Friday, August 23, 2013

TOP FIVE FAVORITE TOOLS

Annapolis, MD

Drill in use for installing solar panels back in 2010, prelaunch.

1. A lanyard.
This might not technically be a tool, but I put it here first, because, if it weren't for lanyards we would have no tools. Don't leave home without it. Actually, you can just use string, but we like to encourage lanyard use. The easier it is to clip in, the better.


2. Cordless Drill
We LOVE our Makita cordless drill and use it for many things. What? A drill on a boat? Don't you want to FILL holes? Here are some of the ways we use it:
  • Screwdriver attachments
  • To operate the little drill pump - for pumping out water filters, the bilge (sometimes), etc.
  • Installing solar panels!
  • Yes, sometimes drilling holes in things, like the lid of my sprouter....

3. Mega wrench
I admit I've never used this. Chip, however, loves it for anything that requires major league torch (autocorrect's version of 'torque'). He has used it to remove a stubborn anchor shackle and taking off collar bolts on the windlass. This is also #1 on our Most Borrowed Tool list.

Chip feeding his wrench. Wrenches eat wrappers.

4. Detail sander
This is our favorite tool that we don't own yet, but we borrowed one recently. It's awesome. Lots of attachments/uses, little hacksaws, wood saws, that could get in those hard to reach spots a.k.a. all spots on a boat. And it's a great sander for those challenging spots that need to be sanded.


5. Sheets of rubber 

We've used this stuff, found at marine and hardware stores, for all kinds of McGyverish applications, most recently to fix the cockpit circuit breaker. In that photo, Chip was making a new washer for the engine raw water filter. (This photo was taken just before I yelled at him for using the kitchen cutting board for a boat chore.)

In case you don't think we have the full gamut of run-of-the-mill tools, this post will dispel that.


You might also like:
Tammy's Ten Things ... That Crossover for Life on a Boat
Tammy's Ten Things ... That Make Life Better

COMING SOON: Our favorite McGyver tools.

4 comments:

  1. "This photo was taken just before I yelled at him for using the kitchen cutting board for a boat chore."

    So let me get this straight, I am going to get yelled at by Dana even after starting that idyllic sailing life we've long been dreaming of? That definitely was not in the dream.

    I need a list of what not to do too.

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    1. You can basically follow the same rules that apply on land: Everything is suspect. ;-)

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  2. I saw your blog and saw your boat in the last week! I wish financial circumstances were different, because your boat is *hot*. I'll be checking in on your blog regularly from now on. I'm headed south for my first time in six weeks.
    Phil
    S/V Catmandu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED COMMENT. ;-)

      Thanks, Phil. Congrats on your first trip south! That's so exciting. Please report back -- and best wishes.

      Tammy

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