Tool Kit

TimKLL

Gathering all of the goodies & accessories while waiting for the delivery of our new Sundeck 2200 DC OB.  Having a blast, but tend to overthink/over-shop most everything (according to SWMBO...).  We'll be well prepared, am a staunch advocate of all of the safety gear - flew Coast Guard Search & Rescue helicopters for 12 years.  Have lots of well-prepared boater stories, as well as the other end of the spectrum Darwin Awards-type ones.

The current thing that I am over-shopping too much with is the toolkit. I am pretty handy as far as repairs, diagnosing trouble, etc. & I want to have a pretty good selection of tools to handle problems.  We will be doing about 75% lake boating & a variety of other stuff on N Chesapeake Bay waters & Ocean City, MD area on the bay, with (if it is extremely calm) an occasional foray out of the inlet into the ocean.  I'm not impressed with some of the "Marine" kits that I see online - lots of comments about being cheap, tools breaking on the first use, etc. Pretty set on starting with a decent quality set (Craftsman, ChannelLock, etc.) but am afraid that I'm getting a little carried away.  The $80 Craftsman set that I've locked in on has a great selection of sockets, including deep well ones, & wrenches & I'd only have to add a few more tools to round out a good kit, but it is pretty big & pretty heavy.  http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-140-piece-mechanics-tool-set/p-00948140000P?sLevel=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL I want to find the right balance between being prepared & taking everything but the kitchen sink. Of course it is all compounded by an educated guess that the boat & trailer stuff will be standard (SAE) & the Yamaha motor will be metric.

What do you some of you folks have onboard as far as a toolkit goes?

Ernest_T

My on board tool kit is very simple:  A simple driver kit with various flat, phillips, etc. tips., a few pairs of pliers, vice grips, and a couple of wrenches.  The only socket I have is one that will fit the spark plugs, but I've never used it.  I also have a prop wrench, and a good lithium battery powered flashlight.  I have some rags and a few other things in there, but it all fits in a small bag that I keep under one of the seats.  

In 5 years of boating, I've used the screw drivers a few times to tighten loosening screws or fasteners on the boat.  I used one of the wrenches to tighten my battery cable connection one time.  I've used the prop wrench one time, when I managed to wrap a tow rope all around the prop, and it made untangling the whole mess easier by pulling the prop off.  

I think that you will find trying to make any major repair on the water difficult if not impossible.  My advise is to keep the on board took kit very simple, and invest in a good boat towing membership for those rare times that something major happens.  I've used Sea Tow and BoatsUS, and I don't see much difference between them in my area.  I'd look for the most reasonably priced service, and let them get you to shore if anything major breaks, where it will be much easier to repair.  

FlyingV5

what Ernest T said.
Pliers, screwdrivers and maybe a crescent wrench. A test light if you like for the occasional bad connection or nonfunctional gizmo. But the best policy is careful preparation and maintenance. Then go out and play. Unless you are offshore, it's more about what you put in the ice chest.

TimKLL

Thanks to both for the advice!  Will definitely scale back on the buying frenzy & try to keep it simple.

1pointofview

I make sure I have twist ties and some wrenches, needle nose and regular pliers.  I have a small canvas bag that I put my stuff in.  When I pull my boat out, I pull my drain plug and put it in the bag as well. That way my tools and plug are in the same bag. 

HydroCanis

Semper Paratus. Would love to see some of the well-prepared and not-so-well-prepared stories. I know I could learn from them.

Pretty much what they said—screwdrivers, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, gorilla tools (vise grips, channel lock pliers, adjustable wrench), a socket wrench and just the sockets I think I might be able to use (prop, spark plug, battery terminals, a few common sizes on reachable components), a flat wrench for the drain plug on a tether, a roll of the newfangled repair tape for hose leaks or whatever, a few pieces of wire, a multimeter for quick diagnosis, a Swiss Army Huntsman, a tungsten carbide wire saw that would fit a hacksaw frame (in case I'm incarcerated :P ), and a cheap gas siphon hose.

I carry a few other things in the tow vehicle aside from the usual, notably a dead-blow hammer.

Should I consider packing a tow rope? Or what do amateurs generally use to lend a hand to a stranded boater? Would a tube tow rope rated for 4 people suffice for a one-time use with a 21', or is that a ridiculous question? Certainly no one wants to be smacked with a snapped rope.

Ernest_T

HydroCanis said:

Should I consider packing a tow rope? Or what do amateurs generally use to lend a hand to a stranded boater? Would a tube tow rope rated for 4 people suffice for a one-time use with a 21', or is that a ridiculous question? Certainly no one wants to be smacked with a snapped rope.

A 4 person tube rope is exactly what I carry.  I've towed 2 stranded boats with it so far.  I also recommend a "Y" harness not just for towing boats, but to use when you tow your tube.  The boat rides funny with the tow rope attached to only one side of the stern cleats when towing a heavy boat.  

Of course you need a roll of duct tape............how could I have forgotten to mention that.  There are few things that cannot be at least temporarily repaired with a few yards of duct tape.  

cjjjdeck

Well, I guess I fall more in to that "be prepared" category.

I put together a basic tool kit as well.  A decent set of sockets and wrench in it's own case (Stanley).  A small bag with wrenches (SAE & Metric), adjustable wrench and screw drivers, pliers (slip-joint, needlenose  & diagonal cutters).  Since electrical issues have been my more common problems, I have an inexpensive multi-meter, electrical tape, and wire stripper.  Definitely duct tape.  I also have extra light bulbs for each type of light on board (I do go out at night at times).  I even have a back up gas cap, water cap and bilge drain plug.  Extra fluids, engine oil, drive oil, fuel stabilizer.  There's probably more, I just hate problems on the water ruining a good day.

HydroCanis

Ernest T said:

A 4 person tube rope is exactly what I carry.  I've towed 2 stranded boats with it so far.  I also recommend a "Y" harness not just for towing boats, but to use when you tow your tube.  The boat rides funny with the tow rope attached to only one side of the stern cleats when towing a heavy boat. 

Thanks, then I'm set.

Did you keep them?  

Ernest_T

Unfortunately, the owners would not let me keep the boats.

The last boat I towed turned into a sort of funny situation.  The family was Hispanic and could speak very little English.  Through my daughter as an interpreter (high school, and college Spanish classes), we were able to determine that they had borrowed a cousins boat and run it out of gas.  They only had a vague idea of where they had put the boat in the water, and we spent about 2 hours towing them to various boat ramps with all 6 adults on their boat pointing in different directions until they recognized the ramp they had left their vehicle at.  

After the 3rd wrong ramp, we were laughing so hard that I could barely drive the boat.  

HydroCanis

Ha! Never know what situation you're going to run into. Lucky for them you were there to help!

parachuter

Don't forget to pack a sharp knife. You never know when you will pick up a stray rope on your prop.