A lightweight tool box

[thinwater]

I was just packing a lighter, day sailing tool bag for performance boats I sail on, and was somewhat appalled by how fast it got heavy. Then I Googled lightweight tools and got this:

I've got a feeling that's not going to hold up when I put a cheater on it or smack it with a hammer. And there is no offset. Really, I posted that image as a thread-starter.

Often posters (nearly) brag about all the tools they carry. I've got enough in my workroom not to throw stones, and I carried a good bit when I was cruising. I'll leave that alone. Different priorities (fix anything, anywhere).

But what about racing, day sailing, smaller boats and the like? We spend real money to save ounces with carbon fiber. Some tools are lighter. Some are multi-purpose (not even talking about multi-tools). But sometimes you want the "right" tool. A good adjustable wrench is much lighter than a full set of metric and US with the same range, but is nothing like the same thing. I would tend to carry a few end wrenches, and adjustable or two, and large and small vice grips. But still heavy.

And then there are all the bits and pieces. A light bag will have more carabiners, low friction rings, and soft shackles, and fewer spare blocks and steel shackles.

And then there is the line between what you need to get back to the dock, and what allows you to fix stuff so you don't have to fix it next time. But I don't think we are talking about that. That's more the cruiser, or at least the tinkerer mindset.


Ideas?

[Pete7]

I have an expensive set of 1/4" drive sockets for working on the SV650. Since the bike is built of steel bolts going into 20 year old aluminium I really don't want to to snap one, so the smaller size helps remind me to go easy. Light eight and much smaller than the 3/8 and 1/2 sets on the yacht and being quality are a joy to use.

Pete

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I have an expensive set of 1/4" drive sockets for working on the SV650. Since the bike is built of steel bolts going into 20 year old aluminium I really don't want to to snap one, so the smaller size helps remind me to go easy. Light eight and much smaller than the 3/8 and 1/2 sets on the yacht and being quality are a joy to use.

Pete

Good point. Very often 1/4-inch drive is enough unless you are getting into heavy engine work or major rigging, which is not what we are talking about. More likely a loose cleat or something on the carb.

[Breaking Waves]

Originally Posted by thinwater

But what about racing, day sailing, smaller boats and the like?

You mention racing, so you would need to consider the one toolish thing required for cat 1 to 3

"4.16.2 An effective means to quickly disconnect or sever the standing rigging from the boat" . . . what that would be would depend on your rigging set-up

For "daysailing and smaller boats", honestly you can in fact do a hell of a lot with a good multi-tool, probably get you back to the dock on a day sail.

The following is the tool list for an open 40 (a competitive very weight conscious boat) - which is probably more complete than you are asking about.


1 Hydraulic cutter for cutting the rod rigging in an emergency
1 drift punch
1 Lenox mini hacksaw frame
5 hacksaw blades
1 side cutters
1 pliers
1 needle nose pliers
1 crimpers
1 vise grips
1 adjustable wrench
1 set of metric sockets
1 socket wrench handle
1 box cutter
1 round file
1 Garret Wade hand push drill (replaced with dewalt 20vt drill)
1 metal metric ruler
1 calipers, metric
1 4:1 screw driver
1 metric allen key set
1 electric DVM meter
Assorted zip ties
1 roll duct tape
4 rolls electrical tape
1 epoxy repair kit consisting of cloth, epoxy and thickner
1 sail repair kit consisting of sticky back cloth of various types (nylon, twaron, mylar, etc.)
Spare fuses
10 feet of 16 gauge wire
spare heat shrink butt connectors
spare heat shrink terminals

fids
1 vial of sailmaker needles from Bainbridge
various types of whipping thread and twine
supply of dynema in various sizes
supply of bungy in various sizes
heat shrink tubing
hog clips
hog clip wrench
small cutting board
sharp titanium sissors
4 spare Karver and Equiplite blocks
4 spare Equiplite shackles
4 spare D shackles
1 can McLube
1 can WD40
1 palm
1 spare set of grub screws for the mast turn buckles
1 roll of seizing wire
1 tube of loctite
1 tube of Tef Gel
1 jar of silicone grease
spare cleavis pins and split rings

[thinwater]

^^^ I was thinking more like Cat 4, but in fact, what you describe is very close to what I carry in an electrician's bag on my F-24. The same ideas, scaled down just a little. Very close. I've learned that those are the things I use and that solve most problems.



... and maybe that's why my bag is a little heavy...!

[sailah]

I tend to carry more than I need on the boat. I also only carry the best tools. Wiha screwdrivers, Knipex pliers, snap on wrenches, Kroil, Fluke. A boat is a demanding work environment and I've made the mistake of using a cheap set of "boat tools", or worse, not having the right tool and some dodgy repair. The last place I want a screwdriver to round off or a bolt to snap is on my boat offshore working on an engine or mast.

I take care to keep them oiled and not floundering around in the bilge rusting. I rely on high quality tools in my work and my boat is the highest expression of my craftsman skills.

I'd say my entire tool kit and spares weighs no more than 35# for coastal cruising and I can fix almost anything.

A tool that I have fallen back in love with is a super high quality American made crescent wrench. I keep 2 sizes on the boat, a small 6" that weighs almost nothing and a 12" Utica brand. It's a precise tool when used correctly.

When motorcycling, I slim the kit down by using multiuse tools. I won't pack a full set of sockets, just the 6 metric sizes on my bike. The aluminum tire iron contains the axle wrench and I have a driver adapter to make it into a ratchet. 1 Klein screwdriver with multiple bits in philips, slotted, torx, just enough to take apart anything. But I can also hitchhike to a store or use ultimate tool, Visa.

If some carbon sled wanted me to be engineer than they can pay for titanium tools...

[coopec43]

cancelled

[tkeithlu]

I'm becoming more "a tool that can do each job" and less "the right tool for each job." Having built the boat, and it's being full displacement, I started with a full set including some power tools. I also carried materials such as gasket paper, SS cable, and grease. But that's all so that when we tie up at a distant marina with a problem, I'm not left unable to do the repair for lack of a tool. It's also dictated by my boat having started out damned unreliable as all my construction mistakes became apparent.

The kicker was being asked for help by a cruiser who had no way to tighten his alternator belt. My grinder also turned out to be very useful for making conch horns.

Gradually, I'm reducing the set, on the premise that some repairs can wait until we get home. If weight really was an issue, I'm sure I'd accelerate the process.

[Labezin]

Great posts !! the tricky thing imho is the crimper. According to marine how to a working crimper is only a top crimper and is very expensive, in the range 60-100 €/$. Can't find some here in France excepted the FACOM one at 80€ with mouth for the isolated terminals... don't mention heat shrink ones... Any idea for European ... and without breaking the bank ?

[Pete7]

We have a set of these on board. Seem to do quite a good job.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voilamart-R...d_i=1938873031

Originally Posted by Labezin

According to marine how to a working crimper is only a top crimper and is very expensive, in the range 60-100 €/$.

I do like Rods website and if you were wiring stuff every day or doing a complete yacht re-wire then I would spring for the expensive set. However, you could as you say spend a lot of money following his advice, which is good, just expensive.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Good point. Very often 1/4-inch drive is enough unless you are getting into heavy engine work or major rigging, which is not what we are talking about. More likely a loose cleat or something on the carb.

Its not just tools though. For weekend and holiday sailing, probably what most of us do, then worth going through the boat at least once a year and having a hard discussion with yourself about how useful some of the stuff really is. We were carrying three spare coastal sailing jackets, that has just been reduced to one spare and the old ones gone to the local charity shop. Same with a second spare sleeping bag, sure keep one in case a bed gets wet through an open hatch or the dog, but two? found a second set of oars, nope taken home and put in the shed. So fare a complete trolley has come and I haven't started on the tools or spares.

Individually each item may appear useful, collectively they just fill lockers, you loose sight of what you have and the weight adds up. No doubt more stuff will end up on the boat during the year and I will repeat the cleansing exercise again next winter

[Labezin]

Originally Posted by Pete7

We have a set of these on board. Seem to do quite a good job.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voilamart-R...d_i=1938873031

Looks like a good bit ; however I am not sure if it does the double crimping on isolated terminal.... as Rod suggests