Stocking Up

There, you have just got a boat! A nice new hobby for the weekend and it is time to stock it out. It is time to get all that equipment and gear that you have read about in all those glossy magazines and that you have dreamt about for so long. Time to fill that boat up with all the latest goodies and set sail into the unknown. Sail out and over the horizon, ready for the adventures that only a boat can bring!

The engine has always been many a weekend sailors greatest problem, a constant nightmare of breaking down whilst away from the safety of the land! The thought of hysterically shouting 'mayday, mayday' on channel 16, admitting to all the other yachties within a hundred miles that they couldn't sail a duck in the bathtub, never mind a pleasure boat at sea, is enough to send anybody scrambling to the hardware shop!

But wait ....... Nobody is going to be lifting the engine off the block or undertaking a complete strip down whilst bobbing on the water? Sensible judgment applies here, stating that no large tools will be required, so dump them back in the garage in favour of keeping the boat above her draught marks! The 10 tonne Chain Block and the 1.5-meter long torque wrench, the hydraulic spanner set and the ten-pound hammer are definitely not regarded as essential! The same applies to the three 24inch monkey wrenches (one ten-inch might just be about right here), leave them behind along with the engine lifting frame and the welding machine (is there an extension cord long enough to reach the beach?).

Let's look into this before diving-in and filling up the food cupboards with six inch nails, the bathroom cabinet with 100 varieties of glue, producing an extremely unstable boat by placing a spare engine on the wheelhouse top and then running out and purchasing enough electrical equipment that would stretch the 'incy wincey' power beyond its limits. After all, the reason behind a pleasure boat is to have 'pleasure' so having guests hobbling to the bridge complaining of large hammers falling out of bathroom cabinets or of children tied in chain knots would put a slight damper on things! Oil stains on carpets, a lack of food due to space requirements, and unstable boat causing seasickness and constant power failures as the chargers can't cope with the demand would not go down too well with any pleasure seeker!

NB; if the problem is serious then nine times out of ten the correct spare or tool won't be onboard anyway - your on a pleasure boat, not a merchant vessel!

There is, within reason, only certain items that can be taken for repairs to the engine; spanners, screwdrivers, a specialised engine tool kit and a few essential spares constitute the basic necessities. Tools are essential and maybe the saving grace to any that lose their power at sea! Small tolls, nifty tools and handy tools! Tools are required to unblock or change a fuel filter or cure a leaking pipe. Bring along enough to do all the jobs listed in the engine repair manual, a few extra screwdrivers, a few litres of spare engine oil and some little things like a funnel, rags, oil jugs, torches, spare filters and a spare V-belt or two - oh, and don't forget the engine repair manual itself - because face it, most weekend sailors can't even change a light bulb with out a diagram!

The crucial point to remember about engine maintenance and repair on small boats is that it should all have been done before leaving port. No weekend sailor should depart port unless the engine is in tip-top shape! Before departure checks should have been made, filters and oil levels checked (and double checked) and changed or topped up as necessary. When setting sail the boat underneath should be ready for the trip ahead, trusted to complete the job without hiccup or stutter, to return to port with tools and manuals untouched.

In many situations, the amount of equipment carried depends on the skills of the weekend sailor concerned. For example, sailing around with a spare set of piston seals is all very well, but if the sailor cannot even wield a spanner without hitting himself on the head, then what's the point? Simply leave them at home and use the space for something more worthwhile! And from another point of view, if the jolly-jack is an extremely competent engineer, the chances of breakdown should have been reduced enough through prior maintenance as to leave these spares in the garage back home anyway. Save the space and ensure that you have good communications systems, swallow the pride, leave the large tools at home and fill the cabinets with caviar and good food!

Therefore to repeat; Essential items consist of a set of spanners, a couple of hammers, a set of screwdrivers, and a shifter. One monkey wrench of a small size, filter removal strap for the fuel and lubricating filters, a hand crank handle if the engine is small, a spare set of batteries, some spare lubricating oil and some odds and ends of screws, nuts and bolts (six-inch nails have no place here). Along with these items should be the dedicated engines tool kit, essential spares for the engine including a couple of injectors maybe, filter inserts and anything else that the manufacturer recommends for that engine - always consult the repair and operating manuals - GET TO KNOW YOUR ENGINE.

Leave behind the chain block, the large monkey wrenches and the hydraulic spanners. Leave behind the spare cylinder heads, crankshaft and all the spares that require the use of a chain block. Make sure before you leave that the engine is in tip-top working condition and that you can trust in its ability to take you where you want to go (and back again) without breaking down along the way. And finally, make sure that your communication systems are suitable and in a good working condition, so that if a problem does arise help is not far away.

There is no pride to think of when you breakdown. Safety is of a higher priority.