Spare Parts - What do you carry?

[ksanders]

I’m curious... What spare parts do you carry onboard?

I’m guessing here but this is probably dependent on your cruising style, area, and inclination to DIY repairs.

Here’s what I carry onboard in Alaska, probably the remotest cruising area in North America.

ENGINE

* Complete Hose kit
* Emergency Injector hose.
* Starter
* Alternator
* Belt Tensioner
* thermostat
* Seamax sea water pump impellers
* Seamax seawater Pump rebuild kit.
* Shut Off Solenoid
* Contactors
* filters
* fluids
* Belt
* Injector replacement kit (to be added 2020)
* Lift Pump (to be added 2020)

GENERATOR

* Belt
* Seawater impeller
* Thermostat
*Voltage regulator
* Emergency injector hose replacement (same kit as main engines)
* Thermostat

PLUMBING

* Complete Vacuflush spares kit
* direct p/n replacements for every pump
* Spare hose for every size of hose
* A whole drawer full of connectors, hose clamps, etc...

ELECTRICAL

* Replacement breakers
* Many sizes of wire including battery wire, lugs, and crimper.
* Spare shore power cords
* A whole drawer full of electrical components, connectors, etc...

GENERAL MECHANICAL

* Spare cabinet hardware
* Light fixtures and bulbs
* Starboard in several thicknesses
* every type of caulk/glue/sealant imaginable
* huge assortment of nuts, bolts, screws, washers.

TOOLS

Everything imaginable including power tools. Vibration saw, dremel, mini skill saw, everything.

[Jmason]

I carry Essential components related to the Hino engines: belts, filters, oil, coolant, etc.
I do carry components sufficient to repair the
repair most important stuff, Vacuflush.
Clear plastic bins labeled and stowed everywhere.
I keep an inventory & location list but struggle to find the list each & every time I need something!
Looked 2 days for slide window channel insert before I remembered I had stowed them in a dock locker where they were fouled by leaking resin and discard last year. Never have enough, but struggle to store!

[Centerline2]

it absolutely does make a difference in what one carries as spare parts, depending on the use of their boat and how their boat is outfitted, cruising style/location, and their ability to make a repair themselves...

we have a runabout that we use for fishing and day trips, but our 2556 is used for longer cruises, sometimes in remote or unfamiliar areas and because of this, as I have mentioned many times in the past, , its a fully loaded (heavy) boat.
so working mostly off the list you have already posted, what I carry on my 2556 is as follows....

hoses and fittings to repair coolant hoses
odds and ends of hoses, fittings and assorted plugs that can be used to repair any other host on the boat
2 sizes of marelon thru hull fittings
starter
V belts
impeller, and extra water pump housing for outdrive
filters and fluids
electric fuel pump
light bulbs for every fixture, and for trailer lights
wiring terminals and supplies, and 4 rolls of different size wire (10, 14, 16, 18 gauge)
many fuses of different sizes and types
various toggle switches
4200, silicone, nickle never-seize,
outdrive gaskets
spark plugs
stainless nuts, bolts, washers and screws of all sizes
o-ring kit
black tape
rigging tape, which is the usual GO-TO tape, when tape is needed for a repair
epoxy stick
marine tex
a very small container of chopped fiberglass to mix with any repair compound
a small piece of fiberglass cloth, about 18"sq.
spray lubes
2 propellers
2 anchors
lots of extra rope and lines
single bit axe, for fires ashore when in areas that allow them...

for the trailer, I carry 2 spare tires and extra wheel bearings

multimeter
2 test lights (one powered, one non-powered)
short circuit/wiring tester/tracer

hand TOOLS.... if one is competent to make repairs themselves, they should know what all they should carry on the boat.
....for power tools, I only carry a drill w/bits, and a vibrating saw with 2 blade styles.
for hand tools, I carry at least 2 of everything to fit any fastener/nut/bolt on the boat, engine or outdrive
2 boxes of rubber gloves, (3 mil and 9 mil)

and if ALL this stuff was removed from the boat and laid out as neatly as the list is written, there would still be an accumulation of other less significant items that takes up as much room as the items on the list, BUT which i feel is as important for the best chance of success in the event of a breakdown of any thing on the boat... or someone elses boat.

my boat is also equipped with redundant/backup GPS and VHF, in addition to a handheld VHF that also has GPS...and ALWAYS cruising/chart books of the area we are boating in.

some might say this is overkill on a small boat, and even though I keep my boat in mechanically sound condition, its always better to have than not have when there is a problem.

personally, in the past I've had little need of the extra stuff I carry (hopefully this trend continues) but its good "peace of mind" knowing its there... AND, just as importantly, what I carry isnt ALL about MY boat, because carrying a good assortment of "extras" allows me to assist other boaters in need, which I always have and I always will do... which gives me a better feeling than repairing my own boat.

when we owned a 35ft boat, this list was exponentially bigger.... I've downsized ;-)

[carguy]

I've got tools, electrical wire and duct tape. As a river boater, I'm never far from civilization. My main resources are a cell phone and credit card.

[aknurse]

I carry:
Spare primary and secondary fuel filters
Assorted fasteners and clamps
Electrical fittings/ wire/ multimeter
Spare Magma grill parts
Adhesives/ sealers
Spare Bilge pump (with alligator clips)

Most importantly, if I can't fix her with what I've got, I carry a SeaTow membership.

[ksanders]

I carry:
Spare primary and secondary fuel filters
Assorted fasteners and clamps
Electrical fittings/ wire/ multimeter
Spare Magma grill parts
Adhesives/ sealers
Spare Bilge pump (with alligator clips)

Most importantly, if I can't fix her with what I've got, I carry a SeaTow membership.

Is Sea tow operating out of Whittier these days?

[Knothome4788]

I’m with aknurse. Vaccuflush kits, belts impellers and filters, fresh water pump, macerator pump (Jan 2020), assortment of hand tools and socket kit, drill, Harbor Frt ¾ in socket set and wrench, sealants, clamps, lots of misc SS fasteners, a few specialized tools without which a good mechanic in the toolies couldn’t install some parts, backup Nav resources and VHF radios, $10k towing insurance, cell phones. The majority of our cruising is San Juan’s and Gulf islands with excursions to Chatterbox falls last year, Desolation/Octopus Is, etc plus Barkley this year. With the exception of the more remote areas around Quadra and with twin engines and a good filter set up I’m comfortable that should “serious” trouble arise we’re covered. I mostly focus on single points of failure that can kill a float plan (fresh water and black water).

[aknurse]

Is Sea tow operating out of Whittier these days?

Yes sir they are. They have boats in Whittier, Seward, and Homer. $169 a year is pretty cheap insurance. Unfortunately I have had to call them when a u-joint grenaded on me. They have great customer service for sure.

[ksanders]

Yes sir they are. They have boats in Whittier, Seward, and Homer. $169 a year is pretty cheap insurance. Unfortunately I have had to call them when a u-joint grenaded on me. They have great customer service for sure.

I never knew. I only check so often and last time I checked they did not serve our area.

I’ll probably join even though I’ve only needed a tow once, and that was in my 2452, waht seems like forever ago. Back then It cost me $750 to get towed back from Ester Pass to Whittier.

[C-ya]

Is anyone using towing through their boat insurance? Progressive offers on the road and on the water towing. Just wondering how the service was.

[Johnny_Vintage]

We pretty much stay at the slip all year. At more than 9 grand for moorage for our 38 in an open slip. Why leave it.

My spares are mosty booze related. I think I have a fuel filter somewhere.🍸🍺🍻🍷🍹

[Shipsngiggles]

I carry Essential components related to the Hino engines: belts, filters, oil, coolant, etc.
I do carry components sufficient to repair the
repair most important stuff, Vacuflush.
Clear plastic bins labeled and stowed everywhere.
I keep an inventory & location list but struggle to find the list each & every time I need something!
Looked 2 days for slide window channel insert before I remembered I had stowed them in a dock locker where they were fouled by leaking resin and discard last year. Never have enough, but struggle to store!

I'm the same way. Hino essentials like belts, filters, oil, impellers, and all the tools to complete emergency repairs. If I lose a shaft or a prop, that's what BoatUS membership is for. What I carry on board is essentially what I can quickly fix to get me back on track for a cruise. If I need more, then the cruise is ruined either way and I am better off having someone else fixing it.

[kwb]

With a new to me boat coming from an owner that hired everything out and had no spares onboard this is a subject close to my heart.

Really it comes down to what can you do, and what would end the trip that you work so hard all year for? For me that comes down to locomotion, water, food spoilage, and sewage.

So engines need to start and make power, transmissions shift, props go around.
Tanks hold water and can be pumped out to use
Food - Electric systems keep things working in fridge. Fridge dies, the icemaker keeps making ice to keep the fridge cold, the chest freezer stays cold. If the chest freezer dies it would suck but you can get food of some sort and reload the fridge more often.
Sewage - The toilets flush, the tank has a means to be emptied

I have been buying many things in 3's for the engines and will again next season. One set for replacement of what is there currently and one to put into spares.

I can see a case to make for a starter, alternator not so much with my engines. If they were electronic I would probably change my tune but between onboard charger, inverter/charger, generator, other main I see too many other ways to get 12v pumping into the battery bank. On the 3888 I didn't have spare props, if the boat wasn't overpropped I probably wouldn't have them on this one either but I found a set that should solve that problem and will probably keep the old ones onboard. A shaft is nice, but if you bend/break one you are coming out of the water and on the sidelines for a couple days and for enough $$ you can get one anywhere I am going to be in about that amount of time and get that one with insurance money instead of out of my pocket.

The generic stuff (hardware, wire, connectors, plumbing bits) all made the migration to the new boat. While I minimize that summation here it is actually quite a lot of stuff but will need to go through as I learn the systems on this one to supplement the inventory of hose and anything else I come across like specialty light bulbs or whatnot.

On my list to buy are Domestic Water Pump, Waste Pump, more vacuflush parts, some field service hose and ends for the flustercluck that is the fuel piping on the Cummins 370's. I may forgo the domestic water pump spare as I am planning to use same pump for my washdown installation so if I needed to swap I have something onboard or at least put off one pump purchase for a year or so.

I won't carry spare parts for the AC/Heat Pumps. There are 3 of them and if I really need AC somewhere I can move to that part of the boat, or swap parts around. The bit of use we do in the cooler months can be handled by a space heater that is already on board.

I have a fair population of tools onboard, not everything for every project in high quality but enough to be able to hack my way back into getting something patched up and salvage a trip (and have done so for others a number of times.) The most adventuresome was building a banjo bolt (for someone else) at anchorage after running to nearest village in a dink to find a bolt of the right thread pitch.

[RobMick]

Is anyone using towing through their boat insurance? Progressive offers on the road and on the water towing. Just wondering how the service was.

Following.....I also have progressive insurance for my “fleet” that includes towing

[toy4two]

A TowBoat US card, a working cell phone, radio, and if all else fails a ACR ResQLink 400 and my inflatable toy boat! We only go out for a few days to the So Cal Channel Islands so at most 40 miles from home port. Oh I also have a lithium ion battery jump starter just in case both batteries fail I figure if its mechanical I'll get the "free" tow and fix it back at the dock.