Five Best Specialty Tools

While specialty tools may seem like an unnecessary splurge, they save you time and money in the long run because they help you get DIY jobs done properly.

By
Drew Frye
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8
Hot Knife. We put this purchase off for too long. Nice for fabric and rope, and vital for carpet and bungee cord, which are difficult to heat seal. Multiple layers dont slow it down. (Photo/ Drew Frye)
Hot Knife. We put this purchase off for too long. Nice for fabric and rope, and vital for carpet and bungee cord, which are difficult to heat seal. Multiple layers dont slow it down. (Photo/ Drew Frye)

In fact our list is much, much longer than this, so we picked five specialty tools that we thought would help most sailors for small dollars. The right tool can pay for itself in the first use if it solves a problem. Treat yourself.

1. Refractometer

The view through the eyepiece of a refractometer.
The view through the eyepiece of a refractometer.

This tool can measure engine coolant freeze point (ethylene glycol), potable antifreeze freeze point (propylene glycol) and battery state of charge (battery acid gravity). It causes very little mess because only one drop is required, which is easily wiped off. All of those functions come at an affordable $25.

Refractometer. You place 1-2 drops on the prism, close the plastic flap, hold it up to the light, and look in the eyepiece. Far more accurate than the ball-type, typically within just a few degrees, and requiring much lass clean-up after use. Just wipe off the prism, instead of all the flushing and drying. Oil won’t hurt it and has only minimal effect on accuracy, unlike the ball type, that either stick or read wrong if there is oil on the balls.
Refractometer. You place 1-2 drops on the prism, close the plastic flap, hold it up to the light, and look in the eyepiece. Far more accurate than the ball-type, typically within just a few degrees, and requiring much lass clean-up after use. Just wipe off the prism, instead of all the flushing and drying. Oil won’t hurt it and has only minimal effect on accuracy, unlike the ball type, that either stick or read wrong if there is oil on the balls.

You should measure battery state of charge by both voltage and gravity before replacement. Under winterizing potable water systems (water causes dilution) can result in burst plumbing. The bottles claim burst point, but that is based on copper pipe, not plastic fittings, which can freeze at warmer temperatures. Weak antifreeze also causes bad tastes in the spring—it ferments, like Boone’s Farm gone bad.

2. Hose Pick

When you pull, the hose stretches and the Chinese finger trap comes into play. A hook, on the other hand, releases the finger trap and the hose slides right off. Sometimes. Heat can help too. The hose pick helps pulling hoses off of sea cocks, which are notoriously hard to reach. It is also handy for digging sealant out of grooves. About $12 for a set.

Hose Pick. Vital for removing hoses, but also useful for picking out sealant. (Photo/ Drew Frye)

3. Multimeter with Amp Clamp

Klein CL120 multimeter. The most vital wiring tool, for both safety and accurate troubleshooting. We like clamp-on amp measurement.
Klein CL120 multimeter. The most vital wiring tool, for both safety and accurate troubleshooting. We like clamp-on amp measurement.

A multimeter is not really a specialty tool, but we like this one for boat use. It is useful for checking the health of your batteries and solar panels. The clamp allows quick measurement of amperage (just place it around a single wire). Klein CL120, about $60.

4. Hot Knife

It’s not just faster than scissors, it also makes projects simpler by sealing the edges as you go. Good for fabric and ropes, but a must have for bungee and carpet, which are otherwise very difficult to seal. We reviewed the GONYTIA and are still very happy with it, having just cut dozens of yards of carpet in a fitting job. About $55, depending on the kit. Now that we have one, it finds constant use.

5. Heat Gun

Heat Gun. Handy for applying heat shrink without damage, and vital for removing old sealant, adhesives and VHB tape. Also useful for cleaning up epoxy drips (epoxy softens at a lower temperature than gelcoat) and for paint stripping. This one was from Harbor Freight and is doing fine. (Photo/ Drew Frye)
Heat Gun. Handy for applying heat shrink without damage, and vital for removing old sealant, adhesives and VHB tape. Also useful for cleaning up epoxy drips (epoxy softens at a lower temperature than gelcoat) and for paint stripping. This one was from Harbor Freight and is doing fine. (Photo/ Drew Frye)

Excellent for removing sealant, VHB tape and stickers. It helps apply heat shrink more consistently to electrical splices and even line ends. It’s also handy for removing and installing hoses. A cheap one from Harbor Freight ($20) is probably all you need.

Drew Frye
Drew Frye, Practical Sailor’s technical editor, has used his background in chemistry and engineering to help guide Practical Sailor toward some of the most important topics covered during the past 10 years. His in-depth reporting on everything from anchors to safety tethers to fuel additives have netted multiple awards from Boating Writers International. With more than three decades of experience as a refinery engineer and a sailor, he has a knack for discovering money-saving “home-brew” products or “hacks” that make boating affordable for almost anyone. He has conducted dozens of tests for Practical Sailor and published over 200 articles on sailing equipment. His rigorous testing has prompted the improvement and introduction of several marine products that might not exist without his input. His book “Rigging Modern Anchors” has won wide praise for introducing the use of modern materials and novel techniques to solve an array of anchoring challenges. 

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8 COMMENTS

    • I concure……….. stay away from the lower cost units…. buy something that measures DC amps (eg 12V battery power) as well as AC. I feel that being able to measure DC amps is VERY important in troubleshooting on a boat. I like the Fluke products myself….read the fine print before you buy…….Wes Herdman

  3. I have a 12’ long piece of spring steel (about ¼ “ wide) with a sharp bend on 1 end and a larger radius bend on the other. I’ve used it hundreds of times to reach lines in the mast or boom and for a variety of other chores. Would not be without it. Also have a piece of plastic covered wire (from a wire hanger) about 16’ that I can bend and shape as needed.

  4. I have lived by my refractometer to make sure I have enough antifreeze concentration in the water tanks for the past half dozen years. We used to get some black mold build up in the water tanks.
    Judging by color alone is not enough.

  6. Keep the ideas coming! The list of tools I have and use is endless, all depending on the problem at hand.

    Two days ago I was mounting a turning block on a cored deck, requiring the core to be removed and replaced with epoxy. A roofing nail with the head slit and bent to resemble a propeller is my favorite tool for removing balsa; it is smoother than a bent nail, pulverizes the core more finely, and the pitch lifts the chopped bits up and out of the hole. 3 ml syringes are perfect for both measuring the 5:1 epoxy ratio. Too little for pumps or weighing by pouring from containers. Another was used for placing the epoxy in the holes.

    The right tool for the job can be cheap.

  7. On the multimeter, get the Klein CL800 instead. It has a Low Z (low impedance) voltage measurement mode that is critical to avoid being tricked by ghost voltages (capacitive crosstalk from nearby energized wiring). It also has better accuracy with the clamp meter in DC mode down to 50mV or so (actual; specs say it can do better). Not good enough for professional stray current measurement, but pretty close.