Repair, Tools & Materials

In the last decade, tool manufacturers have drastically improved their standard products. Today, all of the major manufacturers offer professional-grade power tools at reasonable prices. My personal choices are based on a wealth of experience with literally hundreds of tools owned by myself, my employees, and subcontractors. It boils down to reliable and versatile tools. The must-haves include: Hitachi angle grinder, Porter Cable Orbital Sander, Fein Multi-master, Dremel, Makita 14.4-volt drill driver, Makita 9.6-volt angle drill, and an 18-volt Milwaukee reciprocating saw.

One of our campaigns over the last several years has featured knives and multitools as personal emergency tools that maintain and implement a sense of preparedness for the unexpected, even when ashore. Articles in several previous issues (March and August 2004, January and August 2005) have touched on this subject. To provide instinctive access in an emergency, the tools must be personal (worn on the person). So, when we evaluate personal tools, we always pose the question, "Would we wear this tool off the boat?" If yes, then the tool is personal gear; if no, we consider it strictly a multitool.

Using an elastic nylon riding stopper (aka snubber) is always recommended when deploying an all-chain rode. Snubbers act as shock absorbers between rode and vessel, while at the same time transferring surge loading caused by wind and waves from the windlass to a deck cleat. No windlass is built to bear the load of a deployed anchor, particularly the bone-jarring snatches of an all-chain rode fetching up short.

Several new offerings prompted this renewed look. For versatility and quality we like four particular models, and among those, the Leatherman Wave is our best buy.

One crimp or two? In our test and survey, we again find that the well-made multi-purpose tool will suffice for most wiring jobs. If you have more serious work to do, try Klein's #1005 crimper and Ancor's 702030 automatic stripper.

With boathook, mop, squeegee, and net attachments, telescoping poles save space aboard and are quite handy. The MPS Perfect Pole's no-look locking mechanism helps it earn top honors.

We looked at 11 pre-packed sets of tools. Some were OK. None would be enough on its own.

The new Toolova Shootit 12 is a no-brainer at the high end-it cuts wire and rod almost like butter. At the low end, the old hacksaw does pretty well, too.

Leatherman leads the way with a quality tool at a good price. The Gerber 800 Legend, the Kershaw, SOG's Powerlock, and the Spyderco SpydeRench also top our list.

All too often boat owners keep tabs on the condition of their engines by simply running them: If they start and run smoothly...