Feedback on my Packing List

[KelseyB]

Originally Posted by Chotu

So as always, I’m a contrarian. LOL

This list is adequate (with additions suggested by others) for a circumnavigation of the Earth.

You’re going down the ICW no further than Florida and probably stopping before.

Despite the dreams of it being an epic journey, it’s (and I’m not trying to be a jerk or rain on the dreams) an aquatic drive down route 95.

By this I mean you can stop at any time to pick anything on the list up if you need it.

Want to see my list when I delivered my old boat from the keys to Maine using the ICW? Keep in mind this list is because I didn’t know what problems I’d run into with a new to me boat:

1 complete tools
2 oil and filters
3 handheld vhf and gps just in case
4 my favorite nav software on a laptop
5 mobile hotspot
6 clothes
7 food

It’s a lot like driving 95. You definitely don’t need all that stuff.

I feel like someone is in your ear with a lot of good knowledge about seamanship, but they’re forgetting your actual planned trip.

PS: please don’t take my post the wrong way. I’m just a little colorful when writing. Your trip is awesome. But I think you should just go. Snow has already hit up there. Prep time is over. Work it all out as you go.

Not taken the wrong way at all - you're completely right that I've got parents in my ear worried about safety, and that it will be pretty easy to get anything I need along the way, especially the spares that are "backups on backups." There are a few safety things on there that are specific to this boat - the 3 anchor thing which would normally be total overkill was discussed in another post I made about the boat laying over - but yes, my list is definitely overkill for almost anyone else doing this trip haha. If there is anything specific that you think should be cut I'd love to know, stowing all of these things is going to be quite a task. And I assure you I'm gettin out of here ASAP, I am sick of slipping on the ice on my dock - my tentative departure date is now the 26th.

[KelseyB]

Originally Posted by Spot

+1 for PB Blaster penetrating oil

I also have an electronic flare and day signal flag instead of pyrotechnics. I have day shapes too but have yet to deploy them.

Littlewing77, this is for you!



Parents 'is gonna' worry as parents do, my youngest is about your age. Let them buy you a gadget or two and talk to or text them before their bedtime when appropriate. Go Team Kelsey!

When I have a complicated list, I stick it into a spreadsheet and add columns for notes or check boxes like if I still need to buy it , if it is packed, and if it is stowed. You could even add 'where stowed' (port v-berth, starboard lazzarette) if you like.

Yes the penetrating oil is a great idea, I've used it before can't believe I didn't add it to the original list. the spreadsheet is also an awesome idea I will be doing that tonight, will also be useful as a stowage map in the future if for some reason I can't remember where I put something, even though that seems unlikely given there's only 30 feet of space it could possibly be in!

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Spot

Littlewing77, this is for you!

+1 for PB Blaster penetrating oil.

Go Team Kelsey!

Wow! Now that is some kinda tape. Wonder how long it stays on after the cameras stop rolling...

I actually have a story from last week about PB Blaster. Some of you may know ChrisKilmer on this forum who has recently moved aboard his (new to him) Caliber 38. One of his initial tasks identified by the survey was that all of the boat's seacocks were seized. A fellow sailor recommended PB, with the caveat to take care to not get it on anything else (I think it destroys hoses?) After applying (I think he said he has 12 seacocks - 8 below the waterline 4 above). All but two released and are working fine now. For the two stubborn ones, he did a second application and left them for a week - ALL are working fine now. Wow, eh? PB Blaster rocks!

So there you go. Actual story from a cruiser in the field. Pretty cool, eh? And I had never heard of PB until Chris told me about it. My old go-to was always WD-40...

I love the suggestion about a spreadsheet and storage places. Once when an owner was off the boat for a month, I pulled everything apart and put together what I called "storage maps" of what was stored where. It really helped with weird tasks like when a guest was aboard and they dropped a piece of one of the 5 sets of high-end china and I needed to quickly locate a replacement setting... not a task, thankfully, that I have anything to do with anymore.

Go Team Kelsey!
LittleWing77

[jen1722terry]

Hi Kelsey,

The long list we posted is what we carry. We're coastal sailors who go back and forth to our other home in Nova Scotia from mid-coast Maine on occassion, so at times we're several hours from any port.

We agree with the other posters that an ICW trip doesn't pose the supply chain issues of a longer blue water cruise. I think the idea is to be as self-sufficent as you can to avoid delays in your trip.

We carry two extra 2.5 gallon cans for deisel (maybe 10-15 hours of running time for a new engine). The fuel can vary in quality and when we find good fuel, we stock up. I forget the name of the fuel service that filters the fuel at the pump, but many marinas have it.

The dental repair kit is interesting and may be overkill for the ICW. What we carry is a tube of dental anesthetic to quell a toothache until we can get to a dentist.

We've gone thru a few portable radios over the years. The issue is reception. Weather of course we can get from our VHF, but we like NPR and some of the local radio shows can be lot of fun. The small Sangean portable (about $60) we now carry seems to get superior reception, even in Canada. It was recommended on a few forums.

Also, we don't believe anyone mentioned insurance. Check with your insurer about how your liability policy (and hull coverage if you have it) may change as you head south or leave US waters. We get travel med insurance and (sometimes) medivac insurance when we leave the US. We had to use the travel med insurance once and the money saved paid for the policy for several years.

While this forum is a vast wealth of knowledge, we also joined the Catalina Yachts owners group. With over 30,000 Catalinas out there with a variety of engines, the owners have addressed just about any conceivable outfitting/repair/emergency situation in exhaustive detail.

AIS: more boats have it but many still don't. Thus, we don't rely on it, preferring to study our radar very carefully. Radar use takes practice and every spring after we launch we use it in good weather for a few hours as a refresher to ensure we understand what we see on the display. We also practice in bad weather/rough seas to see how the image changes.

Stove alcohol: Not always available, even in the US, and sometimes expensive. Local hardware stores often stock it in the paint department at a lower price than most marine stores. Our local store here has it for $15/gallon.

On the paper charts: we do still carry chart books which are a lot cheaper per chart, take up less space and come with water resistant covers for cockpit use in bad weather/high wind.

Noted on the man (woman) overboard safety line. There has been a lot of discussions on MOB strategies for solo sailors on the various forums and books. The problems are boat speed and methods to get back on board. Even on the ICW it can be a challenge. I used to solo my old Bristol 26 on the Chesapeake and lower Delaware River, sometimes at night and before the advent of EPIRBs. I gave a great deal of thought to self rescue. I discounted the trailing line for three reasons: 1. it would be hard/impossible to pull myself up to the boat at 5-6 knots, particularly wearing lots of clothing. 2. I'd still have to haul myself onboard somehow (I had no stern ladder). 3. the line could foul the prop in certain situations like a strong following current, a local eddy or a forgetful skipper. A floating line could help but could still get near the prop in rough seas. A stout line wrapped around the prop can do a lot of expensive damage.

So, after some thought I spliced up three ropes to hang on each side of the boat off the stanchion bases. Each rope had a loop at just below water level. I practiced with this arrangement and found I could hook a foot in the loop, stand erect and then pull myself onboard at 3 knots. I also kept very short tethers on my harness, but stuff happens. I never had to use the rescue ropes but I felt safer with them rigged. Would they have worked at 6 knots? Who knows? I didn't test them at those speeds.

We no longer carry a Lifesling. No use for solo sailors. We never sail alone, but there has been some debate on the utility of this device for raising very slender (my Jenn) or very heavy folks, and in rough seas. Some folks we've met actually do drills with the Lifesling and report it takes some time to rig and some modificaiton to work well. In the cold waters where we cruise, our plan is to either get a responsive MOB to the swim ladder on the stern, or launch the dink on the lee side and haul the unresponsive MOB aboard for dry clothes/blankets and CPR if needed (using a main winch to pull them into the dink if necessary). Not sure if anyone has invented the perfect small boat rescue device for all MOB situations.

Traditional PFDs are indeed foolproof. We like the self-inflating type for summer weather, not as bulky and hot to wear.

Forgot to mention Active Captain: this service is useful for a lot of reasons. We use it to scope out marinas, local hazards that may not be on the charts, local mechanics and other services.

All-in-all, it sounds like you're doing all the thinking that a competent solo sailor needs to do. The ICW may be something akin to a wet I-95, but you'll still have some wonderful adventures, a few hopefully minor emergencies, and meet some very interesting folks in your travels. Enjoy living the dream that many sailors never get to live.

And a very happy and safe holiday season to all of you out there.

[KelseyB]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

I actually have a story from last week about PB Blaster. Some of you may know ChrisKilmer on this forum who has recently moved aboard his (new to him) Caliber 38. One of his initial tasks identified by the survey was that all of the boat's seacocks were seized. A fellow sailor recommended PB, with the caveat to take care to not get it on anything else (I think it destroys hoses?) After applying (I think he said he has 12 seacocks - 8 below the waterline 4 above). All but two released and are working fine now. For the two stubborn ones, he did a second application and left them for a week - ALL are working fine now. Wow, eh? PB Blaster rocks!

So there you go. Actual story from a cruiser in the field. Pretty cool, eh? And I had never heard of PB until Chris told me about it. My old go-to was always WD-40...

Not to get too off topic, but my own PB story is that I used it to loosen the bolts connecting my old transmission to the flange of the old prop shaft. Which had been rusted together from sitting unattended for twenty years. Just soaked every bolt once a day for a few days in a row, and they came apart no problem. Also to disconnect the old engine feet from the rails, which had been unattended for just as long. Excellent stuff.

[KelseyB]

Originally Posted by jen1722terry

Noted on the man (woman) overboard safety line. There has been a lot of discussions on MOB strategies for solo sailors on the various forums and books. The problems are boat speed and methods to get back on board. Even on the ICW it can be a challenge. I used to solo my old Bristol 26 on the Chesapeake and lower Delaware River, sometimes at night and before the advent of EPIRBs. I gave a great deal of thought to self rescue. I discounted the trailing line for three reasons: 1. it would be hard/impossible to pull myself up to the boat at 5-6 knots, particularly wearing lots of clothing. 2. I'd still have to haul myself onboard somehow (I had no stern ladder). 3. the line could foul the prop in certain situations like a strong following current, a local eddy or a forgetful skipper. A floating line could help but could still get near the prop in rough seas. A stout line wrapped around the prop can do a lot of expensive damage.

So, after some thought I spliced up three ropes to hang on each side of the boat off the stanchion bases. Each rope had a loop at just below water level. I practiced with this arrangement and found I could hook a foot in the loop, stand erect and then pull myself onboard at 3 knots. I also kept very short tethers on my harness, but stuff happens. I never had to use the rescue ropes but I felt safer with them rigged. Would they have worked at 6 knots? Who knows? I didn't test them at those speeds.

We no longer carry a Lifesling. No use for solo sailors. We never sail alone, but there has been some debate on the utility of this device for raising very slender (my Jenn) or very heavy folks, and in rough seas. Some folks we've met actually do drills with the Lifesling and report it takes some time to rig and some modificaiton to work well. In the cold waters where we cruise, our plan is to either get a responsive MOB to the swim ladder on the stern, or launch the dink on the lee side and haul the unresponsive MOB aboard for dry clothes/blankets and CPR if needed (using a main winch to pull them into the dink if necessary). Not sure if anyone has invented the perfect small boat rescue device for all MOB situations.

The whole response was very helpful, but this in particular is worth mulling over, I think. I was also thinking about the fouling the prop thing and also my actual upper body strength if I were to find myself in this situation- I guess I figured that if I was in the water holding the line and my options were to get back on the boat or not, then I'd find the ability somewhere to do it. But again, hoping to never be in it, especially given the nature of the ICW.

The lifesling is also a good point - I have one, a spare one from my family, and I've been wondering if it's worth taking up the space on my stern rail because it's useless solo, and only useful for overboard crew if they're unresponsive and too heavy to lift myself. The truth is that the boat isn't that high out of the water, and it would probably be faster to haul an unresponsive person out by hand, even with a bit of a struggle, than to rig up the sling, and I'd rather them be on the deck with bruises than still in the water because I'm trying to get this sling around them. I think there's a place for them, particularly boats with lots of freeboard, but yea might not be necessary for me.

[LittleWing77]

You know what we call the 26th up here? Boxing Day (British heritage tradition), which is the day after Christmas when you go round visiting your friends.

I'd say that's the perfect departure target. Casting off to go South and on your way to meet yet-unmet friends.

Fair, fair winds,
Warmly,
LittleWing77

[JC Reefer]

Lots of good notes so I won’t repeat too much.

2-3 day shakeout trips as other recommended. Keep your list and if the item was not used then consider removing it.

I’ve done some week long solo trips and tend to go a bit nuts on the gear list. Need lots of control when you’re alone.

I used lighterpack to help keep things organized. Learn the difference between consumable and durable gear and the rest is real easy. It’s less about having a set list on day one and more about learning what works for you and the boat.

https://lighterpack.com/welcome

[Archibald]

I'm assuming your Multimeter can measure DC Amps up to at least 200A.
Essential for testing alternator charging rates.

[BoatBumm]

[QUOTE=CarlF;3299192]The best way to build your list is to do as many 2-3 day shakedown trips as you can.

Get evacuation coverage from DAN before you leave for the Bahamas. My understanding is that they've paused new memberships during COVID but I'm sure they'll get going again soon. It's especially important in the Bahamas where many islands have no medical facilities https://danboater.org


The original list is impressively good. And I fully agree with the comments so far - all good advice.

I’d like to comment on the comment about medical care in the Bahamas having experienced it firsthand. I should start by saying I myself am a retired Board Certified Emergency Physician with over 33 years of full time experience in trauma centers doing both medical and surgical cases. On a somewhat rough passage heading north from George Town I hooked a nice Mahi Mahi. Because it was rough I decided to fillet the fish while kneeling in my cockpit. I apparently spent too much time on my left knee because once I was finished I noticed an abraded area of skin there from the non-skid on the cockpit sole. No big deal I thought. I washed it and applied a large sized BandAid. Well, it got infected anyway. I should state that despite the various cuts & scrapes I’ve done to myself over the years I’ve never once gotten a soft tissue infection like this. I started myself on antibiotics but I didn’t have the best choice onboard. My leg lower leg progressed to getting worse, the entire part being red and swollen. Not good. I cut my plans short and headed to Nassau. After double checking with my US based medical insurance I went to the Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau on the advice of the locals.

At the Emergency Department there I felt right at home. Just like the various US EDs I rotated among during my own career. The equipment, settings, and banter among the staff was just like at home. The only difference was that 100% of the staff were black and spoke with that wonderful Bahamian accent. They did an ultrasound and found the deeper abscess I suspected. My surgeon was trained in the UK. He did exactly what I had done many many times to my own patients to drain the abscess, started me on the right antibiotics, and supplied me with a 10 day supply. I did not tell them that I’m an Emergency physician myself until after the procedure was over, so I did not get some sort of special treatment. They had me return in 2 days for a wound check. Everything went very well. The total bill for everything was about $1,500US, which I paid with a credit card and later was reimbursed by my own insurance once I returned home.

I had considered using my DanBoater insurance to be flown to the USA to have this treated, but decided against that move. I’m glad I did. Top notch care. And I bet my bill would have been 10 times what I was charged in Nassau.

So, yes, limited to no medical care on the smaller cays, but in the larger cities like Nassau, George Town I predict you’d get excellent care.

I should conclude that I fully agree with the old saying: “He who hath himself for a physician has a fool for a physician.”

[billdomb]

Mission-critical tools: good ideer to double up.

For that socket that meanders down into the inaccessible bilge or decides to plop over the side...

[Russ]

I’m sure medical care in Nassau is top rate but there is no real hospital in Georgetown Exuma or even Marsh Harbour ( even before it was wiped out). Everything gets flown into Nassau. I’ve been to all three places. Gtown March 2020
Russ Davignon MD

[Tanqueray]

Originally Posted by KelseyB

If you've been following along other posts I've made in the past few months you already know that I have a 30 foot steel sailboat that I've been refitting to take down the ICW and hopefully to The Bahamas, covid permitting. It's come to the point that I've made my grand packing list, and I'm looking for input: anything I'm missing? anything I can go without? any specific brands or alternatives to things I have on here?

I'll be solo more than I'll have crew, so that was taken into consideration. Another thing of note is that the engine has fewer than 50 hours on it, and is a Volvo, so I'm hoping that means I won't have to be making any major repairs but it is still in its shakedown phase and settling in.

This is my "boat gear" list and doesn't include "my" things like clothes, books, toiletries, etc. It also doesn't include the super obvious large things like "dinghy."

I also hope that this might be helpful as an outline to anyone else who is provisioning a boat from scratch

Anyway, here is my very long list:

Paper Things
• Engine manuals
• All the other manuals
• General trip logbook
• Specific engine maintenance, hours, etc logbook
• Reference books:
o Nigel Calder’s big mechanical and electrical book
o Waterway Guides
o Perhaps a USCG rules book
o Marine Electronics book
• Registration, title (in waterproof container in secret compartment)
• Passport (also waterproof container in secret compartment)
• Cash
• Driver’s license, credit and debit cards, etc
• Paper charts

Safety Equipment
• Swim ladder, and a way to attach it (still working on that)
• Line, 30+ feet with knots, to throw aft when solo in rough weather
• Lifejackets – at least one per person on board, so bring 5 or 6 just in case
• Throwable cushions
• Harness(es) and jacklines
• Lifesling
• EPIRB
• Flares and distress flags – I need a minimum of 3 day use + 3 night use or 3 day/night use distress signals
• Courtesy flags
• Spare anchors (2 – 1 mounted to stern and 1 in the cabin)
• Fire extinguishers – B type (1 near the engine and 1 forward)
• Air horn
• Bailing buckets
• Bailing sponges
• Big electric bilge pump with hoses (30 gal/second)
• Manual bilge pump
• All relevant stickers in the right places (fuel tank, VHF)
• Plugs attached to thru-hulls
• Spare plugs – like the soft ones for any size hole
• Flextape?
• Manual start override for engine
• Padlock for head overboard discharge
• Locks for interior and exterior of companionway

Ditch Bag
• Bright colored dry bag that floats and has a carry strap
• Handheld backup VHF radio (floating) with GPS
• Extra batteries for VHF radio (use alkaline – longer shelf life)
• Some bottles of water
• Protein bars/some high-protein high-carb food
• Emergency blanket
• Flares
• Waterproof flashlight
• Knife
• EPIRB – put it here
• PLB (personal locator beacon) (do I need both it and an EPIRB? They seem very similar)
• Basic small first aid kit (disinfectant/alcohol spray, trauma pads, self adhering bandages)
• Waterproof matches
• Cold weather/wool socks, gloves, head and neck covering

First Aid Kit
• Emergency blanket
• Band aids of various sizes
• Ibuprofen/Advil
• Sudafed/Acetaminophen
• Aspirin
• Antihistamines
• Meclizine (for motion sickness/vertigo)
• Diamode/Diotame
• Aloe vera
• Chapstick
• Cortisone cream
• Disinfectant spray/cream
• Trauma pads, gauze, self-adhering bandages/wraps
• Tweezers
• Hand sanitizer
• Alcohol swabs
• Quick snap cold packs
• Lidocaine cream (or aloe vera with lidocaine)
• CPR mask, since I already have one

Tools, etc.
• Winch grease, winch oil
• WD-40
• Basic sail repair/patch kit
o Whipping line, other thread, needles, fid set (including heavy sailmaker needles)
o Waxed dental floss
o Lighter
o Emergency press-on sail patches
• Ospho
• Rustoleum primer
• Deck paints
• Bikini Blue freeboard paint?
• Amercoat 235
• Quick epoxy
• Varnish – since I already have some
• Paint brushes
• Epoxy cups
• Paint stir sticks
• Nitrile gloves
• Cordless power drill and bits
• Acetone
• Hammer
• Crescent wrenches
• Screwdrivers of various sizes (including stubbys, and one very large flathead))
• Spare hardware, including nuts and washers of various sizes
• Pliers
• Needle-nose pliers
• Scissors
• Razor blade/exacto knife
• Vise grips
• Electrician’s pliers
• Socket wrench set
• Allen key set
• Mallet hammer
• Chisels/scrapers/wire brushes
• Clamps
• Multimeter
• Wire stripper/cutter
• Crimper and various sizes of crimps, terminals, connecters, and heat shrink
• Electrical tape of various colors
• Butane soldering iron
• Extra wire
• Bolt cutters
• Pry bar
• Tape measure
• Duct tape
• Painter’s tape
• Zip ties
• Shock cords
• Weather seal tape
• Hose clamps
• Tool bag(s) to put all of this in
• Some form of container for paint/other liquids that can spill to be stored in
• Mousing wire
• Silicone caulk
• Caulking gun
• Blue Loctite
• Teak oil – can also get as needed
• Stainless polish – can also get as needed

Spares
• Should I bring my old sails? Will they work with the new rigging? Should I try to make them work with the new rigging?
• Extra sail cars for main, since I have them
• Spare shackles?
• Some spare blocks?
• Extra dock lines, extra lines in general
• Oil filters
• Fuel filters
• Impellers
• Spare fuel injector?
• V-belts for the alternator
• Spare alternator?
• Seals for the raw water pump
• Spare heat exchanger?
• Spare water pump shafts? Apparently this is a Volvo issue
o https://www.practical-sailor.com/blo...ruising-sailor
• Engine fluids (oil, transmission fluid, coolant) – how many quarts of each? Keep empty quarts/have something to drain fluids into for proper disposal
o Need to go back and look at what types/weights for each one
• Head rebuild kit
• Ring dings
• Assorted cotter pins and clevis pins
• Extra sail ties
• Extra genoa sheet car?
• Battery operated backup bow and stern lights

Galley
• Watertight containers/Tupperware
• Chip clips
• Nets
• Hooks
• Koozies
• Organizational system of some sort
• Nonskid mats
• Water bottle
• A thermos or several
• Small, foldable dish drying rack
• A container for doing dishes so I can have a pseudo-double sink
• Sponges
• Dish towels
• Pots and pans
• Silverware
• Dishes
• Glasses
• Mugs
• Can opener
• Bottle opener
• Knives
• Spatula, other things in that category
• Cutting boards
• Percolator for coffee
• Denatured alcohol for stove
• Electric water heater? Probably don’t need it if I have the microwave
• Trash can – where is this going to go?

Cleaning Products, etc
• Non-smell-stuff for head
• Vinegar
• Bromide tablets
• Simple Green
• Dish soap
• Krud Kutter
• Barkeeper’s Friend
• Little brushes for sea strainers
• Laundry detergent (maybe in pod form?)
• Mini shop vac
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels

Other Misc. Gear
• Fenders
• Docklines and extra docklines
• Snorkel, mask, and fins
• Bike lock for dinghy and outboard
• Bosun’s chair
• Flashlights and lanterns (ideally waterproof)
• Oil lamp
• Spare batteries – ideally alkaline
• Jerry cans
• Collapsible reusable water jugs
• Sailing knife
• River-bag dry backpack for going ashore
• Outboard harness, and a rig to use the boom as a motor lift
• Reusable shopping bags
• Boat hook
• Scrub brushes for deck (don’t really need a whole deck brush)
• Binoculars
• Generator
• Alcohol heater
• Wind scoop
• Sheets
• Pillows
• Blankets
• Towels
• Sleeping bag(s)
• Nets
• Bath mats as rugs
• Shade tarp
• Shore power cord (30 amp)
o Any sort of adapters?
• Washdown hose + nozzle
• Transom grill
• Clothespins
• GoPro/camera and gear
• Jetpack WiFi

I don’t see a cork screw! How are you going to open the wine?

Greg

[dmkkeng]

Great start to your packing list!

Paper Things – we have some paper charts however they take up a lot of space, most of our charts are now stored in digital format on various devices, we have Navionics on our main chart plotter and on our tablets, we have Blue Seas on a portable Garmin GPS unit and we have open CPM on our laptop. In addition to what you mentioned we carry tide and current books and cruising guides for the areas we are cruising. Good choice on Nigel Calder’s books. We have paper copies of most manuals for our equipment on the boat however the engine manuals and engine part lists are in digital format.

Safety Equipment – rearm kit for your PFD or a spare PFD, would be a good idea to have spare PFD’s that do not require a rearm kit. I added an AIS system to out boat to reduce the chance of a collision. Have several sources of light including head lamps, small and large flashlights, at least one high powered beam light. Also have a couple sources of “red” lights for use at night.

Ditch Bag – great idea, we have the same with portable VHF and GPS, also good to mount a personal locator beacon on your PFD. We also have a tarp, rain ponchos and emergency sleeping bags in our ditch bag.

First Aid Kit – we purchased a pre-packaged first aid kit, you may want to do the same, do some research on getting a kit that is specific for marine use and being off the grid for extended periods of time.

Tools – check your boat out to determine your requirements we have both a metric and SAE set of tools on board our boat, your list looks good. Make sure you have tools that are sufficient for working on your stuffing box, initially I didn’t have anything that would open wide enough or fit in the restricted space, also you need two devices to tighten or loosen your stuffing box. I have more that one multimeter, I also have a clamp on meter for testing current draw, good for trouble shooting battery, starter and alternator issues. I also carry a silicone spray to spray all linkages and bolts to prevent corrosion. Silicon caulk is good to have also good to carry other types such as SicoFlex or 3m. We also carry various grease products for the windlass and outboard motor.

Spares – yes to spare shackles, blocks, several sets of fuel filters would be good – if take on bad fuel it may take multiple filter changes. Spare impellers, fuel filters, oil and plugs (OB) for both your main engine and your dinghy outboard. As far as engine spares perhaps an alternator, starter, fuel pump and water pump. Anything more such as fuel injectors and head rebuild kits requires specialized tools and expertise, you have a fairly low hours so the likely hood of an engine failure is low. I have a Yanmar diesel, my water pump did not fail however, started to leak so I had it replaced. I carry the old water pump as a spare however likely the seals will dry out over time so probably cannot rely on this being a working spare. I do carry a spare starter and alternator, I installed a smart regulator that runs the alternator at a higher charging current, I had to modify my alternator to work with the smart regulator, so I carry a spare unmodified alternator. Most suggest testing your spares to ensure they are working properly however that may not be easy to do. I have tested the spare alternator however not the starter. Good idea to check what Volvo recommends for spares and also, as you have already done, find out what the high failure components are for your engine.

Galley – don’t use plates, bowls or drinking containers that break easily. Glass of any type not recommended, stainless steel, plastic and ??? Garbage bags. We carry lots of ginger in various forms such as ginger candy, cookies, drinks, we usually try this prior to resorting to our medications in dealing with sea sickness.

Cleaning Products – treatment for holding tanks, we also carry bleach. Consider getting biodegradable laundry detergent and dish soaps.

Other Misc Gear – adapter cable 30 amp to 15 amp. Spare boat hook. Fishing gear. Portable water containers. We carry a spare/ portable battery charger which we can run off our generator for charging batteries. We also have a solar system. We try to build as much redundancy/ back-up into our systems as possible. The GoPro can have multiple uses, we attach our GoPro to an extension pole with a passive radiating system. We link the Go Pro via blue tooth to one of our tables. This way we can check the bottom side of our boat.

Hope that helps!

[dmkkeng]

More on spares - from a failure point of view, the items that I have experience a high rate of failure over the past 6 years are the macerator pump (3 failures), the head manual pump (joker valve replace yearly, entire assembly replace every 3 years) and the bilge pump/ float switch (1 failure of each). I usually carry a spare macerator pump, joker valves and entire pump assembly. I have a manual bilge pump as back up however if I continue to have bilge pump/ float switch failures I will start to carry a spare for both. The other spare I carry is a water pump, have not had a failure however they do fail and it would be a real pain in the ass to have a failure.