Tools To Take Sailing With You
Because of the experimental nature of our boats
I'd suggest you take some tools & supplies with you.
Multi-tool - the one I carry has several screw drivers and plyers so I can do various repairs. I always wear my life jacket
which has a belt that goes around the mid section. I have my multi-tool in the sheath
right there on my life jacket's belt
so it always goes with me
even if I go sailing with someone else on their boat. I also have a small loop of line attached to the tool
so when I use it
I have the loop around my wrist incase I drop it
I won't loose it in the drink.
Small Crescent Wrench - so I can hold one side of a bolt or nut
and use the multi-tool to drive the other side. It also has the loop of line for my wrist.
Spare line and a Gimlet - there is an old saying
a sailor could do anything as long as he has some line. This is close to be true
there are tons of things you can improvise on a boat with just a piece of line
but it really helps to be able to drill a hole in a piece of wood. I carry a gimlet
which is a hole starting tool. If I need a bigger hole
I can make it larger with the multi-tool.
Bottle with spare screws - I have a small plastic bottle that I carry various screws and small items just incase something from my boat or sail rig gets loosened and falls in the water.
Epoxy Putty - If you punch a hole in your hull
you can often repair it by either stuffing a rag or plugging the hole up
or you can wrap something around the outside of the hull. I have more info about this on the Emergency Floatation Page. That being said
it is also great to have epoxy putty on hand. It comes in a cylinder
looks like 2 halves of different color clay and when you cut off a piece and mix the two parts together
the epoxy starts to kick and you can make various repairs with it.
Kayak Knife ( dive knife ) - Sewn right to the front of my lifejacket is a kayak knife that has a plastic clip sheath so if I need to free myself
I can quickly grab the knife and cut lines. I am glad to say that I've only HAD to use it in an emergency situation a couple of times.
Loctite All Purpose Repair Putty
Gerber Sport Multitool
Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool - Green
McNett Dive Knife