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.