Spares? What are the Most important things to have on board?

[MonacoMike]

Well with plenty of that you won't care you don't have peace of mind...

MM

 

[fwebster]

This has kind of morphed into a towing discussion, but here are some points re: towing.......It seems everyone posting has TowBoat/US towing coverage. Before clicking that "add towing coverage box" be sure TowBoat/US has boats convenient to your area. I am in a hugely popular boating area and Boat/US has one boat stationed way up the ICW where slips are cheap.......SeaTow has 4 boats of various sizes stationed at 3 of the most popiular marinas in the area. Guess who is going to have the quickest and best response. So, consider the towing companies' coverage ability when you select a towing service.

If the towing company sees or if you admit that your boat or anyone onboard is in danger of serious damage or injury or if the tower declares your boat "hard aground", the situation quickly changes from a towing claim where charges are based on time to a salvage claim where charges based on an arbitrary % of your boats value claimed by the towing operator. When the bill for salvage arrives, you and your insurance company then negotiate the salvage claim and you are liable up to the amount of your insurance deductible instead of a simple $200-300 charge for a tow, most of which is usually included in t hoe towing contract.

I would rather have let my insurance carrier handle the tow because the tow operator knows he will have to deal with a professional insurance adjuster anyway.

And, here is a point to remember: Do not let a tow boat operator move your boat until you and he agree on whether yours is a salvage claim or a tow claim. Most want to claim salvage if they do anything other than drive up and put a line on your boat and tow you home. The truth of the matter is that most boats that are aground can be refloated fairly easily with a bit of effort and some common sense. When a tow operator arrives at your boat, whether he was called or just saw you and drove up, DO NOT let them put a line on your boat. If you want to hold the towboat close by so you can communicate with the tow operator, then hold the line in your hand until you get the tow or salvage question satisfactorily answered because once he ties up to a cleat, bow eye, etc., he has taken constructive control of your boat and the tow or salvage decision is in his hands, not yours.

 

[Woody]

Maybe I have "bought in" the marketing but insurance coverage is in no way as convenient and has no trailering coverage.

MM

I've got towing coverage on water and off. My 420DA does a pinch over 2 miles every year on a state hwy.

I've actually mixed two subjects. The boat is insured while going down the highway but the towing cost wouldn't be unless it was to get the boat to qualified repair after an incident.

 

[sbw1]

A quart of oil for the mains, a quart of oil for the genny and a gallon of antifreeze. Two fuel filters for mains. Set of wrenches. Thankful we have not needed to wrench or pour so far.

 

[Woody]

I carry my routine maintenance stuff mostly...belts, impellers, filters, oil, coolant. I do have a few preformed coolant hoses, starter solenoid, misc electrical repair stuff and tools to do anything that I'm capable of tackling.

There was a guy from lake Erie or Ontario that cruised up our way a couple years ago. He carried props and prop shafts and ended up needing them after exploring around Isle Royale.

Depending on where I might be going could change what spare parts I carry, like CSR member Buyajet planning his trip to the Caribbean islands on his 420DA. What I do right now I think is helped a lot by very frequent engine room inspections and routine maintenance. My goal is to do everything at the dock, the idea of having to make repairs while rolling around in the troughs actually kinda scares me....I'll try to do what I gotta do but I don't want to if it can be avoided.

There was one CSR member(out of boating now) that said it wasn't often he was more than a mile from shore. The area he boated has many nice ports and rarely was he more than a few miles from one. Well within phone and VHF coverage help from other boaters, towing services, and USCG how many spare parts are worth carrying.

This isn't spare parts but don't forget some rescue tape and plugs....gotta stay afloat until they come to get you.

 

[MonacoMike]

This isn't spare parts but don't forget some rescue tape and plugs....gotta stay afloat until they come to get you.

But a very valuable carry anyway.

MM

 

[MonacoMike]

I haven't looked at my policy yet, TowBoatUS says I am covered on any boat I am on or own including my open bow Monaco and my multiple inflatables.

MM

I looked at my policy and called my agent on this. My policy does have gas delivery, jump start, etc. covered under towing. However that is just on the primary vessel, and does not include dinghies, or you on other vessels. I think I will keep TowBoatUS.

MM

 

[MonacoMike]

I also do not like making claims on insurance is possible. Using TowBoatUS keeps my risk of minor claims down and my rating in the CLUE database cleaner. That rating will affect all your insurance rates.

MM

 

[MonacoMike]

This has kind of morphed into a towing discussion, but here are some points re: towing.......It seems everyone posting has TowBoat/US towing coverage. Before clicking that "add towing coverage box" be sure TowBoat/US has boats convenient to your area. I am in a hugely popular boating area and Boat/US has one boat stationed way up the ICW where slips are cheap.......SeaTow has 4 boats of various sizes stationed at 3 of the most popiular marinas in the area. Guess who is going to have the quickest and best response. So, consider the towing companies' coverage ability when you select a towing service.

If the towing company sees or if you admit that your boat or anyone onboard is in danger of serious damage or injury or if the tower declares your boat "hard aground", the situation quickly changes from a towing claim where charges are based on time to a salvage claim where charges based on an arbitrary % of your boats value claimed by the towing operator. When the bill for salvage arrives, you and your insurance company then negotiate the salvage claim and you are liable up to the amount of your insurance deductible instead of a simple $200-300 charge for a tow, most of which is usually included in t hoe towing contract.

I would rather have let my insurance carrier handle the tow because the tow operator knows he will have to deal with a professional insurance adjuster anyway.

And, here is a point to remember: Do not let a tow boat operator move your boat until you and he agree on whether yours is a salvage claim or a tow claim. Most want to claim salvage if they do anything other than drive up and put a line on your boat and tow you home. The truth of the matter is that most boats that are aground can be refloated fairly easily with a bit of effort and some common sense. When a tow operator arrives at your boat, whether he was called or just saw you and drove up, DO NOT let them put a line on your boat. If you want to hold the towboat close by so you can communicate with the tow operator, then hold the line in your hand until you get the tow or salvage question satisfactorily answered because once he ties up to a cleat, bow eye, etc., he has taken constructive control of your boat and the tow or salvage decision is in his hands, not yours.

Thanks for this reminder. I need to print this off and put it in the helm bag.

MM

 

[dwna1a]

I always carry plenty of replacement bulbs.


Not quite a spare, but don't forget a comprehensive first aid kit.

MM

Yep, and don't forget a bottle of pain killer

 

[MonacoMike]

Yep, and don't forget a bottle of pain killer

You that age too? LOL

MM

 

[dwna1a]

Ok all playing aside, I always keep fuel money, enough of 70gal. Cards don't always work and I don't carry checks.
2) spare belts
3) spare plugs and wires, just two of them
4) one pickup, cap,and rotor. I also have a spare ICM.
5) one spare heat exchanger cap
6) one spare fuel cap
7) one roll of a good strong 3" tape, for busted hose
And last, a complete tool set to change any of the above

 

[MonacoMike]

Ok all playing aside, I always keep fuel money, enough of 70gal. Cards don't always work and I don't carry checks.
2) spare belts
3) spare plugs and wires, just two of them
4) one pickup, cap,and rotor. I also have a spare ICM.
5) one spare heat exchanger cap
6) one spare fuel cap
7) one roll of a good strong 3" tape, for busted hose
And last, a complete tool set to change any of the above

We do the fuel cash thing, but good reminder that checks usually do not work.

MM

 

[MonacoMike]

These Tools will help and their uses:


DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted part which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, ''What the...??''

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age.

SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

WELDING GLOVES: Heavy duty leather gloves used to prolong the conduction of intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.

TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG YELLOW PINE 2X4: Used for levering an automobile upward off of a trapped hydraulic jack handle.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool ten times harder than any known drill bit that snaps neatly off in bolt holes thereby ending any possible future use.

BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 24-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A very large pry bar that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end opposite the handle.

AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids and for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

MECHANIC''S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while wearing them.

DAMMIT TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling ''DAMMIT'' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

 

[The Bill Collector]

We carry spare filters, belts, impellers, oil, antifreeze, radiator cap, fuel cap, zincs, fuses, wires, connectors, bulbs, batteries, zip ties, tarp, plumbing connections, cell phone, bilge pump, dash switches, several of the dash gauges, neutral safety switch, fuel solenoid, anchor w/rode, lines, fenders, regulator for BBQ, knobs & latches, VHF radio, sheets, towels, and vodka... Spare paper charts and I'm sure I could continue for a while if I sat here longer...