on the first sailboat! Yayyyyy!

Thanks buddy!