Onboard toolkit for a 35.5

Mutany

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Aug 20, 2018
10
Catalina C30 MKI San Diego
I'm putting together a tool kit for my yet to be purchased 35.5.

I'm new to maintaining a sailboat... what are the essentials?
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Multi tester. Rubber mallet. 5 & 7 mm box wrenches. Vice grip. Channel lock pliers. Phillips and slot screwdriver. A decent electrical crimper and an assortment of crimp connectors, electrical tape. That's not a complete list. If you are cruising the list gets a lot longer. But if you sail from a dock I think it's better to keep your tools on shore and not clutter up the boat with a lot of stuff you'll never use.
 
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tjar

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Aug 8, 2011
166
Hunter Legend 35.5 Tacoma, WA
Butyl tape, SailKote lubricant, rigger's knife, sailmaker's palm, needles, & thread, needle nose pliers, diagonal cutters, whipping line, and seizing wire. It's also a good idea to keep an assortment of spare parts. Items to consider are fuel filter, belts, hoses and clamps, clevis pins & split rings, oil, batteries, light bulbs, head service kit, fuses, zip ties. Most of these items can be stored in a small bag or plastic box out of the way.
I like to keep a small, but well stocked tool bag onboard. It avoids the usual problem of not having the tool when I need it, or forgetting it in one place or the other.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,996
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Oh the list is long and short. All depends. While I am in repair mode, I care tools that fill the back of my Subaru forester. I never know what I may need. A craftsman is only limited by his tools.
When I go sailing, I try to limit the tools to what may be needed to repair the boats primary systems to get me home safely (engine, sail, hull, etc.). All of what @tjar listed are great to consider.
I am presently trying to limit the extraneous from the really needed. Being a card carrying pack rat, you can imagine this is like the Labours of Hercules. Pain in everything I set aside to be taken ashore. I just know I may need it some day.
 
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FDL S2

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Jun 29, 2014
469
S2 7.3 Fond du Lac
I think it was @jssailem that posted the two toolbox method: one with everything you think you will need and one empty. When you use a tool from the full box, put it in the empty one. After a season you will know what you need and what you should leave at home.
Personally, I have a socket and wrench set with both metric and standard. A few different size Phillips and flat screw drivers. Rubber mallet, dikes, needle nose, regular pliers, adjustable, channel locks, hacksaw, multimeter, wire crimps, tape measure and probably a few things I'm not remembering right now. The socket and wrench set is in its own case and the rear fits in an 16" x9"x8" tool box.
 

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
I'm new to maintaining a sailboat... what are the essentials?
- 4-bit screwdriver.
- adjustable crescent wrench.
- 2 drywall buckets, deck brush.
- mask, fins, snorkel.
- 4 grill lighters.
- Headlamp.
- Handheld VHF radio w/lanyard.
- A properly stocked sundowner bar with massive ice storage, skipper’s reserve aperitif, cold white wine.
- 4 pair of sunglasses, 6 readers.
- Full-boat sound system with satellite music feed.
- knives, lots of knives. Paring to Machete; fillet and serrated too. A throwing axe for shore entertainment.
- Crab mallet.
- Oyster knife.
- 5 lbs limes.
- rubber work gloves.
- Cuban yo-yo hand line, white squid lure, treble hooked, 6 ft stainless steel leader.
- Woman no cry.
- Towels, lots of towels.
- Maintain a proper head, show pride of ownship.
- Hawaiian collared shirt, crisp white undershirt, well-fitted canvas shorts, boat sandals.
- Hat, Bigger is better.
- Sunscreen, accept all contributions from the ladies.
- Electric multi-tester (for your brother-in-law).
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,402
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Maintaining, cruising, and just getting back to the dock are three different kits.

I carry a "get back to the dock" kit in my F-24. I had a cruising kit on my PDQ 32/34. My maintaining kit fills my shop. If you are day sailing you only need the "get back to the dock" kit.

Also some manner of mini-ditch bag, just until help arrives. Should fit in your backpack and will include things like a waterproof handheld VHF and water.
 
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Jun 2, 2004
121
Hunter 430 Shelter bay, Panama
I keep a small tool bag out with things like screw drivers, hex wrenches, pliers, sail repair stuff, box wrenches, sockets, knives and zip ties etc. I keep a separate electrical tool bag with tape, solder, wire, connectors, good crimp tool, bulbs, heat shrink tubing etc. and a full tool bag with hammers, mallets, big channel locks for stuffing box, vice grips, wire brushes etc. then i have bags with things like drill, jig saw, riveter, electric screw driver. another with engine hoses and belts, another with spare pad eyes, clips, rings, shackles etc.
 
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Sep 22, 2009
134
Hunter 36 Seattle, WA
All of these items are great suggestions, as are the ideas of relative use. It’s best to think of what one might need in a hurry for tasks such as: thru hull failure, hose failure, belt breakage, impeller failure. Clevis puns and cotter pins are vital spares to have. Think through what you might NEED to fix in order to get to a place (e.g., dock with access to expertise and more tools.)
 
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AlexB

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Aug 9, 2016
37
C&C 36 Great Kills harbor.
I'm putting together a tool kit for my yet to be purchased 35.5.

I'm new to maintaining a sailboat... what are the essentials?
don't buy wrenches and sockets before you buy the boat. you don't know in advance if it's going to be a metric or a standard.
 
Sep 11, 2015
147
Hunter 31 Marina del Rey
Best way is to see what comes with the boat then start working on the boat and note what you need. After a few months you will have a decent set. It makes sense to have more units of the essential tools than a complete set. For example, you will lose sockets and drivers to the sea (or may not be able to find them when needed). If you have a Yanmar engine it is more important to have 2-3x 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm sockets than a complete set. Keep working on the boat and maintain a list of what you need to purchase. There is no need to think about this now but I can understand the anticipation.
 
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