Engine Spares for Coastal Cruising

Sep 22, 2009
134
Hunter 36 Seattle, WA
Hunter Association of Puget Sound (HAPS to you) is sponsoring a thread on engine spares for cruising in coastal waters.
Assumption: You are within five hours' sail of a boat repair facility, and two days away from being able to get a specific part to that facility.
What engine/propulsion drive spares do you need to have aboard?

I'll begin:
Impeller replacement kit (Impeller, puller, glycerin, washer)
One spare belt for each belt onboard
ResQtape and hose clamps (hose repair)
Spare prop
Oil filter
Primary and secondary fuel filters
Sufficient oil for full replacement.
Sufficient antifreeze for full replacement

Discuss:
 
Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
Thermostat
1 injector
rebuild kit for lift pump (s)
fresh water pump
macerator pump
bow thruster shear pins
dinghy spares
sail repair tape and needles, thread, palm
duct tape
hand held radio
cell phone
tools
oil pressure sender
windlass spares
250 amp fuzes
voltmeter
I could go on
 
Oct 30, 2011
542
klidescope 30t norfolk
Gasket kit for heat exchanger and exhaust mixing elbow but then you gotta carry a big pipe wrench to be able to change that. Maybe a motor mt. Bungs. All shapes and sizes hardwood cork and Rubber . Rtv silicone. Jb weld. Thread seal or Rtv can double as that .
 
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KD3PC

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Sep 25, 2008
1,069
boatless rainbow Callao, VA
at least three sets of fuel filters, unless you have a switch/bleed system to change them and then bring them online to do the current set. In rough weather, or no engine - bobbing situation - a mess and stress.

I am with Rick, we carried a new injector and lift pump as well as other major engine parts...ie water pump with new impeller, just in case.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Since the question was dedicated to diesel engine/drive parts, I suppose I'll just stick to the following.

Do carry for my Yanmar diesel:
Spare impellers, fuel filters (10 & 30 micron), oil filters, oil, coolant, absorbent pads, v-belts, Hitachi (rebuilt) spare starter, fuses, 14-gauge electrical wire & heat-shrink butt connectors, metric tool sets including metric allen wrenches, suite of metric SS fasteners, assorted SS hose clamps, and some hose. Hand pumping system to back-flush the cooling water intake on the sail drive SD31 (remove kelp/debris). I also have a small mirror gimbaled to a telescoping wand, and a magnetic pick-up on telescoping wand for recovering some dropped fasteners. Two multi-meters, one digital. Sometimes carry 6 gal of diesel fuel in jerry can (i.e., 6 spare h of motoring time), depending on expected time out.

Should carry in addition (IMHO):
Spare propeller (two-day delivery if not during a holiday period--then > a week), service manual for diesel, spare engine water pump, spare parts for intake seawater strainer or full spare unit, spare alternator, spare mixing elbow w/ gaskets or o-rings, spare waterlock (who knows how long to get the correct one!), and portable emergency battery jumper.

Thanks for the nudge.

KG
 
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Feb 10, 2004
3,918
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Defender has another brand that looks like the same specs for less. Search "Rescue Tape" on Defender. Don't see it at SBO store.
 
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Rick

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Oct 5, 2004
1,095
Hunter 420 Passage San Diego
You all forgot the most important thing.

Vessel Assist or SeaTow insurance for less than 200 a year. Then you can ditch half of those parts and swap them with usable ballast like rum and a backup VHF radio or two, maybe a portable life raft and a grab and go kit!

Cheers
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
You all forgot the most important thing.

Vessel Assist or SeaTow insurance for less than 200 a year. Then you can ditch half of those parts and swap them with usable ballast like rum and a backup VHF radio or two, maybe a portable life raft and a grab and go kit!

Cheers
I've owned boats for 35+ years. Sailed San Francisco Bay and recently sailed to Vancouver Island. I have needed and used a tow boat ONCE in all that time and it cost me $400. Do the math.

Each individual skipper needs to determine what he thinks is warranted.

SeaTow is not a given necessity. If you keep going aground and need it more than once, then maybe you should consider other priorities.
 

Rick

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Oct 5, 2004
1,095
Hunter 420 Passage San Diego
I've owned boats for 35+ years. Sailed San Francisco Bay and recently sailed to Vancouver Island. I have needed and used a tow boat ONCE in all that time and it cost me $400. Do the math.

Each individual skipper needs to determine what he thinks is warranted.

SeaTow is not a given necessity. If you keep going aground and need it more than once, then maybe you should consider other priorities.
Stu I was being a facetious there. Those are all good ideas. Its the holidays. Take your serious hat off for one second.
And a couple friend of ours who left Avalon for San Diego, developed an engine problem about 10 miles underway with no wind, were quoted 2500 dollars from Vessel Assist to return them to San Diego. They chose to drift home and wound up on the kelp beds in Mission Bay 14 hours late. And also the cost of a spare prop could be anywhere from 800 to 3000 dollars. Hmmm how many years of insurance is that?

Just sayin
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Its the holidays. Take your serious hat off for one second.
Yeah, I guess I should start not answering serious questions, use some frivolity when it comes to safety. :):):) Bad me. :)

What I did say was:
Each individual skipper needs to determine what he thinks is warranted.
Still valid.

Your example was a very good one. Would be helpful to know what killed their engine. Was it a prop issue or am I reading too much between the lines?
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Towing insurance, even as tongue-in-cheek, is not remotely in the same playing field as having engine/drive spare parts aboard. I thought about mentioning it myself, as I do have towing insurance, but then thought better of it. Likely, it's the same reason why the engine quit and your friends had no insurance--poor planning and preparation for a major 150 n. mi. RT cruise out in the Pacific Ocean. These are not alternative choices of equal validity--the boat has to be seaworthy at all times, even when at the dock. If someone wishes towing insurance too, then fine. For the $$'s I've spent on towing insurance in the last 25+ years of boating, I could have a more complete assortment of spare diesel parts (which I might never need) including a couple of spare props. Just a different form of insurance that one buys and does not use. Maybe turn them into Christmas gifts when my boating days are through. Ho! Ho! Ho!
 
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Rick

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Oct 5, 2004
1,095
Hunter 420 Passage San Diego
I fear I opened up a can of worms, which BTW is not in the spares locker on my boat. Stu, I have been reading and learning from your posts for over ten years. Always a respectful wealth of knowledge. I was trying out this new pumpkin flavored liquer when I posted that. Its tasty actually. Sort of a spicey eggnog flavor. And I have to admit, yes like most diligent sailors, I carry spares for my coastal cruising for all the same reasons. I changed out a bad impeller in terrible seas on a hot engine. Got burned a bit, but I was happy in the end to be back underway.
I guess what I mean is, I respect my beloved Mother Ocean every minute that I am out on her. Im just not a "paper chart" guy completely anymore. Also, a confession. I did except a three mile tow to the slip when one of my fuel filters clogged and stalled her. Sure I could have changed it then and their but......

Happy holidays.

PS. Yeah what clogged the engine in the end was poor maintenance. This was a bit of an older boat, lived aboard, and forgotten somewhat what its original intend was. Clogged mixing elbow, and low fuel state which clogged filters, was what was said. Glad I was on my boat.
 
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Sep 22, 2009
134
Hunter 36 Seattle, WA
Thanks for all of your contributions, humorous and in earnest. The maintenance issue is an interesting one, and also connected with what spares and tools we carry, it seems to me. If I just changed/inspected/tried by sea the exhaust elbow, for instance, I am probably not packing a spare one of those for a 2-week coastal cruise. On offshore cruises, I see the need for more spares than in coastal situations. My question is intended (perhaps less directly than is helpful) to get at the difference.
Reading some of these lists, my tongue in cheek temptation was to suggest that we simply tow an identical Hunter model behind us as a source of well-stowed spare parts. But that comment would be misunderstood, so I won't do that.
 
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Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Interesting, your list of must have spare parts are exclusive to your iron genny. Since you do have an alternative mode of propulsion you have options our benighted powerboat friends do not have, make the most of your advantage. So to that list I carry plenty of spare running rigging (think broken furling line, traveler or control sheet), stout sail repair kit, a box of spare clevis pins, shackles, cotter pins, odds and ends for those obscure but important things like keeping your gooseneck attached to the mast, or securing a key turning block. I have more thru-hull plugs than a man should need, but would not part with any. Nothing salves the pain of losing your $800 anchor and 125 feet of chain like knowing that you have a backup to keep your $100,000 boat off the lee shore! Beyond that coastal cruising is knowing that you can easily find your way to a port where parts are readily available and your return to adventure will not be too inconvenienced.
 
Sep 22, 2009
134
Hunter 36 Seattle, WA
Thanks, Gunni. The requested list is specific to engine and propulsion for a reason. HAPS will be discussing other areas (rigging, spars, sails) during another quarter of the year.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
If I just changed/inspected/tried by sea the exhaust elbow, for instance, I am probably not packing a spare one of those for a 2-week coastal cruise.
To that I say: "If it works at the dock, then it might work at sea." When my starter failed last year, it had been working perfectly up until when it didn't.:angry: A diesel needs fuel, air, and cooling water to run, once started. That's what you have to protect. If it's not going out the back, then it ain't coming in the front!
 
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