Heading out of town for a regatta? Got the boat hitched up behind your tow vehicle, sails carefully packed, sailing gear, and nutrition/hydration supplies ready to go? One more thing: be sure you’re prepared for any needed boat work with tools appropriate for your boat.
Lucky for us, most small boat repairs can be accomplished by sailors, sometimes with a little extra advice from other fleet members. How you prepare for tackling any unexpected repairs while you’re away from home is up to you, but there are three philosophies you can follow.
Rely on others. This is the “hope for the best and assume it will all work out” method. Often this will play out just fine, but other times, you can prove to be a burden on your fellow sailors, friends, and competitors. This way involves tossing a multitool (I’ll leave the “Gerber vs. Leatherman” debate to you) and a roll of electrical tape into your sailing bag, and asking everyone else for anything else you realize you need. This is not long-term sustainable, unless you like being the target of behind-your-back eye rolls in the boat park.
Be fairly self-sufficient. In the bell curve of sailing preparation, this is what most sailors do. It makes sense and saves time, as you don’t have to track down what you need. Most of the time, you just have it in your tool bag. It’s much easier to replace that shackle with the spare one from your toolkit than with the spare one from someone else’s toolkit, especially if they have already left the dock! Before you hit the road, consider what you need to take care of your boat and bring it with you. It’s a pretty long list, but you can pack it once and take it with you many times. Different boats have different needs, but your kit might include:
- Standard hand tools: Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, pliers, vice grips, adjustable wrench, etc.
- A good knife
- Sharpie markers — black and other fun colors
Basic sail repair kit: Dacron stickyback, some ripstop nylon if you have a spinnaker, scissors- Boat tuning needs: measuring tape, rig tension tool, notebook for keeping track of your measurements
- Spare parts kit — choose a few sizes of each in the range used by your boat: shackles, ring dings, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, and the like. Are there any bits that frequently fail or can fail without notice? (I’m thinking traveler leads on Lasers.) Are there other easy-to-transport pieces? Just bring a second one along!
- Gooey stuff and other liquids: silicon, 4200, 5200, acetone (stinky alert!), spray lubricant
- Boat wash and polish needs: soap, sponge, bucket, polish, rags
- Extra lines: You don’t need to bring along a spool of the stuff, but do you have a spare set of jib sheets? Extra tie-down lines? Bring ‘em.
- Source of fire (for burning/melting the ends of freshly cut lines) or liquid rope whipping (to solve the “fuzzies” on line that doesn’t take well to fire)
- Range of wet or dry sandpapers; sanding block
Make someone else’s day. The few sailors who travel with extra tools — above and beyond the standard kit above — are greatly appreciated by their friends in the boat park. While these tools and supplies aren’t used frequently, when they are, they’re critical:
- Cordless drill with charged battery
- Fiberglass and gelcoat repair kit, including mixing cups and stirrers (another stinky alert!—make sure you have these supplies bottled and bagged up to avoid fumes)
- Rivet gun and supplies
- Nicopress tool and supplies, including the proper sizes of sleeves
Are you flying, rather than driving, to your regatta destination? Lucky you! But be a savvy packer. The Transportation Security Administration details what you can bring on the plane with you in carry-on and checked bags. Check out their list at tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items. Note that aerosols are not allowed to fly. Still want things to slide? Here’s a great tip: Spray McLube into contact lens holders, and let it evaporate; it will leave behind a residue. Then when you want to use it, just use your fingers to apply the “solid” version.
by Kim Couranz
