Do you carry tools and spare parts?

[DXN]

I usually know what size wrenches I need for things I can fix at the shore or on the water.
I carry a bag with:
wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers
spare fuel filter
a quart or two of oil
spark-plugs, points
hose clamps and stuff for splicing hoses
wire crimps and such
jumper cables
JB weld and quick repair epoxy

Do other boaters do this? cuz I have meet some pretty unprepared people. I like off roading and maybe it just got me accustom to expecting things to break. Maybe I'm being a little excessive for taking a trip across the lake I dunno, some of my friends make fun but I'm the one they bank on when things go wrong.

I feel very uncomfortable when I realize I left my bag in the truck lol Like Linus without his blanket

 

[dingbat]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

Would it make you nervous if your airline pilot came onboard caring a toolbox and spares?

Few if any parts fail w/o warning. I am a firm believer of not leaving the dock unless I?m 100% confident of the condition of the boat.

I've had one on-water failure on the water in the past 1000 hours. Even if I had a spare stator and the flywheel puller onboard it was getting fixed 15 miles offshore. Sea Tow, the best antidote to problems on the water.

Oh ya, I carry a 1/2 gallon of 2 stroke oil, a couple of spark plugs and a $29 tool kit.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I have a nice new rubber coated bag from Gander Mountain that I use for my tools. I carry an array of things and have used the tools on occasion in a break-down situation. Would have needed a tow otherwise.

Also when I am anchored for a few hours and have some time to kill, I can do various maintenance tasks since I have tools.

I keep a few spare parts, but since I have twin engines on my new boat, it is less critical.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...ortsmans-Bag-Medium&i=446131&r=view&from=grid

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I usually know what size wrenches I need for things I can fix at the shore or on the water.
I carry a bag with:
wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers
spare fuel filter
a quart or two of oil
spark-plugs, points
hose clamps and stuff for splicing hoses
wire crimps and such
jumper cables
JB weld and quick repair epoxy

Do other boaters do this? cuz I have meet some pretty unprepared people. I like off roading and maybe it just got me accustom to expecting things to break. Maybe I'm being a little excessive for taking a trip across the lake I dunno, some of my friends make fun but I'm the one they bank on when things go wrong.

I feel very uncomfortable when I realize I left my bag in the truck lol Like Linus without his blanket

That's about what I carry but I have never had to use any of it. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

We also carry a rubber lined bag which contains the following:

Small and large flathead screwdrivers
Small and large phillips screwdrivers
Crescent wrench
A few spare hose clamps
A few spare fuses
A few zip ties
A few feet of 16ga electrical wire/ few twist-type wire connectors
Electrical tape

I believe that about covers it. I've never had a spark plug "fail" on a 4-stroke engine (or even our two stroke O/B's/Jet skis). I have an electronic distributor, so points are of no use, but even when we had the old style we changed them often enough that it wasn't necessary to carry spare points/condenser on-board.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

boating, at least around here, is like off-roading and it pays to be prepared. But you can't carry a spare everything.

my strategy is to carry small items and versatile items--tools or parts that can have many applications. Often the things you fix are not essential but convenient-- a broken bimini fitting for example--so you want something for temporary repairs. IN that respect having some wire on board could fix that as well as something electric.

Part of my reason for the tools and parts is simply convenience and not so much for repairs at sea, since I don't keep the boats in the driveway in front of the garage.

Often my tools and parts are used to help out less prepared boaters.

Some things I carry just because I have them and I have room. I wouldn't go buy a spare prop but why not have it in the bottom of a locker just in case, since I have it anyway?

Check out "rescue tape" a very versatile product.

 

[gm280]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I can see your point about carrying a few tools just incase. However, I've never had such an issue ever happen to me since I started fishing, decades ago. If something happens to the boat that compromises the safety of using it, it is going home for those repairs...period! Now I do carry a few extra fishing reels and such so if a problem arises I have fallback rods and reels and line... But that's about it... I do all my pre-fishing trip check-over before I even leave the house. And I do all the maintenance and preventive maintenance every time I get the boat home for the next trip out...

 

[OllieC]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I have and my reason for;

Belt - (could blow a belt anytime - new or not - duct tape and panty hose stinks - just buy a spare)

Impeller - (could screw up an impeller with sand etc.)

Portable Starter Battery - (leave something on while in a strange port and your battery dies....no thanks)

Prop and nuts - (spare props in my truck when towing to remote locations - it would suck to mess up the props when your spare is 200miles away at home)

Prop Sockets - (Bravo 3 has 2 - one is special)

Tool kit - ( 300 piece multi-tool kit)

Oil - (Would hate to be in the Middle of Lake Superior and have a weird oil leak and no oil)

Gear Lube - ( Same as above)


Everything else I think I could McGyver together to limp me home. Plus the motor does have limp mode.

If I boated on a small lake, I wouldn't need this stuff. However I boat on the Mississippi and Lake Superior. Both not fun places to be stranded. So I guess provisions would depend on where you boat.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I have pliers, screwdrivers, crescent wrenches and 2 MOST important-- a cell phone and 2 VHF radios. Boat US to my marina for repairs if ever needed. I'm generally within 25 - 30 miles off shore max.

 

[biglurr54]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I went to Harbor freight and bought cheap sets of everything and a bag. Its been great to have. If something breaks under way its unlikely you will have what you need to fix it. I have the tools on board because when its at the dock all summer its not fun carrying your tools down to do a few minor repairs or maintenance things. Its also help full to have when you encounter other boaters who ignore common problems and don't keep on top of their boats maintenance. Then you can usually get them running again to get to shore. The only thing my tools have fixed while under way is an unlit cigarette and an unhappy passenger.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

For years I carried an assortment of tools and parts, and never used them. One day my outboard wouldn't start while out on the lake....the powerpack's fuse had blown and, go figure, didn't have one in my tool bag. Wound up cutting a piece of aluminum from a "beverage" can and wrapping it around the fuse to get back to the ramp.

After that I started leaving the tools in the garage and signed up for TowboatUS. Only needed it once, but wouldn't be without it. I keep a tow rope on board for "that other guy".

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

Bailing wire, duct tape, hammer & Cresent wrench.



Just kidding, I have a tool box with the mormal stuff, + a few fuses, spare spark plugs & spare plug.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

My tool box weighs in at around 20 pounds of assorted stuff, and it lives on the boat. Any tool I have needed to work on what ever goes in the box that way I have what I need.

 

[Opnine99]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I have a tool bag with misc. screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets, pliers, and things of that nature. I also carry a spare prop, plugs, and misc electrical wiring. I also do a full systems check before heading out and thankfully I have not had any issues out on the water as of yet but with twin engines I don't worry a whole lot about it. My boat sits at a marina year round so all my tools stay on the boat so I don't have to tote them back and forth when I go and all maintenance gets done at the slip.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I currently throw the tool box from the truck into the boat. I am in process of putting a box together for just the boat.

However on the boat I have the following:
spare cap and rotor (I have scrapped these in the past having issues with the original prestolite fouling after a few hours - now just carry a spare)
spare plugs
25' of wire
electrical tape
hose clamps
assortment of stainless screws
extra transom plugs
1/4" pipe plugs (long story)
assortment of fuses
1 quart of oil
2 bottles of water
Meguiars vinyl cleaner
Window Cleaner
roll of blue shop towels
5200
black RTV
Impeller kit
spare prop hardware for duo-props (nuts, line cutters, etc.)
timing light (only place I would use it is the boat)
both Volvo and Merc muffs

soon will have spare props and spare prop nuts on board. I have now spun a hub twice

tool kit has wrench assortment, screw driver assortment, pliers, wire strippers, wire cutters, zip ties, mechanics gloves, band aids, blue shop towels, rubber (nitrile) gloves, tire plugs and tools.

I also carry a spare battery jump pack that goes back and forth between the boat and truck. in process of adding another battery bank.

I also have towboatUS premium (And I have used it)

To date, I have changed timing on the water, cleaned the hx on the water, changed distributor cap and rotor on the water, fixed a leaky hose clamp. changed a few fuses, pulled the battery to jump start another boat, replaced some loose hardware and most important of all, opened many beers with a 5/8" wrench when the church key was lost over board.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

Along with usual hand tools:

shop tac
voltmeter
jumper wire and fuses
impeller kit
serpentine belt
spare prop and nut

I try to be prepared with tools to fix relatively easy things that could strand me like a broken belt, blown fuse, or bad impeller. Then when something happens I didn't expect, I carry tools to fix that in the future as well. Hence the prop and jumper wire.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

impeller kit

I try to be prepared with tools to fix relatively easy things that could strand me like a broken belt, blown fuse, or bad impeller. Then when something happens I didn't expect, I carry tools to fix that in the future as well. Hence the prop and jumper wire.

The previous owner kept a spare water pump impeller in the boat. I always wondered why he would bother on a Mercruiser that you can't change the drive impeller on without removing the lower, lol.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

Some things to consider if you carry a spare filter: My boat's engine requires that I prefill the fuel filter with gas or it will never start, so I carry one of those camp fuel bottles full of stabilized gas. I also don't want the contaminated gas to spill, so my spare filter is stored in a Maxwell House plastic coffee tub that will contain all the dirty fuel and the old filter as needed.

 

[h2odick]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem!

 

[Expidia]

Re: Do you carry tools and spare parts?

I carry a waterproof Pelican case with the basic stuff. small screwdrivers, electrical tape, wire ties etc.
Not much one can fix on an outboard. The newer ones rarely breakdown anyway. I mostly carry tools to tinker around while moored in a bay while my wife reads her magazines.