I am not a sailor now but I would add a multi meter and a test light to the electrical took kit. I have a travel trailer (caravan) Much like a boat, high maintenance and need to keep everything wording to get home after each trip. Love you videos
Excellent video again. So refreshingly honest. One item I can't live without is a small, clamp-on vice. I've got an ancient 'Record imp'. Cannot recommend one highly enough.
Excellent videos Tom. No matter the topic. Just a suggestion, though perhaps not regarded as a tool.... keep plastic padding and epoxy resin an fiber glass strands on board ! We were at anchor many years ago and a fishing boat slammed into us cracking the port side of the transom. Plastic padding saved the day stuffing it into the crack from the inside of the boat. Followed by an epoxy fiber glass job the following day,.
Hi Tom. What an interesting selection of tools. Yes, I had most of those, but only one of yours had a very useful bit of kit, and that is a lanyard. The majority of my tools, and I suspect your tools, are non-swimmers. One slip, and they're gone. Many, but not all tools have a place where you could either tie a bit of string to it and using a bowline, or clip on a small carabena. I had a range of thicknesses and length for different jobs, to ensure that swimming in the Solent was never needed. If all else fails - like some screwdrivers - a clove hitch, or better still a constrictor knot, will do the trick. Nothing needed to be more than about 5mm thick, and very light weight. Polypropylene will easily do, and is easy to splice. A caveat: no back splices, as they are too bulky for some knots. The other observation I have to make is that your socket set and your screwdriver which takes small socket didn't appear to have extensions. A 30mm extension is brilliant for all those hard-to-reach screws or bolts. I have a variety of extensions, and use them all the time when I had e my engineer's hat on! You didn't mention consumables or tool care. I always carried spare hacksaw blades for both my tools, and the Red Devil didn't get into my toolbox because I covered the top tools with am old cotton cloth soaked in oil, and the Red Devil hates that! Another thought I had was a magnetic tray for bolts, to hold them and stop them jumping out,
Tom, we'd recommend you consider replacing the chocolate blocks with Wago clips. They're super safe, super easy, and there are no screws involved - just snap open, slide in the stripped cable, and snap shut. They also come in a variety of configurations so you're never going to be missing anything. We were introduced to these little marvels just a few months ago and will never look back. By the way, we're not sponsored by Wago or anything like that - we just like them and think it's worth sharing :)
I can't get over how closely our tool kits and ditty bags match, right down to the serving mallet. I didn't see your real sailor knife! I would add a good awl, some "easy out" screw extractors, electrical tape, sail tape, several kinds of clamps, a real wood rasp, a cold chisel and vice grips.
Many consider it an agricultural tool but if you're badly stuck, a Stillson Wrench can be a lifesaver. Also a water pump pliers. And of course Plumber's Tape For Engineers (ptfe tape). When you have a large bolt or nut that just won't shift: a 3-foot length of steel pipe to slide over the long handle of your socket set. Apply steady pressure, then strike fairly hard on the back of the socket with the lump hammer. Liquid gasket maker.
“Can’t trust people to use tools”…..love it Tom 🤣 Super, down to earth, practicle advice. Who better to tell us about tools needed than you. Many thanks 🙏
Useful thanks. I now have a hand size vice and a tough 30*40cm board which together make a work bench. Wonderful, and much less damage to cockpit seats and walls from repair job accidents.
You just described my tools to the tee, have you been on me boat? The only items I didn’t see was a cordless grinder, multi metre and a wee portable vice.
Cordless angle grinder with 1mm cutting blade for stainless. Replaces bolt cutter in dismasting and very useful. Also hemostat forceps!!!!! Best tool ever for electrical work on board!
Didn't know I needed a crow bar too free a jammed mooring line from behind a pile .luckily the boat along side had one in his tool kit .I got one now .
Tom agreed hand drills were a complete pain! Even you saying it brought back memories of using a hand drill. They made me laugh now, but not at the time of trying to use them, grrrrrrrr!
3in1. Blow torch. Wire brush(s). Old car jack. My dad's 60 year old never-beaten hardwood handled, round cornered 2" wide 6" long black steel bladed scrapper knife.
Love it. The serving mallet: "If you don't know what that is, it's too late." Thank you for the best line I've heard in ages. I would add: Lanolin - the best general lubricant and rust blocker in the world. Also some dielectric grease for making electrical connections far more dependable and waterproof/corrosion proof. And we didn't see your knife...surely you don't go 5 paces without your favorite knife.
I looked for "having mallet" but the only reference I could find was for a "serving mallet", which the Oxford folks say is for twisting cord tightly around rope.
Another great contribution Tom! Maybe you mentioned it and I missed it, but a small mirror on a thin telescopic pool. It’s really handy to look f.i. underneath your engine. Harry
In my standard tool box have a thumb ratchet set (3) for using a socket in tight places and a Locking Plier. In my electrical tool box I have the a volt meter, a box of waterproof shrink wrap butt connectors with solder built in and a small torch. It is quick and easy to make an electrical repair
Great one, Tom. Possibly the only video where i have read every comment as well. Some good items there. One you missed was hole punches, and a favorite tool of mine (though I don’t have one at present) is a spoke shave. Coat hanger a must. My shower hand piece for the last 3 years mounts on a custom coat hanger clip every time. One vital tool (goo) I have on board is Gorilla Glue for sealing difficult hoses. This is actually a polyurethane foam that is moisture activated, a meer smear on one surface is a that is required. People say what about getting the hoses off, well that is another day. The Gorilla Glue will get you to that other day. I am if anything, over tooled. I don’t go anywhere without a lathe, a drill press, and I am making a tiny folding milling machine, not to mention at least 20 power tools including a sewing machine. I have decided to use tool rolls rather than boxes and bags for my tools with one roll for each class of project. Putting tools away every time and having a place for them is the key to fixing problems fast. Multi function tools are also an essential. A good battery drill, for instance, of any brand serves as drill, screw driver, pop riveter (if you have the attachment), and food mixer in the galley (great for pancakes and mashed potato). But a drill can also be a rudimentary wood and plastic lathe in remote locations. That is the fabulous thing about sailing, time to do things in the old fashioned way (slowly).
Dremel tool, electric multi tool, self amalgamating tape, painters tape to mark new found jobs to do later, calipers for sizing, torches. I realized watching this film that I don’t have a rigging bag, those tools are spread all over and I waste a lot of time searching for them, I also couldn’t find my giant wire cutters today - not too good if it had been a dismasting. Thanks for the video Tom.
One tool I found really handy in automotive work is a surgical clamp. A long one and a curved one. They allow you to hold a small screw in a hard to reach place. And a small mirror.
Yep. I carry one on the boat and even had a small one in my backpacking ditty bag. I think you call them hemostats. The best way to get that screw that fell into the cockpit drain.
Thank you Tom, probably one of the most useful sailing related videos I’ve watched in a long time. Some great ideas there in those tool boxes. Having been a landlubber for the past 40 years, I’ve amassed an impressive set of tools to tackle just about anything one can imagine going wrong in a house. When moving onto a boat, which I hope to do before too long, the challenge is going to be to decide which tools I take, and so your video has given me some great ideas. (Although I still believe I’m going to have to buy a small house after I move out of my present one, just to store all my stuff while I go sailing 😆). And I’m totally with you on the wire coat hanger, an absolute must in any man’s tool box, on land or boat, and I’m still using mine that I brought with me from South Africa 23 years ago. I could suggest a bunch of minor tools to add, like a dental mirror for seeing around corners, a good set of strong tweezers, a set of small files, spark plug gap kit, and a telescoping small powerful magnet stick to pick up those lost nuts and washers in the bottom of the bilge, in places where that yellow contraption of yours wouldn’t fit. 😁 Plus some other larger handy tools, but that’s for another time. Great stuff as always, cheers ⛵️👍🏻🙏🏻
I was concerned I was just gathering junk... but seeing your tool kit, I still have quite a way to go!!!! Good to see the master of boats - as you are to us - sees the worth in the cheap and cheerful and useful as much as I do... it must be boatmans instinct!!!
Lovely, Tom, as always. I guess I'll presume to add one: I found that a corded electric drill will have a lot of uses, including substituting for a grinder. The cordless one doesn't have the stamina for that. Some years back we did a circumnavigation, with all the tools you mention and a few more. Funny thing was, I was paranoid that at just the wrong moment, we'd drop a crucial wrench or socket into the drink. So we had three complete sets of sockets and wrenches and a few other things. What's funny about it is that we ended up using a cheap, knock-off general tool kit from a hardware store for 95% of everything, and out of that box we didn't drop one single thing the whole way around. Another astonishing thing is that, as we had evidently taken care of chafe pretty well, we came back with the same set of running rigging that wasn't even new when we left. Never used all the new stuff we had for backup. Keep up the good work, Tom, I've been a fan since before we had an Internet. This is even better than books!
A roll of Gorilla tape and a couple of mountain bike inner tubes cut lengthwise for wrapping and sealing a badly leaking shaft seal. also, a few rolls of silicone tape and electrical tape. An assortment of hose clamps and a short section of all the critical hoses aboard with barbed inserts to join them. 100' of 1/4" dynema rope for lashing things in an emergency or for a quick rigging repair. Also, half a dozen wire rope clamps for quick repair of broken stay or shroud.
If your going to resort to adjustable spanners, make sure you have both metric and imperial and if your as experienced at Tom, you will have Whitworth as well. Keep up the good work Tom.
A proper seamanlike selection of tools, Tom. I also always carry (at least one) good sharp knife, a lighter (brass Zippo, of course) and made up touch up pots (the car type with applicator brush) of varnish and paint.
Wonderful tour of your essential tools. I was helping my son with something at his house a while back and the job called for a coat hangar. I was shocked to hear that he didn’t have a single hangar in his house. So I brought one of my own the next time!
I did this and my wife said why have three hammers and all these bags of tools and combined them it is now a nightmare trying to remember what I need for a particular job.
Nice tools you have Tom. That's awesome have hand tools close to us. I also have many of them... in a world where most of people pay to have services... one friend told me, every tool you buy is a new employee you have available to you... great video Tom... keep up with a nice job.... cheers from 🇧🇷
The old wire coat hanger has served me well over the years, trying pull wires through. You are right though, they are few and far now. If I never had one in the van there was always a spare one in the customers wardrobe, not so much now though. Pick a multi box of wago's up, especially the lever type, your choc blocs will retire.
Tom is always entertaining love your vids. Here is my contribution: Under water putty and supermarket plastic bags, don't leave home without them! Repairing breach, broken seacocks etc. I like Pettit A788, there I said it.
If you are going to have a multimeter make it the DC clamp type wouldn't be without it. Also, don't use those awful chocolate block connectors, use Wago connectors, totally reusable and nothing like as prone to corrosion, brilliant things..
@@robertcooke1774 wago connectors aren't crimp connectors, you also don't need a screwdriver to fit them. Chocolate block connectors wouldn't so bad if the screws were of brass instead of steel.
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Get a couple of yago connectors and try them. Chockblocks are an absolute menace. You would be better just twisting the wires together and using screw on ceramic thimbles of yester year..
You are such a joy to listen to ! Wise, informative, historian, and craftsman! People laugh at me for all the "what ifs" I carry in my RV & Auto, BUT you never know when you "might" need it.... I am so glad to see that you too are prepared on your boat and I forgot about the wire clothes hanger ! I need to find one now...
I carry disposable gloves, stops me getting into trouble with the first mate due to dirty hand prints. Also, in place of the wire coat hanger, plastic or similar cables rods, screw together toolbox size ones, will also clear some blockages.
Again a great video, stumbled on your channel a couple of days ago. I would love to see you interview Leo from the Sampson Boat co. He is rebuilding Tally Ho and plan to race it and sail it around the world. Is channel is all about traditional boating.✌🏻👍🏻🇨🇦
Tom, lovely to listen you and your great sense of humor! I would also add a Cordless MINI angle grinder; small, light and yet powerful to cut even stainless! Try them!
Try a tube of CT1. Its like a silicone tube glue that sticks on wet surfaces and is very handy and strong. Also regarding crimpers. Carlyle Tools make a lovely crimping pliers / wire stripper for 20£ (same design as the Snap-On) And a Ferrocerium Rod for making fires /sparks. Will ignite lip balm and cotton wool if you ever needed a flame or a bright spark. It's a survival kit stalwart
A massive magnet on a good line is a tool saver and a few small ones from a speaker can be placed on your 'fishing' tool to retrieve the un-see-able. For the UnSeaAble issue.
Nice one! Mine is on a flexible stick but I also have one on a string. That one's best except that it keeps on getting stuck to the encapsulated ballast...
I like having safety wire and safety wire pliers on board. It can be used to replace just about any broken fastener in a pinch. Make sure to get a high stainless content wire to avoid corrosion/rust problems.
Hi Tom. We did a similar video some time ago. We would add a good quality torque wrench. A Dremel type tool and one of the multi oscillating tools that can cut and shape woods and metals given the right blades. (you will need a small inverter unless you go cordless). But, undoubtedly, the most used tool for us is a quality multimeter, preferably one that has a clamp that can measure DC Amps. (the old Avo can't take life a sea 😁) Best advice from us would be learn how to use it in ACV, DCV, Resistance, Continuity, AC Amps and DC Amps. It is useless if you do not know how to use it. We have all used a 1/2 inch hemp line to lash the tiller when heaving to. Short lengths of line can be incredibly useful on board. However, now days we would say a quality multimeter with DC Amp clamps is the top tool and you can get them for less than a good meal and a bottle of wine for two. Sail Safe mate. Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
As always priceless! Just one other suggestion what about a large plumbing pipe wrench which will save you when packing nuts come loose I searched the world for a short handle and my dad told me to check my granddad's old tool chest. BINGO! Thanks Tom
That was an excellent video. Most people don't think far enough ahead and come up scratching when they need to fix something on board. You have a great selection of tools and items that you need. There isn't a hardware store near you when your sailing.
I've a hand pump for getting water out of awkward areas of the bilge, and sponges and towels for same... I hyave leaky windows - which are still to be fixed - so I fill with water quite easily, and the Foxcub 18 has a kind of floor above the bilge and the water never really leaves the bottom of it but seeps up through. Good thing its GRP it it would be well rotted!!! I got a drill powered one also but never used it yet.
Thanks for that Tom, glad to see I'm not the only one who's toolkit doesn't look pristine :) In addition to the bolt croppers and hacksaws, I carry an 18v cordless angle grinder. It takes the same battery as the drill and inflator, so I've always got enough juice, and they charge from 12v. If you need to get through rigging, or heaven forbid a mast, in a hurry, I think it's probably the quickest way.
1. My 12v black and decker hand drill, battery died a death. Soldered a two metre two strand wire to the terminals with a cigarette socket plug on the other end! Been very handy for the last 10 years. 2. The chocolate block wire connectors, gone off them alot as they end up corroded and exploded in the long term, it's crimping or soldering or both for me now. 3. Otherwise your show and tell looks remarkably similar to mine! Love the reassurance that I'm on the right track after all. Appreciate your wisdom. Cheers Tom
Tom, Always enjoy the content, the stories, your unique approach to life -on and off the sea - and the many varied, relatable shared experiences- Thanks! Onward~
Mechanical fingers - the flexible shaft with the small grabbers that extend when you push the button at the end. Great for grabbing things as large as rags or as small as screws that have fallen into hard-to-reach places (or socks that have fallen behind the dryer :) ).
Tom I thought I was the only one who carried too many tools. Glad to see I carry about 90% of what you do. Its also very handy knowing I don't have to take any tools to the boat for odd jobs and also an annual service. I laughed when I seen your oil filter spanner as I also carry one except its the old fashioned chain style one.
I have almost a dozen adjustable that I picked up at flea markets over the years. These were used and rusted solid when I bought them for a few dollars each but they are functional now
Too right Daniel. At 6ft 6in I suffer the tortures of the damned! I have an old foam pillow I Once dredged out of the North Atlantic for keeling on, but the elastic on my head torch is knackered. Must replace it...
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns 😂 👍Wow what are the chances of finding an old foam pillow in the North Atlantic. That sounds better than anything you can buy and your saving the planet, great find 😊 I was going to suggest one of those magnetic trays as well but it wouldn’t work with the stainless stuff. Basically anything to save your knees, help your eyes and stop you dropping stuff 😬😂 I need these things now and I’m only 39, I dread to think what I’ll be like when I get older 🤦♂️😊. I told my mrs that she can use me as chum when I get too bad 😂.
Yes! I save my old throwable floatation cushions for this. Its the first thing i grab when working on almost anything aboard. They are especially good for tucking under a shoulder or hip when bent in odd shapes in some small recess in the boat, and there is something poking you in the side.
I've got most of that on my konsort. Plus extensive set of useful spares but the tool.i probably use the most is my multi meter. I keep one in my car too. Seriously useful for diagnosing electrical gremlins
I’d suggest a look at Knippex grips. The medium pair will replace adjustables *shudders* and a full set of ring spanner’s for most applications. They are genius because the jaws are almost parallel 👌
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Great job. I’d throw in assortment of fuses.
"We can't trust people with tools" sums up our sad times.
Hi Tom I always carry some extra Gland packing and grease for the stern tube
I am not a sailor now but I would add a multi meter and a test light to the electrical took kit. I have a travel trailer (caravan) Much like a boat, high maintenance and need to keep everything wording to get home after each trip. Love you videos
5 minute epoxy and JB weld, duct seal, emery cloth, file, vise grips, pipe wrench, allen keys, rivet gun, small wire brush, teflon, electrical & duct tape, olfa knife, bailing wire, drift, amp clamp multimeter, die grinder bits, drill bits... the list goes on
Bee tool, cordless sawzall, grinder, awl, channel locks
Excellent video again. So refreshingly honest.
One item I can't live without is a small, clamp-on vice. I've got an ancient 'Record imp'. Cannot recommend one highly enough.
Good onya Tom.
Excellent videos Tom. No matter the topic. Just a suggestion, though perhaps not regarded as a tool.... keep plastic padding and epoxy resin an fiber glass strands on board ! We were at anchor many years ago and a fishing boat slammed into us cracking the port side of the transom. Plastic padding saved the day stuffing it into the crack from the inside of the boat. Followed by an epoxy fiber glass job the following day,.
Lol thanks Tom I love your vids where are you hiding the JCB
Flexible drive for the drill. Not everywhere is able to be got to. Also mini sockets.
Hi Tom. What an interesting selection of tools. Yes, I had most of those, but only one of yours had a very useful bit of kit, and that is a lanyard. The majority of my tools, and I suspect your tools, are non-swimmers. One slip, and they're gone. Many, but not all tools have a place where you could either tie a bit of string to it and using a bowline, or clip on a small carabena. I had a range of thicknesses and length for different jobs, to ensure that swimming in the Solent was never needed. If all else fails - like some screwdrivers - a clove hitch, or better still a constrictor knot, will do the trick. Nothing needed to be more than about 5mm thick, and very light weight. Polypropylene will easily do, and is easy to splice. A caveat: no back splices, as they are too bulky for some knots. The other observation I have to make is that your socket set and your screwdriver which takes small socket didn't appear to have extensions. A 30mm extension is brilliant for all those hard-to-reach screws or bolts. I have a variety of extensions, and use them all the time when I had e my engineer's hat on! You didn't mention consumables or tool care. I always carried spare hacksaw blades for both my tools, and the Red Devil didn't get into my toolbox because I covered the top tools with am old cotton cloth soaked in oil, and the Red Devil hates that! Another thought I had was a magnetic tray for bolts, to hold them and stop them jumping out,
Tom, we'd recommend you consider replacing the chocolate blocks with Wago clips. They're super safe, super easy, and there are no screws involved - just snap open, slide in the stripped cable, and snap shut. They also come in a variety of configurations so you're never going to be missing anything. We were introduced to these little marvels just a few months ago and will never look back. By the way, we're not sponsored by Wago or anything like that - we just like them and think it's worth sharing :)
Thanks. I'll be looking out for some. Good new year present!
I can't get over how closely our tool kits and ditty bags match, right down to the serving mallet. I didn't see your real sailor knife! I would add a good awl, some "easy out" screw extractors, electrical tape, sail tape, several kinds of clamps, a real wood rasp, a cold chisel and vice grips.
I done even sail. And I totally love this guy and his videos. Imagine talking to him over a beer or coffee. I’d be enthralled.
Im the biggest tool on my boat:)
'I'm not going to tell you what that's for, if you don't know, it's too late' best remark I've heard all day (and I don't know what it is either) :-)
it's to secure things like navigation lights to the standing rigging, helps you wrap a rope very tightly around the wires
Many consider it an agricultural tool but if you're badly stuck, a Stillson Wrench can be a lifesaver. Also a water pump pliers. And of course Plumber's Tape For Engineers (ptfe tape). When you have a large bolt or nut that just won't shift: a 3-foot length of steel pipe to slide over the long handle of your socket set. Apply steady pressure, then strike fairly hard on the back of the socket with the lump hammer. Liquid gasket maker.
17:16 "Worm and parcel with the lay and serve the rope the other way." Learned that as a Sea Cadet about 50 years ago and have never forgotten it!
Thanks Tom. I have one of those extending magnets that look like a pen. Great for fishing tools and bolts out of the bilge.
An electric multimeter to measure voltage and check resistance.
Absolutely
Thanks for taking up the slack Noel. Bad omission. I Have a fine yellow one that sees a great deal of use! Tom
But 2 are better than one.
@@philgray1023 Two is one and one is none 😁
Thanks Noel. Of course I Ought to have mentioned this. Mine is rarely stowed away it has so many uses.
“Can’t trust people to use tools”…..love it Tom 🤣
Super, down to earth, practicle advice. Who better to tell us about tools needed than you. Many thanks 🙏
Maybe they had our boat builders guys on board too.
Useful thanks. I now have a hand size vice and a tough 30*40cm board which together make a work bench. Wonderful, and much less damage to cockpit seats and walls from repair job accidents.
Great stuff Antony. I used to rig a vice on the bitts of my pilot cutter but now I have a yacht it's a lot more difficult. Thanks for the tip.
The bent coat hanger is soooo useful in the home too.
You just described my tools to the tee, have you been on me boat? The only items I didn’t see was a cordless grinder, multi metre and a wee portable vice.
Cordless angle grinder with 1mm cutting blade for stainless. Replaces bolt cutter in dismasting and very useful. Also hemostat forceps!!!!! Best tool ever for electrical work on board!
In Australia we would say, "Call that a tool kit?".
As usual...totally accessible and entertaining too. I shall be supplementing my onboard tools from this video.
Didn't know I needed a crow bar too free a jammed mooring line from behind a pile .luckily the boat along side had one in his tool kit .I got one now .
Tom agreed hand drills were a complete pain! Even you saying it brought back memories of using a hand drill. They made me laugh now, but not at the time of trying to use them, grrrrrrrr!
Cheers John. A fellow sufferer.
3in1. Blow torch. Wire brush(s). Old car jack.
My dad's 60 year old never-beaten hardwood handled, round cornered 2" wide 6" long black steel bladed scrapper knife.
Love it. The serving mallet: "If you don't know what that is, it's too late." Thank you for the best line I've heard in ages. I would add: Lanolin - the best general lubricant and rust blocker in the world. Also some dielectric grease for making electrical connections far more dependable and waterproof/corrosion proof. And we didn't see your knife...surely you don't go 5 paces without your favorite knife.
Lanolin is superb!
I looked for "having mallet" but the only reference I could find was for a "serving mallet", which the Oxford folks say is for twisting cord tightly around rope.
@@tonybarnes3858 It's a heaving mallet, used with a heaver's hitch is good for tensioning lines.
@@peterfrommystic7890 Thanks!
I have a Swiss army knife with a locking blade that is literally always with me. Thanks for flagging this up!
“Cheek as chips!” I’m stealing that phrase!!
its 'cheap as chips!'
@@contessa26-jim my bad. It’s funny either way!
Another great contribution Tom! Maybe you mentioned it and I missed it, but a small mirror on a thin telescopic pool. It’s really handy to look f.i. underneath your engine.
Harry
In my standard tool box have a thumb ratchet set (3) for using a socket in tight places and a Locking Plier.
In my electrical tool box I have the a volt meter, a box of waterproof shrink wrap butt connectors with solder built in and a small torch.
It is quick and easy to make an electrical repair
Great one, Tom. Possibly the only video where i have read every comment as well. Some good items there. One you missed was hole punches, and a favorite tool of mine (though I don’t have one at present) is a spoke shave. Coat hanger a must. My shower hand piece for the last 3 years mounts on a custom coat hanger clip every time. One vital tool (goo) I have on board is Gorilla Glue for sealing difficult hoses. This is actually a polyurethane foam that is moisture activated, a meer smear on one surface is a that is required. People say what about getting the hoses off, well that is another day. The Gorilla Glue will get you to that other day.
I am if anything, over tooled. I don’t go anywhere without a lathe, a drill press, and I am making a tiny folding milling machine, not to mention at least 20 power tools including a sewing machine. I have decided to use tool rolls rather than boxes and bags for my tools with one roll for each class of project. Putting tools away every time and having a place for them is the key to fixing problems fast. Multi function tools are also an essential. A good battery drill, for instance, of any brand serves as drill, screw driver, pop riveter (if you have the attachment), and food mixer in the galley (great for pancakes and mashed potato). But a drill can also be a rudimentary wood and plastic lathe in remote locations. That is the fabulous thing about sailing, time to do things in the old fashioned way (slowly).
The coat hanger and a roll of bailing/tie wire! Cheers
Dremel tool, electric multi tool, self amalgamating tape, painters tape to mark new found jobs to do later, calipers for sizing, torches. I realized watching this film that I don’t have a rigging bag, those tools are spread all over and I waste a lot of time searching for them, I also couldn’t find my giant wire cutters today - not too good if it had been a dismasting. Thanks for the video Tom.
And thanks Andrew for the Dremel Tool. I only just discovered these and it's on my Christmas list!
One tool I found really handy in automotive work is a surgical clamp. A long one and a curved one. They allow you to hold a small screw in a hard to reach place. And a small mirror.
Yep. I carry one on the boat and even had a small one in my backpacking ditty bag. I think you call them hemostats. The best way to get that screw that fell into the cockpit drain.
Easiest to buy from fishing shops (used to removing hooks)
Thank you Tom, probably one of the most useful sailing related videos I’ve watched in a long time. Some great ideas there in those tool boxes. Having been a landlubber for the past 40 years, I’ve amassed an impressive set of tools to tackle just about anything one can imagine going wrong in a house. When moving onto a boat, which I hope to do before too long, the challenge is going to be to decide which tools I take, and so your video has given me some great ideas. (Although I still believe I’m going to have to buy a small house after I move out of my present one, just to store all my stuff while I go sailing 😆). And I’m totally with you on the wire coat hanger, an absolute must in any man’s tool box, on land or boat, and I’m still using mine that I brought with me from South Africa 23 years ago.
I could suggest a bunch of minor tools to add, like a dental mirror for seeing around corners, a good set of strong tweezers, a set of small files, spark plug gap kit, and a telescoping small powerful magnet stick to pick up those lost nuts and washers in the bottom of the bilge, in places where that yellow contraption of yours wouldn’t fit. 😁 Plus some other larger handy tools, but that’s for another time.
Great stuff as always, cheers ⛵️👍🏻🙏🏻
I would never thought of the “Drift tool”, great job Tom 👍
I was concerned I was just gathering junk... but seeing your tool kit, I still have quite a way to go!!!! Good to see the master of boats - as you are to us - sees the worth in the cheap and cheerful and useful as much as I do... it must be boatmans instinct!!!
Lovely, Tom, as always. I guess I'll presume to add one: I found that a corded electric drill will have a lot of uses, including substituting for a grinder. The cordless one doesn't have the stamina for that.
Some years back we did a circumnavigation, with all the tools you mention and a few more. Funny thing was, I was paranoid that at just the wrong moment, we'd drop a crucial wrench or socket into the drink. So we had three complete sets of sockets and wrenches and a few other things. What's funny about it is that we ended up using a cheap, knock-off general tool kit from a hardware store for 95% of everything, and out of that box we didn't drop one single thing the whole way around. Another astonishing thing is that, as we had evidently taken care of chafe pretty well, we came back with the same set of running rigging that wasn't even new when we left. Never used all the new stuff we had for backup.
Keep up the good work, Tom, I've been a fan since before we had an Internet. This is even better than books!
Yes, I have an $11 socket set which came in an aluminium case. It does every job on the boat up to 13mm and looks great after 10 years.
Great to hear from a big-mileage sailor. Thanks for the fun comment.
A roll of Gorilla tape and a couple of mountain bike inner tubes cut lengthwise for wrapping and sealing a badly leaking shaft seal. also, a few rolls of silicone tape and electrical tape. An assortment of hose clamps and a short section of all the critical hoses aboard with barbed inserts to join them. 100' of 1/4" dynema rope for lashing things in an emergency or for a quick rigging repair. Also, half a dozen wire rope clamps for quick repair of broken stay or shroud.
Great stuff Joe. Thanks indeed. Tom
My Makita Multi tool is the one i can't do without!
Set of dental picks. Mirror on a stick. Multimeter. Pick up magnet. 3M nitrile coated work gloves. Tape. Cable ties. Sharp centre punch. Parallel punch. Couple of G-cramps. Thread lock fluid. Coloured Fishing line & split lead shot weights. Rat tail file. Steel wire brush. Brass wire brush. Head torch. Blowtorch / cigar lighter. 30m fabric tape measure. Steel tape measure …. Bottle opener because 🍻
If your going to resort to adjustable spanners, make sure you have both metric and imperial and if your as experienced at Tom, you will have Whitworth as well. Keep up the good work Tom.
hahaha don forget the left handed screwdriver's...
Spanners are fine, but you really ought to get some wrenches.
Not only do I sail an elderly long keel sailboat like you do - I must say I have virtually an identical set of tools. Nice finding!
Strap spanner. very nice. never have seen.
A few extra bits. Stanley knife. A hand held torch. Rigging crimper. Insulating tape.
All good!
A proper seamanlike selection of tools, Tom. I also always carry (at least one) good sharp knife, a lighter (brass Zippo, of course) and made up touch up pots (the car type with applicator brush) of varnish and paint.
Wonderful tour of your essential tools. I was helping my son with something at his house a while back and the job called for a coat hangar. I was shocked to hear that he didn’t have a single hangar in his house. So I brought one of my own the next time!
useful tips there and now I know what to buy to my husband for Christmas;)
Thanks very interesting. How about some scissors?
Teriffic stuff Tom, you mention mole grips but i did not see any - as an extra pair of hands I love those things
I do like how you have split your tools between trades and frequency of expected use. Think I might copy that idea.. thanks Tom
I did this and my wife said why have three hammers and all these bags of tools and combined them it is now a nightmare trying to remember what I need for a particular job.
Nice tools you have Tom. That's awesome have hand tools close to us. I also have many of them... in a world where most of people pay to have services... one friend told me, every tool you buy is a new employee you have available to you... great video Tom... keep up with a nice job.... cheers from 🇧🇷
The old wire coat hanger has served me well over the years, trying pull wires through. You are right though, they are few and far now. If I never had one in the van there was always a spare one in the customers wardrobe, not so much now though.
Pick a multi box of wago's up, especially the lever type, your choc blocs will retire.
Tom is always entertaining love your vids.
Here is my contribution:
Under water putty and supermarket plastic bags, don't leave home without them!
Repairing breach, broken seacocks etc.
I like Pettit A788, there I said it.
Love it - thanks for the tour. I’d love to see you do one on the ships first aid kit.
I love my pyrometer for checking engine, exhaust, impellor, oil sump(and any other) surface temperatures!
Never thought of that. Great idea.
Mole grips! Essential
If you are going to have a multimeter make it the DC clamp type wouldn't be without it. Also, don't use those awful chocolate block connectors, use Wago connectors, totally reusable and nothing like as prone to corrosion, brilliant things..
I take your point about the choc blocks, but they are super handy for a quick get you home job.
chocolate box connectors are fine if you put vasiline in them.ive been using them for over 50 years. crimp fittings are next to useless.
@@robertcooke1774 wago connectors aren't crimp connectors, you also don't need a screwdriver to fit them. Chocolate block connectors wouldn't so bad if the screws were of brass instead of steel.
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Get a couple of yago connectors and try them. Chockblocks are an absolute menace. You would be better just twisting the wires together and using screw on ceramic thimbles of yester year..
Your a bit like bob ross of boats. Relaxing voice, plenty of common sense, I wish I had some . :) Nice to hear your voice.
You are such a joy to listen to ! Wise, informative, historian, and craftsman! People laugh at me for all the "what ifs" I carry in my RV & Auto, BUT you never know when you "might" need it.... I am so glad to see that you too are prepared on your boat and I forgot about the wire clothes hanger ! I need to find one now...
I carry disposable gloves, stops me getting into trouble with the first mate due to dirty hand prints. Also, in place of the wire coat hanger, plastic or similar cables rods, screw together toolbox size ones, will also clear some blockages.
Again a great video, stumbled on your channel a couple of days ago. I would love to see you interview Leo from the Sampson Boat co. He is rebuilding Tally Ho and plan to race it and sail it around the world. Is channel is all about traditional boating.✌🏻👍🏻🇨🇦
Great channel and a great guy too.
Tom, lovely to listen you and your great sense of humor! I would also add a Cordless MINI angle grinder; small, light and yet powerful to cut even stainless! Try them!
Thanks Carlos. I will. Trying to saw stainless is awful.
Try a tube of CT1. Its like a silicone tube glue that sticks on wet surfaces and is very handy and strong.
Also regarding crimpers. Carlyle Tools make a lovely crimping pliers / wire stripper for 20£ (same design as the Snap-On)
And a Ferrocerium Rod for making fires /sparks. Will ignite lip balm and cotton wool if you ever needed a flame or a bright spark. It's a survival kit stalwart
A simple vernier caliper to measure inside and outside diameters.
Definitely. I have two .One steam powered, the other a modern digital one that is amazing.
A massive magnet on a good line is a tool saver and a few small ones from a speaker can be placed on your 'fishing' tool to retrieve the un-see-able. For the UnSeaAble issue.
Nice one! Mine is on a flexible stick but I also have one on a string. That one's best except that it keeps on getting stuck to the encapsulated ballast...
Nice video Tom,
Our tool kit is way too big (according to the wife). Includes, angle grinder, polisher, dremill (super useful) also a fine tool
When all else fails just reach for the trusty cork screw, every boat has one 😉👍
I like having safety wire and safety wire pliers on board. It can be used to replace just about any broken fastener in a pinch. Make sure to get a high stainless content wire to avoid corrosion/rust problems.
Tom, your videos are priceless. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Hi Tom. We did a similar video some time ago. We would add a good quality torque wrench. A Dremel type tool and one of the multi oscillating tools that can cut and shape woods and metals given the right blades. (you will need a small inverter unless you go cordless).
But, undoubtedly, the most used tool for us is a quality multimeter, preferably one that has a clamp that can measure DC Amps. (the old Avo can't take life a sea 😁) Best advice from us would be learn how to use it in ACV, DCV, Resistance, Continuity, AC Amps and DC Amps. It is useless if you do not know how to use it.
We have all used a 1/2 inch hemp line to lash the tiller when heaving to. Short lengths of line can be incredibly useful on board. However, now days we would say a quality multimeter with DC Amp clamps is the top tool and you can get them for less than a good meal and a bottle of wine for two. Sail Safe mate. Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
Thanmultimeter
I made a mat like that decades ago for my in-laws. My father in law an old submariner love it. Mother in law hated it.
As always priceless! Just one other suggestion what about a large plumbing pipe wrench which will save you when packing nuts come loose I searched the world for a short handle and my dad told me to check my granddad's old tool chest. BINGO! Thanks Tom
i own a small timber boat. So i include basic wood working tools as well. Great video Tom. Keep 'm coming
That was an excellent video. Most people don't think far enough ahead and come up scratching when they need to fix something on board. You have a great selection of tools and items that you need. There isn't a hardware store near you when your sailing.
An oscillating tool that uses the same batteries as your drill is very handy to have. It’s the multitool of powertools.
I've a hand pump for getting water out of awkward areas of the bilge, and sponges and towels for same... I hyave leaky windows - which are still to be fixed - so I fill with water quite easily, and the Foxcub 18 has a kind of floor above the bilge and the water never really leaves the bottom of it but seeps up through. Good thing its GRP it it would be well rotted!!! I got a drill powered one also but never used it yet.
Thanks for that Tom, glad to see I'm not the only one who's toolkit doesn't look pristine :) In addition to the bolt croppers and hacksaws, I carry an 18v cordless angle grinder. It takes the same battery as the drill and inflator, so I've always got enough juice, and they charge from 12v. If you need to get through rigging, or heaven forbid a mast, in a hurry, I think it's probably the quickest way.
I hadn't read you, David, but it's a super tool!
1. My 12v black and decker hand drill, battery died a death. Soldered a two metre two strand wire to the terminals with a cigarette socket plug on the other end! Been very handy for the last 10 years. 2. The chocolate block wire connectors, gone off them alot as they end up corroded and exploded in the long term, it's crimping or soldering or both for me now. 3. Otherwise your show and tell looks remarkably similar to mine! Love the reassurance that I'm on the right track after all. Appreciate your wisdom. Cheers Tom
Thanks Mate. Brilliant solution with the drill. Good comment on the chock blocks too. Cheers, Tom
As an electrical person a multi-meter is a critical tool for all things electrical... got to have one everywhere...
Tom,
Always enjoy the content, the stories, your unique approach to life -on and off the sea - and the many varied, relatable shared experiences-
Thanks!
Onward~
My latest favourite tool is a set of relay pliers - just right for pulling the impeller out
Mechanical fingers - the flexible shaft with the small grabbers that extend when you push the button at the end. Great for grabbing things as large as rags or as small as screws that have fallen into hard-to-reach places (or socks that have fallen behind the dryer :) ).
vise grips (locking adjustable gripping pliers) should be top ten
Tom I thought I was the only one who carried too many tools. Glad to see I carry about 90% of what you do. Its also very handy knowing I don't have to take any tools to the boat for odd jobs and also an annual service. I laughed when I seen your oil filter spanner as I also carry one except its the old fashioned chain style one.
I have almost a dozen adjustable that I picked up at flea markets over the years. These were used and rusted solid when I bought them for a few dollars each
but they are functional now
Wonderful display of tools Tom . Thanks for sharing 👍🏻
A great run down on useful tools and tips👍I also carry a combo chisel/knife in a hard plastic sheath.
I'm not a sailor but I loved this video!
Good Duct Tape will fix almost anything:) a must have
17:50 the old rigging bag is not dead yet . Right , well said . Tom , how about a mention about rigging knives ?
Great video as usual Tom. A kneeling mat and a good head torch are really handy when working in tight spots, especially when your over 6’ 😬👍
Too right Daniel. At 6ft 6in I suffer the tortures of the damned! I have an old foam pillow I Once dredged out of the North Atlantic for keeling on, but the elastic on my head torch is knackered. Must replace it...
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns 😂 👍Wow what are the chances of finding an old foam pillow in the North Atlantic. That sounds better than anything you can buy and your saving the planet, great find 😊 I was going to suggest one of those magnetic trays as well but it wouldn’t work with the stainless stuff. Basically anything to save your knees, help your eyes and stop you dropping stuff 😬😂 I need these things now and I’m only 39, I dread to think what I’ll be like when I get older 🤦♂️😊. I told my mrs that she can use me as chum when I get too bad 😂.
Yes! I save my old throwable floatation cushions for this. Its the first thing i grab when working on almost anything aboard. They are especially good for tucking under a shoulder or hip when bent in odd shapes in some small recess in the boat, and there is something poking you in the side.
I've got most of that on my konsort. Plus extensive set of useful spares but the tool.i probably use the most is my multi meter. I keep one in my car too. Seriously useful for diagnosing electrical gremlins
JB Weld Epoxy some fiberglass, plywood patch material etc. I know you carry wood. Auger & bits, nails/wood screws
I’d suggest a look at Knippex grips. The medium pair will replace adjustables *shudders* and a full set of ring spanner’s for most applications.
They are genius because the jaws are almost parallel 👌
We call ours, 'Resistance is futile'.