What are your minimum Essential Tools to keep on the boat?

[boatman1]

Tool #1 = a multi tool on your belt all the time. You’ll use it everyday
For the weekend trips (as per the OP) most everything else could/should stay at the dock. I don’t believe that there’s any benefit in carrying around the weight that quickly accumulates on the boat. Not just tools, but so many other things as well. This being said, channel-lock pliers, a 12-16oz bronze headed hammer and gimlets or a small cordless drill w/bits get used

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by stulk75

I just acquired a very nice 44’ 3 cabin Monohull. The prior owner left me with a large amount of tools and spare parts. So much in fact that I have little room for provisions for a week long voyage! There’s an entire bag of about 50 allen wrenches for example... not including at least 3 sets of hexagon bits.

I’m going through the boat to weed out everything we don’t need and eliminate redundant items. Do I really need a claw hammer, a wooden mallet, a rubber mallet, axe with a hammer end AND a ball peen hammer if I’m never more than a day or two away from a marine yard?

There are plenty of lists like this one on the web, I’m curious what you all consider your minimum set of tools to have on hand for a week end and week long cruiser.

First off, figure out what actually fits your boat. You don't need a full set of standard sockets if your boat is metric. Decide what Allen wrenches you need and stock three of each (they're easy to lose). The less you carry in tools, the easier it will be to find the one you need when you need it. The minimum set of tools for one boat could vary vastly from what the next boat needs - so there is no common list. Don't forget the rechargeable head lamp and an adequate electrical kit (including multimeter). Oh, and make sure your spares are actually functional so you don't think you're covered when you're not. A small tackle box makes a good storage place for commonly needed nuts and bolts.

[wholybee]

Interesting that the question was the *minimum* tools for a weekend, or a week. Lots of great tools suggested, but for a weekend trip?

What you need is what will get you back to the dock.

[thunderhoof]

Make sure you have a 10 mm box/open end wrench. I find I need it the most and it is the most likely to disappear.

[RaymondR]

The wooden mallet was probably used to drive wood chisels definitely a necessity.

On my last boat I had a small mill and a lathe, one never knows when the need to knock up an autopilot drive will occur.

[Cpt Mark]

If all youre doing is daysailing or very short trips then yes! Apres down but on a boat your size you should have tons of room for storage. What else is on that boat?

Tool. Multimeter. Everything needed to splice wire and ends. Sockets. A decent set of 3/8 drive will suffice and combo open end wrenches. I also carry several spares of the most common sizes.forme 10 mm is critical to get the engine going again so I have a few because I know I'll drop one over the side eventually. Screwdrivers of various sizes. Hammer vice grips. All of this is assuming you have the knowledge and the skills to use them. Then again. I have helped people on their boats using their tools because I was away from mine.

[Reefmagnet]

Ditch the rubber and wood mallets. A deadblow will do both jobs. Even better is a small Thor copper and rawhide hammer.

If you buy the type of chisels that are designed to be hit with a regular hammer, better again.

[Nani Kai]

Originally Posted by stulk75

I just acquired a very nice 44’ 3 cabin Monohull. The prior owner left me with a large amount of tools and spare parts. So much in fact that I have little room for provisions for a week long voyage! There’s an entire bag of about 50 allen wrenches for example... not including at least 3 sets of hexagon bits.

I’m going through the boat to weed out everything we don’t need and eliminate redundant items. Do I really need a claw hammer, a wooden mallet, a rubber mallet, axe with a hammer end AND a ball peen hammer if I’m never more than a day or two away from a marine yard?

There are plenty of lists like this one on the web, I’m curious what you all consider your minimum set of tools to have on hand for a week end and week long cruiser.

What does it mean "too many tools on board"? Is this an actual possibility? Lots of good advice up thread. My one contribution is to remember where the tools will be used: somewhere on the water. Somehow, someway, when you least expect it, that tool will attempt to swim to freedom. Especially if the tool is critical and small. Hence, I imagine, the reason for 50+ allen key wrenches. Metric and SAE. There are some tools that you absolutely want more than one of. I commiserate with the OP..... how do you possibly choose what to keep and what to leave behind?

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by Discovery 15797

I read the OPs post and the link he had to the "Life of Sailing" website and ROFLMAO.

Who the hell carries a hand axe to cut lines on their boat besides Captain Jack Aubrey on the HMS Surprise?

Maybe someone should tell Daniel Wade (author of posts on the aforementioned site) that serrated knifes work much better than a hand axe for cutting lines in an emergency! LOL

Canadian regs require a fire axe (point on one end) if your boat is over 12m. Installed one on a wall in a locker and never touched it again. It did look pretty cool though.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by AiniA

Canadian regs require a fire axe (point on one end) if your boat is over 12m. Installed one on a wall in a locker and never touched it again. It did look pretty cool though.

I do not believe the axe requires a point on one end.

The current regulations only specify an "axe", not a "fire axe".

The Canada Safe Boating Guide (free pdf) can be downloaded here:
https://tc.canada.ca/sites/default/f...ed/tp_511e.pdf

[DanielI]

Originally Posted by Benz

Tap and die set.

Just curious what you use a tap and die for.

[Benz]

Originally Posted by DanielI

Just curious what you use a tap and die for.

A die is very useful for straightening and cleaning goop out of bolt threads. Most of my bolts are bronze and can damage easily when I'm taking them out and putting them back in, but a quick-tune-up with a die leaves them in tip-top shape.
Just recently at anchor I drilled and tapped holes into the front of the mast to mount an LED light bracket. The tap handle is is also useful in case you need an EZ out to remove a stripped-headed bolt or screw.

[Reefmagnet]

For cleaning up threads, a thread file is a more compact solution as one file covers a range of threads.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by DanielI

Just curious what you use a tap and die for.

Maintenance and repair of my boat became much easier after finally breaking down and getting a tap and die set. Being an older boat, european built with many american owners and parts, I needed both Metric and SAE and use them all the time.

One of the biggest problems is dissimilar metals, usually a SS screw in a steel or aluminum part. If you don't use Tef Gel or something similar, the screw eventually fuses with the dissimilar metal and to remove it you have to drill it out.

One use that might interest you is that I build my own zincs for my engine and generator. The raw pencil zincs are cheap, the assembled engine zincs off the shelf (nut and zine put together) are @$20.00. Using the tap and die set it is easy to drill out the old zinc, use the tap to clean and restore the threads in the nut, cut a raw pencil zinc to size and use a die to create threads. Total cost- no more than 25 cents. Besides the cost savings, I don't need to hassle finding and ordering replacements.

[stulk75]

Thanks everyone. Some good laughs and tips! Since I’m not leaving civilization (or expecting it to end around me) for a few years and I’m more likely to call a pro than try and DIY I think I’ll be relocating most of my tool treasure off the boat. I don’t need a floating garage and storage shed, but there is a lot of useful stuff I think, but I don’t need all of it all of the time.