The following is an expanded gear list from Bill Biewenga’s article “The Bare Essentials” in the October 2011 issue of Blue Water Sailing.
| MECHANICAL |
| Toolboxes made of rigid but not brittle plastic, carpet or closed cell foam on bottom |
| Vice grips at least two sets, various sizes, some with slip-jointed jaws |
| Hammer |
| Mallet |
| Channel locks (large and medium) |
| Pliers, side cutters, needle-nose pliers |
| Wrenches (Open / box end set and adjustable crescent wrenches) |
| Filter wrench |
| Metric wrench set |
| Hot knife (listed elsewhere under sail repair kit or rigging) |
| Socket set (1/4″ and 1/2″ drive sets with rachet, U-joint & extension) |
| Metric Socket set |
| “Magic Fingers” long grasping tool or similar (long tweezers, etc.) |
| Small mirror to see things on far side of engine or other remote places |
| Hex keys (large and small sets) |
| Metric hex keys |
| Screw Driver set (large square shank) 3 Philips heads and at least 3 slotted |
| Screw Driver set (small) 2 ” ” ” ” ” 2 “ |
| Driver set with multiple Philips’ head, star, hex and other tips (see Wichard padeyes) |
| Impact driver (for older vessels or corrosion problems) |
| Fastener selection of screws, nuts & bolts, self-tappers, etc of various sizes |
| 2-4′ lengths of 1/2″ threaded rod with 16 nuts and washers for misc. repairs |
| Selection of various hoses (with inside equal to outside diameters) |
| Hose clamp selection |
| Spare PVC plumbing fittings for specific hoses or pipes |
| Glue for PVC plumbing |
| Teflon Tape |
| Reversible 12V pump with hoses to reach from spare fuel to tanks |
| Fuel jugs and/or fuel bladder for spare fuel |
| Funnel for fuel |
| Oil absorbant towels |
| Rags |
| Winch grease |
| Spare winch handles |
| Paintbrush for winch grease |
| Tooth brush for cleaning winches |
| Wash tubs for winch cleaning or other tasks |
| Hacksaw and 6 new blades |
| Files (large & small) |
| Grease gun |
| Silicon large tubes |
| 5200, Sikaflex and butyl rubber in tubes |
| WD-40 |
| Machine oil |
| D-9 Boeshield spray to prevent rust on tools |
| Lock-tite (red and blue strengths) |
| Never-sieze |
| Liquid Wrench |
| Cordless drill (Preferably impact drill such as Panasonic or other) |
| Drill Battery charger with spare batteries |
| Drill bits (large and small sets) |
| Tap & Die set |
| Canvas bucket tool bag for “grab & run” situations |
| Spare zincs for engine and prop shafts |
| ELECTRICAL |
| Jumper cables |
| Multitester |
| Batteries for: |
| Big Beam Spot Light |
| Running lights |
| Headlights/flashlights |
| GPS |
| Fuses for: |
| Instruments |
| Inverter |
| Water Maker |
| Bulbs for: |
| Running lights |
| Masthead lights |
| Interior lights |
| Compass |
| Soldering iron and solder |
| Heat Shrink Tubing |
| Electrical tape (8 rolls white & several rolls of various colors) |
| Cable ties, various lengths and sizes |
| Heat Gun |
| Wire cutters/crimpers/wire end fasteners |
| Spare wire of multiple gauges |
| Small tools |
| Jeweler”s screw drivers |
| Spot light, AC and Battery operated |
| Is there 12, 24, 110, or 220 volt sys., 50 or 60 Hz? |
| Small portable 12v inverter(s) |
| NAVIGATION |
| Note that ship’s papers are aboard |
| Charts: Overall of the trip, approach, harbor and “emergency stops”, paper & digital |
| Publications |
| Get copy of Navigation Rules |
| Create Ship’s Log |
| Reed’s |
| Coastal Pilot |
| Book on Celestial Navigation |
| Nautical Almanac |
| Selected Stars |
| Sight Reduction Tables |
| Medical Manual |
| Tide tables |
| Instrument manuals |
| Sextant |
| Check and stow |
| SSB |
| List of ITU channels |
| Check ships radio license |
| Set up account with WLO |
| Check accounting authority or billing for communications system |
| Emergency jumpers for SSB antenna |
| VHF (hard-wired and hand-held) |
| Binoculars |
| Handbearing compass |
| Case for pencils, markers, etc. |
| Pencils |
| Paper |
| Marking pens, black, highlighters, etc. |
| Plotting sheets |
| Paper for weather fax |
| Spare handheld GPS that will interface with laptop nav program |
| Spare batteries for handheld GPS (36 AA batteries) |
| Compass lights |
| Dividers/Parallels |
| Emergency VHF antenna |
| Emergency running lights |
| Backup software for nav program and communications programs |
| Notice: galley stove operation notice plaque |
| Notice: LPG locker notice plaque |
| Notice: MARPOL Garbage Discharge placard and Waste Management Notice |
| Notice: Oil Discharge placard |
| SAFETY ITEMS |
| Harnesses |
| Life jackets |
| Flare kit |
| 6 – 12 SOLAS Approved Red Parachute Flares |
| 6 SOLAS Approved Red Hand-held Flares |
| 1 SOLAS Approved Orange Smoke Canister |
| Water tight jugs / containers for flares, etc |
| Grab bag w/ handheld VHF, sea sickness med, sunscreen, food, water, lights, knife, etc. |
| Wooden Bung kit to plug through-hulls |
| Heaving Line |
| Air horn with spare air cannister |
| Bell |
| Bosun’s chair |
| Flash lights |
| Head lights |
| Stout buckets (3) |
| Bolt cutters |
| Medical kit and manual |
| Special medicines, pain killers, antibiotics, stored with prescriptions etc. |
| Hacksaw with 6 new blades |
| Fire extinguishers (4) |
| Fire blanket in Galley |
| EPIRB (registered) |
| Roving crash pump |
| Emergency notification list |
| Secure hatchboards, removeable from both inside & out |
| Man-overboard pole |
| MOM module |
| Serrated edged knife (Marashine or similar) |
| Lume sticks for emergency light |
| SAFETY KIT, DINGHY |
| VHF radio – handheld |
| Small flare kit |
| Dinghy anchor |
| Dinghy pump |
| Small tool kit (adjustable wrenches, screw-drivers, etc) |
| Cable & Lock |
| Flashlights (2 small halogen) with spare batteries |
| Small running lights. |
| Laser light signalling device |
| Water bottles (4) |
| Spare fuel |
| Spare shear pin for motor |
| SAIL REPAIR |
| Needles |
| Waxed Thread |
| Palm (reasonably comfortable fit without sharp edges) |
| Stickyback dacron for repairing spinnakers (large sheets) |
| Stickyback dacron for repairing spinnakers (4″ roll) |
| Stickyback heavy material (Kevlar / Carbon large sheets) |
| Stickyback heavy material (Kevlar or Carbon 4″ roll) |
| Sail Ties (10 each, 8′ long at least) |
| Pliers |
| Scissors |
| Hot knife |
| Hair dryer (either 110v or 220v, depending on vessel’s system) |
| Alcohol for drying sails |
| Various sizes of webbing (preferrably tubular) |
| Battens or splinting material |
| STRUCTURAL |
| Silcon tubes (large & small tubes) |
| 5200 tubes (large) |
| Sikaflex tubes (large) |
| Grease gun to accommodate large tubes |
| Sand paper (fine, medium and coarse grain) |
| Resin & hardener (in containers with pumps. i.e.: West System) |
| 3′ x 4′ sheet of fiberglass ab out 3 or 4 laminations thick, pliable |
| Bag of self taping sheet metal screws to screw down fiberglass “pad” listed above |
| Small epoxy tubes (injector type dispenser) |
| “Crazy Glue” or equivalent (2) |
| Rubber gloves (6 sets) |
| Cardboard mixing bowls & wooden stirring sticks |
| Medium sized paint brushes to brush on resin (4) |
| Fiberglass mat |
| Carbon fabric |
| Green or blue masking tape (2 rolls) wide and narrow rolls |
| Duct Tape (3 large rolls) |
| Acetone or other solvents and cleaners (Turpentine, Paint thinner, etc.) |
| Corrosion cleaner for stainless steel |
| SPARES |
| Impellers for cooling water |
| Shear pins for outboard |
| Engine start keys |
| Oil (enough for 6 oil changes – 3 each side in catamaran) |
| Filters: |
| Oil (At least 10 oil filters) |
| Racor filters (various micron level) |
| Fuel filters (at least 8 filters) |
| Water maker filters (6 each of various micron levels) |
| 2 empty jugs for old oil preferably with measurement on side |
| Air filters |
| WD-40/Boeshield/McLube |
| Fuel biocide |
| Fan / Refer / PTO belts |
| RIGGING |
| “Dog” (cable) clamps for boats with wire rigging or cables |
| Running rigging, check and inventory, note which are spares |
| Miscellaneous high tensile line for spares |
| High tensile “Loops” (8) |
| High tensile long (20′ or longer) misc. utility line (6) |
| Long, heavy duty block and tackle |
| Diamond braid |
| 200′ high-tensile (Vectran, Spectra or similar) messenger line |
| Sail ties (preferably tubular webbing cut to 8′ lengths) |
| Snatch blocks: inventory and check |
| Spare shackles & snap shackles |
| Steering cables spare set |
| Dock lines: 2-100′ lengths, 4-50′ lengths |
| 6 small fenders, 2 extra large fenders, 2 fender boards |
| Spare split pins, various sizes |
| Silicon |
| Self-amalgamating tape |
| White electrical tape (8 rolls) |
| Bungi cord (various gauges) |
| Hot knife |
| HOUSEHOLD ITEMS |
| Plates |
| Bowls (deep dish preferred for heavy weather) |
| Knives, forks & spoons |
| Serving and mixing bowls |
| Cups |
| Cups to use underway (large base, covered top, handle) |
| Glasses |
| Pots & pans |
| Knives |
| Cutting boards |
| Various cooking utensils, openers (can, wine, etc) |
| Lighters & Flame Sticks |
| Non-skid plastic pads for counters |
| Dish towels |
| Dish Rags, sponges, dish soap |
| Absorbant door mats |
| Tea kettle |
| Coffee pot |
| Thermos |
| Baskets for on-counter items, below sink items, fruit, vegatables, |
| Plastic containers with lids |
| Chairs |
| Pillows (bed & settee) |
| Sheets |
| Towels |
| Wash cloths |
| Blankets or comforters or sleeping bags |
| Fishing Gear (reels, lures, line, hooks, gaff, gloves, fillet knives) |
| Clothes pins |
| Deck brushes (2) |
| Dust pan and brush |
| Soft broom for interior |
| Chamoises (wipe down cloths – 2) |
| Deck Soap |