Tools of the trade, ratchet crimper, stripper, and marine grade connectors. Well worth the investment. Doing it right will help reduce those pesky hard to track down wiring problems. The project also gets you intimately acquainted with marine electrical systems. It helps that i took basic wiring and electricity as an elective in highschool and college. But still don casey's sailboat electrics book was very helpfull and anyone could do it. You just need three hands!