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Tools to take a long


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Hi all. I'm a new boat owner, and being that my boat is an '86 I figure there might be some days that there will be some tools required that keep my day going. I was just wondering which tools are essential the keep in the boat. Thanks.

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Always have plan B...a paddle

Other than that I carry a couple flat head screwdrivers and spare impeller, a nut driver for hoses, a wrench set, maybe some electrical stuff, a cheap deep socket set and a couple different pliers.

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Don't forget a good knife (to cut fouled lines), electrical tape, duct tape, a spare drain plug...I'm sure there are others.

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A First Aid kit might be your most valuable tool. Knife, jump starter, epoxy plugs, small socket set, leatherman. etc

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I just take this along with me....

edit, I only meant that I take the beer on top of the tool box along with me.

post-29-1211250569_thumb.jpg

Edited by Pistol Pete
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I bought one of those $50 sets at Home Depot which solely stays in the boat for emergency use. If I am at home, I use my regular tools. That way, the ones in the boat are never missing when I am in dire need of them. They are not the greatest quality, but will handle things in a pinch.

Something like this

But don't forget your prop wrench and puller as the wrenches/sockets are not even close to the right size for the prop nut.

Edited by martho
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A leatherman, some cable ties, a roll of electrical tape, and a paddle. Experience has shown me you will never have the tool you need. Preventive maintenance is your best tool.

edit; actually 2 paddles and an old diving mask too.

Edited by electricjohn
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Put a good lanyard on your utiltiy knife, so you don't drop it in the lake when you are swimming under the boat cutting spectra line off your prop

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I have a good set of tools in my boat, a set of craftsman screw drivers, a basic craftsman socket and combination wrench set and hex wrenches. I know you can get an inexpensive set of tools but I have had bad luck with cheap tools in the past (broken sockets, broken screwdrivers handles ...). As a friend once told me "the only time a cheap tool breaks is when you need it the most" Cry.gif . This is particularly true when you take into consideration the tools spend the better part of their lives in a damp boat unused and unseen and the fasteners they are attacking often haven't been touch since the day the factory installed them. You don't have to go the craftsman route but stay away from the Hardware store dollar bins.

I also like to keep a small can of WD40 or similar lubricant to help loosen the bolt before attacking it. Duct tape, electrical tape and a small bit of 18 gauge wire can also get you through a pinch. Throw in some hose clamps, save the impeller from your last impeller change and a spare bottle opener and you will be able to at least get home if not salvage the weekend.

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I bought one of those $50 sets at Home Depot which solely stays in the boat for emergency use. If I am at home, I use my regular tools. That way, the ones in the boat are never missing when I am in dire need of them. They are not the greatest quality, but will handle things in a pinch.

Something like this

But don't forget your prop wrench and puller as the wrenches/sockets are not even close to the right size for the prop nut.

Plus1.gif

We live on a small lake, and can never get more than 2 miles away from our house. But I keep a tool box like that in the boat, (allong with an impellor, duct & electrical tape, and a few others that have been mentioned here). Allen wrenches are important also. It has helped me a few times, and I have been able to quickly help others out several times too!

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Impeller, spar prop, and spare belt, three hardest things to find on a sunday or when your on vacation

Tools: Crescent wrench, allen set, duct tape, needle nose pliers, knife, bottle opener, striper pole and camera Biggrin.gif

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All great suggestions. I carry a good bit of them myself. Although it did just remind me that I don't have a paddle in the Vride.

The one tool that I think we've used more often though...... a cell phone.

Many times it has been better for me to just relax, swim, have a beer & wait for one of my buddies to come out & tow us back in. We can work on the problem under better conditions later (like when your wife & screaming kids aren't there). Whistling.gif

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MalibuNation

Bottle opener

Set of goggles if you need to get a good at the bottom of you boat and very helpful if you have to untangle a rope from the prop ... been boating all my life and had some vistors on shore and was a tad bit of a hurry to pick them up and you guessed it, wrapped the rope around the prop - first time in my life. Never be in a hurry while boating. PS googles aren't a tool, but a "must have".

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I have a good set of tools in my boat, a set of craftsman screw drivers, a basic craftsman socket and combination wrench set and hex wrenches. I know you can get an inexpensive set of tools but I have had bad luck with cheap tools in the past (broken sockets, broken screwdrivers handles ...). As a friend once told me "the only time a cheap tool breaks is when you need it the most" Cry.gif . This is particularly true when you take into consideration the tools spend the better part of their lives in a damp boat unused and unseen and the fasteners they are attacking often haven't been touch since the day the factory installed them. You don't have to go the craftsman route but stay away from the Hardware store dollar bins.

I also like to keep a small can of WD40 or similar lubricant to help loosen the bolt before attacking it. Duct tape, electrical tape and a small bit of 18 gauge wire can also get you through a pinch. Throw in some hose clamps, save the impeller from your last impeller change and a spare bottle opener and you will be able to at least get home if not salvage the weekend.

Plus1.gif And I live on the lake. I keep an assortment of tie wraps also.

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A couple weeks ago my friend got his rope in the prop on his new xstar, first time out. The water was still a little cold, but I had a shortie wet suit and was able to spend more time in the water. We did not have a knife or goggles and those are a must have. The other thing I experienced is that when trying to untangel a rope from the prop while in the water is that it is hard to stay under very long due to need for coming up for breath. An extra long breathing snorkel would have been very helpful in addition to the knife and goggles. We could not get the rope off the prop shaft and he had to be towed in.

I now carry gogles and a knife.

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A couple weeks ago my friend got his rope in the prop on his new xstar, first time out. The water was still a little cold, but I had a shortie wet suit and was able to spend more time in the water. We did not have a knife or goggles and those are a must have. The other thing I experienced is that when trying to untangel a rope from the prop while in the water is that it is hard to stay under very long due to need for coming up for breath. An extra long breathing snorkel would have been very helpful in addition to the knife and goggles. We could not get the rope off the prop shaft and he had to be towed in.

I now carry gogles and a knife.

The snorkel can only be so long to prevent rebreathing dead air. I don't know exactly how long, but to reach from near the prop to either side of the swim deck could maybe be stretching it. You would be at risk of slowly asphyxiating (spelling?) yourself and underwater is a bad place to do that.

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A couple weeks ago my friend got his rope in the prop on his new xstar, first time out. The water was still a little cold, but I had a shortie wet suit and was able to spend more time in the water. We did not have a knife or goggles and those are a must have. The other thing I experienced is that when trying to untangel a rope from the prop while in the water is that it is hard to stay under very long due to need for coming up for breath. An extra long breathing snorkel would have been very helpful in addition to the knife and goggles. We could not get the rope off the prop shaft and he had to be towed in.

I now carry gogles and a knife.

The snorkel can only be so long to prevent rebreathing dead air. I don't know exactly how long, but to reach from near the prop to either side of the swim deck could maybe be stretching it. You would be at risk of slowly asphyxiating (spelling?) yourself and underwater is a bad place to do that.

Yeh, that is why I did not do anything with a snorkel type setup, however you can get a mini air tank for scuba diving that would work well, not cost effective thought at around $200. Or you would have to exhale through your nose and only breathe in through the tube.

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I bought one of those $50 sets at Home Depot which solely stays in the boat for emergency use. If I am at home, I use my regular tools. That way, the ones in the boat are never missing when I am in dire need of them. They are not the greatest quality, but will handle things in a pinch.

Something like this

But don't forget your prop wrench and puller as the wrenches/sockets are not even close to the right size for the prop nut.

Jeese, just think, if these things were Ford powered all you would need from that set is the hammer and screwdriver.

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I have a small toolbox in my boat's trunk that has all the tools needed to make any repair that I could potentially do on the water (or trailer) This includes:

-impeller swap

-prop change

-shaft packing nut adjustments

-Alternator/ Water pumps belt change

Just to list a few. Surprisingly, aside from the wrenches for the shaft packing nuts, everything fits in a small "tackle box". I also always like to carry zip ties, aside from duct tape, zip ties could be one of the single most usefull devices. You never know how handy they can become.

3 years with the boat, and although we've had our share of issues, none of them ruined out day/trip.......being prepared goes a long way.

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MalibuNation
A couple weeks ago my friend got his rope in the prop on his new xstar, first time out. The water was still a little cold, but I had a shortie wet suit and was able to spend more time in the water. We did not have a knife or goggles and those are a must have. The other thing I experienced is that when trying to untangel a rope from the prop while in the water is that it is hard to stay under very long due to need for coming up for breath. An extra long breathing snorkel would have been very helpful in addition to the knife and goggles. We could not get the rope off the prop shaft and he had to be towed in.

I now carry gogles and a knife.

Definitely I keep a knife in the boat.

Edited by MalibuNation
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A couple weeks ago my friend got his rope in the prop on his new xstar, first time out. The water was still a little cold, but I had a shortie wet suit and was able to spend more time in the water. We did not have a knife or goggles and those are a must have. The other thing I experienced is that when trying to untangel a rope from the prop while in the water is that it is hard to stay under very long due to need for coming up for breath. An extra long breathing snorkel would have been very helpful in addition to the knife and goggles. We could not get the rope off the prop shaft and he had to be towed in.

I now carry gogles and a knife.

Definitely I keep a knife in the boat.

Make sure the knife has a serrated portion making it much easier to cut through a rope, especially if it has been fused onto the drive shaft. The goggles are also nice to keep in the boat for those times.

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Cell phone, tow rope, goggles and knife as well as the first aid and fire extinguisher. All the good tools and spare parts are at the cabin where there is power and a beer fridge.

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  • 2 years later...

I'm going to bump this because I thought somebody might have a few new "must have" additions to the tool box?

I've got 2 spare props, puller, spare impellar and puller and associated wrenches. I've always got a knife on me but lately I don't bring it so I've added that to the list.

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The snorkel can only be so long to prevent rebreathing dead air. I don't know exactly how long, but to reach from near the prop to either side of the swim deck could maybe be stretching it. You would be at risk of slowly asphyxiating (spelling?) yourself and underwater is a bad place to do that.

Breath in thru the snorkel, exhale thru your nose. 100% fresh make up air that way.

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