Tool kit for first-time Hatteras live-aboard

[Westfield 11]

We are going to be moving aboard our 63' CMY in mid June and this my last chance to decide what tools to bring aboard. I have everything from complete aviation and automotive mechanics hand tools in Engilsh and Metric as well as woodworking, sheet metal, welding, fiberglass and epoxy, electrical/soldering and all the Home Depot type stuff a suburban homeowner would need.

I will have a storeroom ashore for things that are more of a spring outfitting nature and as a place to store large and heavy items like hurricane anchors, lines, etc. so I will also have to decide between what to bring aboard and what to leave ashore.

Also, what are people doing to store paints and thinners: paint lockers? Or is that best kept ashore in local storage? We plan on cruising up and down the coast and will be away from our stored items for much of the year.....

For onboard use I am planning on bringing all the mechanics tools, gear pullers, snap-ring pliers, micrometers, calipers, feeler gages, multimeter, soldering station and electrical small parts. Painting supplies, drop cloths, brushes, rollers, tape, sandpaper and two electric palm sanders. Tubing bender, flare tools, tube cutters.

Any suggestions or tips on what to bring or what to leave on the dock? As you can probably guess, I am the sort who likes to do as much as possible myself and consider it a good day when I can not only repair something, but gain a new tool to boot!

 

[Boatsb]

Small easy to grab kits. One for electrical, one for mechanical maintenance and one for slightly larger jobs.

Basics for maintaining paint and varnish and leave the rest behind. You can always buy or ship from home big things but their a pita to store and can rust up pretty fast.

 

[GJH]

If you are going to be living and cruising aboard full time as we did, one thing I learned was you could never have too many tools on board.
There's plenty of room on a 63CMY to store them, as there was on my 56. If it's going to be a dock queen, then maybe not so much,. depends on how handy you are
One of the old boating truisms says the definition of cruising is "fixing your boat in exotic places".

Like the gun nuts like to say, better ot have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[Briankinley2004]

I have a dock box I built I am keeping all my painting, thinners, waxing bs etc inside of. If you have a home dock thats a good place. Mine is vented so no worries with fumes. My reasoning on this is I shouldn't be doing fiberglass repairs at sea or waxing. Of course if you are cruising around this may be a different situation. I looked at a 50c that had two fiberglass boxes on the forward deck that would have been ideal for this sort of storage

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Wrench’s 1-1/2 down to really really small (duplicates and triplicates 1” to 3/8), crescents, pipe wrench, pry bars, 1/4-3/8-1/2 socket sets (metric/sae), taps, helicoil sets, drill bits (lots) right angle drill, impact driver, heat gun, lg and sm filter wrenches, Allen/torx stuff, files, punches, chisels, hacksaw, wire brushes, easy out, vise, all manner of screw drivers and pliers, wire strippers and crimpers, scrapers, putty knives, sander, carpentry tools, grabber, magnets, torque wrench, feeler gauge, micrometer/calipers, electrical wrenches, insulated screwdrivers, multimeter, IR gun, dental pics, magnifiers, dremmel, paint brushes/rollers, files, mirrors, customized tools, Emory cloth, scotchbright pads, air compressor, tin snips and nippers, scissors, utility/exacta knives, knee pads, bandaids heating pad and the most important of all-a big hammer. The above constitutes a good basic starter tool kit for an old Hat.

 

[Jar5]

thanks for info

​

 

[jim rosenthal]

Hammers in various sizes with different size heads. Gasket material. A tube of wheel bearing grease. Teflon grease for zippers on enclosures etc.

I keep a fiarly good tool kit on Blue Note, but what I really USE is small tools in a separate bag- gear wrench ratcheting box wrenches, a ratcheting screwdriver with lots of different small bits.Also I have a group of oil and fuel filter wrenches in various sizes.

I would try to avoid storing a lot of volatile things like lacquer thinner etc inside your boat. Over time you would inhale a fair amount of it, and it isn't good for you. Deck boxes or dock boxes or a storage unit for that.

I have all my electrical tools and items in a separate box. By far the one I use the most, with the current wiring projects on cars and bikes.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

I would try to avoid storing a lot of volatile things like lacquer thinner etc inside your boat. Over time you would inhale a fair amount of it, and it isn't good for you. Deck boxes or dock boxes or a storage unit for that.

Cetane boosters.

 

[Glory]

O my God, nobody mentioned fist full of fifties and a checkbook!!

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Yeah and I left out a lot. But by the time you get to where you can buy one these boats you ought to have just about all of it. Maybe sort of an entrance exam.

 

[SEVEN]

Just find a berth close to a hardware store. It really helps.

 

[Westfield 11]

Thanks to everyone for the helpful responses. I think I already have everything on Robert's list except the heli-coils, and everything on Dr Jim's list except the teflon grease and the filter wrenches (which I am hoping will be onboard).

I have a deck box in the cockpit that would work for paints and I am planning on buying the pint cans instead of the gallons for thinners and solvents. I only need room for some touch-up quantities on board.

Question: will I need to have some 5-gal buckets with lids for oil changes? There is a oil change pump system already installed, but I didn't see any empties onboard. If I buy my new oil in pails, I'll still need some way to drain and transport the dirty oil, correct? I have 4 or 5 here and can either store them or bring them.

 

[Boatsb]

5 gal oil pails are a must. I have a half dozen for oil changes. Fill the old pails. Get them off the boat asap. Refill from pails or gallons. Reuse pails whenever possible. .

Also some way to move antifreeze, diesel fuel for filters and any other liquid that you dont drink.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

And pig mats. You will need them.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Empty buckets with lids already on them are a must. I use Diesel Kleen to prime fuel filters when changing them- easier than keeping five gallons of diesel, as fuel jugs tend to leak fumes and you can smell them all over the boat. DK is very useful for this.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Yeah and I left out a lot. But by the time you get to where you can buy one these boats you ought to have just about all of it. Maybe sort of an entrance exam.

Isn't THAT the truth.

 

[Boatsb]

I use the Stanley sorting bins like this

https://www.stanleytools.com/en-us/...organizer/deep-professional-organizer/014710r

I have
One for crimp terminals (shrink type) 10 gauge to 18 gauge all types
One for battery terminals and lugs from 4 gauge to 4/0.
One for screws. #4 through #12 various heads, lengths, ...
One for nuts and bolts #6 on up with all kinds of nuts and washers
One for NMEA2000 interfacing from cable ends to adapters to terminators and tees.
One for raymarine seatalkNG and simnet.



even with that and while more in the truck and trailer i still go out for something almost every project.


The scary part is when I do inventory and remind myself what it costs.

 

[whoover]

Hello, don't forget about fasteners. I have two tackle boxes full of nuts, bolts, screws, washers to put anything that may fall apart back together. A pair of cordless drivers are useful too.

Walt Hoover