Boat Emergency Tool Box

[Jeff S]

We'll its that time of year again.

I never used to have a tool box in the boat. My 4-5th year now.
I've learned some ugly lessons.

I have a small "Home depot" type bag I'm filling with tools.
What should I be carrying?

Any advice out there from experience?
(I'm going to use it as a auto bag too/kinda a combination)
(boat stuff first though)


Spare fuses
Spare stainless screws and bolts.
Needle nose plyers
Channel locks
Phillips screwdriver
Flat head

etc?

[Mckoz]

I've got a spare set of plugs & a wrench. A prop wrench, flashlight, small can of WD 40 and electrical tape along with the items you've mentioned.

My go to item is a pack of matches - Someone always brings cigars but I never seem to have a lighter.

Mike

[waterwolff]

propwrench, plugwrench, 6 in one screwdriver,channelocks,strippers,wire, duct tape,

[JBL]

Sidecutters, we always have them in the boat.

Once I carelessly grabbed a rattletrap off the floor but unknown to me, the back treble was buried in the carpet and the front treble buried in my thumb, I was literally stuck to the floor. Really glad we had those sidecutters with us that day.

Also,
Electrical and duct tape are often useful to have on the boat.

[Gilligan]

Besides those mentioned I keep a full set of tools in the truck for any incidents to and from the lake. On the boat I keep a set of
jumper cables, wire, connectors and an electrical tester.

[Fin Addict]

A Vise Grips would be a versitile addition to the items previously mentioned.

[Reels]

Dont forget a small volt meter...

Tube of Silicone

I keep my stuff in a waterproof box.

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[JMC]

Wood plugs (cones) to fit all your thru-huls, & a mallet.

Joe

[Erie Drifter]

Spare prop,nut and washer, first aid kit, flares, hand held VHF, US/Metric wrenches and sockets, spare anchor and extra rope, hand held spotlight, rain gear, blankets,hand operated bilge pump, air horn,
JB Weld.

Bill W. (War-N-Peace-ch 68)

[Thumper]

Lots of good ideas........In addition to many of the items mentioned we carry a poly tarp and axe. We are prepared to spend the night in the bush if we have to. Have not had to yet....but you never know.

[targa2]

Beleive it or not I carry a 10 foot set of light duty jumper cables in case I have to use my deep cycles to start the big engine.Get an airhorn that has a hand pump to recharge it.

[tly]

By the time we wade through the previous posts there is quite an array of legitimate required parts, especially side cutters, vice grips and jumper cables. What I have not seen so far is an important addition. Toilet paper. I guess I am spoiled, but Rapala or other lure instructions are like using the colored pages from the old Wards catalog.

I use a utility box for storage (Gander Mountain, Cabela, or any marine dealer)that is compact & waterproof. Just to be sure I put much of the material in zip lock bags. The unit fits nicely in underfloor storage.

Don't forget to include our next generation. They will be in a position to repay by taking us when we become less agile. Teach em good, you don't want to go out with anything but the best!

TLY

[Grey Ghost]

Boy do I have a lot of stuff that I have mostly used over the last 20 yrs. of boating and towing to far place for extended fishing trips and vacations.
Winter cloths, gloves, rain gear, flash light, spot light, wheel bearings, bearing seal, wheel bearing grease, winch cable, break tools, tools to replace wheel bearings, adjustable wrench, flat blade and Philips screwdrivers, plug and prop wrenches, spare plugs, filter wrech, toilet paper, first aid kit, Coast Guard required items, fuses, lake maps, outboard motor oil, cable ties, electrical tape, fishing pliers with side cutters, spare anchor rope, groceries bags and a Lady J for the opposite sex. In the truck; metric and American standard socket, set of wrenches, pliers, vice grips, voltmeter, assorted screwdrivers kit, assorted hex keys kit, jumper cables, crimps and tool, light bulbs and dielectric grease.

[haugboss]

if its suposed to move and dont you need wd-40 if its not suposed to move and does you need duct tape

[REW]

A couple of pointers -
In previous years - I used to keep my spare tools and plugs in a plastic tool box. I found however, that if I had a wave or other problem in my old boat - that water would get into the box, and rust everything up.

I have since taken to storing all of my tools and spare plugs etc. in one of the hard plastic marine storage boxes. These are the boxes that come in two sizes - are sometimes colored bright orange, have a rubber gasket on the lid, and a very robust flip over hasp to close and lock the lid tightly. Since using this style box - I can literally float the box in my livewell, and haver have moisture or rusting problems on my tools.

One thing that I have added to ther other postings is an exact fit socket - on a 3/8" breaker bar - for my prop nut. It is nice to have an exact fitting prop nut socket - on a flex handle for easily removing the prop. I also carry a couple of spare prop nuts and cotter pins. Nothing worse than having your prop nut go to the bottom of the lake - during a prop changing operation, or losing a prop nut - because a cotter pin - fell out - and having no spare nuts.

A spare prop will do you no good, if you lose a prop nut, and don't have a spare nut to keep it in place.

Take care

REW

[bigfish1965]

And a spare prop nut does you no good if you don't have a big-a$$ wrench to take the old one off with.

[Walizz 1]

Don't forget a spare set of keys for the truck!!!!!!!!

[OrangeBarrel]

ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS have a spare boat plug. I was out on Winnebago one year and we get set for trolling in my Sylvan. Going great for awhile until I look down in my in-floor storage and see nothing but water. I looked in back to see the boat plug came out and was no where to be found. Fortunately, I had a spare in the glove box and plugged it in. Meanwhile, we started sing "The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" while we bildged out the boat. After 45 minutes we were back to normal.

[LakeRat]

All of the above in the special utility boat that travels with me as I ripple skip across the great waters of North America in search of the elusive FISH! Yah right! I keep a few screw drivers, vise grips, plugs/wrench, electrical tape, needle nose pliers, adjustable pliers and small first aid kit. I would like to bring a very well stocked tool chest but room does not allow.

[Rocketman]

I like all of the suggestions posted here, seems you never really know what you will NEED, when the NEED arrives.
There is one item I did not see mentioned.. sort of. Instead of jumper cables I have purchased a portable battery pack. These handy units have helped me and a number of other boaters out. Especially when you are in line to launch and the guy infront of you can not get his motor started because of dead battery. I jump to the rescue, pull out the battery pack, give the guy a "quick" jump, he's off and now I can launch my boat.
Nothing worse than trolling all day to find your own battery is so low it won't crank the engine... No problem, hook up the portable pack and away you go. You can get them most anywhere. FleetFarm,Walmart, autoparts stores. Definitely worth the money.Definitely.

[The Great Guide]

A few years ago I bought a $25 household tool kit. It has just about any tool you need in a pinch including a hammer, screwdrivers, sockets SAE and metric, electrical tape, connectors, etc, and it's encased in a heavy duty plastic case. The only thing I had to add was a 3/4 driver, extension and sockets for plugs and prop. They are not the quality of tool that I would use to make my living, but they work in a pinch. I keep a better tool set in my camper.

One other thing that you may want to add is a 16 foot jumper wire set. These jumpers make it easy to jump start your engine from the trolling battery if the starting battery goes down. I made my own by buying the wire and connectors.

TGG