We often get asked by aspiring sailing cruisers, ‘What tools to have on my boat?’ One of our guests wanted to bring his land-based man cave with him. He spent his life building up his tool collection and felt very attached to it – especially his lathe. This is totally understandable but ultimately not practical.
There are two major issues. The first is that the more weight you put on a sailboat (I’m talking mainly Catamaran’s here) the slower it goes. The second issue is that the space used up by unessential items reduces your ability to truly have what is necessary to keep the boat operating to its best.
The longer you sail the more you get rid of all the stuff you thought you’d need when you started.
We spent months loading up Britican with all the items we couldn’t part with only to spend years eventually getting rid of it.
Over time you realize what’s really important. For me, it’s all about food and comfort. For Simon, it’s all about having the right tools and spare parts for the times when we need them most. Watch the video to get an idea of what Simon has in his man cave. I’m sure some of the items might surprise you.
What Tools To Have On My Boat – Video
A good suggestion for new boaters is to have toolboxes for different purposes. Have a toolbox for your engines, another for your electrical work, and perhaps another for common boat repairs. We have boxes for certain projects too, like our caulking box with a caulking gun, caulk, caulk strippers, and so forth. We also have a box of different tape – you’d be amazed at how many different kinds of tape a boater acquires over time!
Any Questions or Suggestions?
How would you answer the question, What Tools To Have On My Boat? Please leave your thoughts below.
Thanks guys. Great video Simon. I am still trying to sort out my tools – I have a collection of previous owners left behinds!
Any recommendations for a good filter wrench ? I have tended to destroy the cheap ones from auto shops way too quickly.
We’ve had our filter wrench the whole time – it came with the boat. It’s looking a bit rough but still working well. I wish I knew where the previous owner got it, but I don’t. Perhaps it’s one of those items where the high cost of buying it from a Chandlery pays off? Thanks for commenting. S.
Hi Simon and Kim
Very useful, especially for us just starting out. Many thanks for taking the time and effort.. Regards Clive