Tool Buying Guide for the Cruising Sailor

One of the things we all love about boating is preparing and keeping the boat in perfect condition. Performing good maintenance to your boat minimizes the potential for serious breakdowns. You assume you will never have problems with your boat, but then reality hits. Things break, get blocked, oxidize, etc., etc., etc. 

Nowadays, boats are much more complex machines than they were a generation ago. Having a spare part aboard for everything that could break, is almost impossible, regardless of the size of your boat or the depth of your pocket.

Fortunately, an astonishing number of common repairs can be made with just a few basic tools.There are a few specialty items that will make fixes and routine maintenance so much easier.  In this article we will offer a short list of the most important tools to keep on board before heading out to open waters.  Having the right tools makes boat maintenance or repair jobs a lot easier and can make all the difference in your boating experiences. 

The following is a list of supplies we recommend you have to keep your boat in great working condition, and also in preparation for unexpected mechanical failures while out in the water.

1. FUSES

Blown fuses are a common problem.  It’s important to keep your spare fuses away from water, and safe from vibration or shock damage.

2. JUMPER/BOOSTER CABLES 

3. WRENCH SET

A set of wrenches (some metric and some SAE) that covers both systems with no overlap.These wrenches are invaluable for tightening nuts and battery connectors.

4. RATCHETS AND SOCKETS

Should you need to change a fuel filter, or repair the hatch on your boat, these are always a good idea to have around.If you own a small boat, you’ll do just fine with an 11-piece set, which will still give you options, yet save space.

5. TELESCOPING MIRROR AND CLAW RETRIEVAL TOOLS

A telescoping mirror will help you fix what you can’t see, and the claw retrievals can help you reach deep and come back with the lost loot.

6. ASSORTED PLIERS

An assortment of pliers is also recommended to have on hand, including locking pliers and snap-on pliers. Pliers can solve most problems a wrench won’t.

7. ELECTRICAL TAPE: 

A few rolls of electrical tape can be used to make emergency repairs to wiring, as well as having many other uses.  Gaffer tape is stronger than electrical tape, but isn’t suited for use on wiring repairs.  This is why electrical tape is a must.

8. FOLDABLE KNIFE

9. A FEW LARGE, HEAVY TOOLS

Also recommended are a 3-pound sledgehammer, a set of 16-inch arc-joint pliers, and a giant screwdriver. If traveling afar, add a full set of 1/2-inch drive sockets (with a long-handle U-joint ratchet), and an open-end wrench big enough to fit the flexible mounts on your engine(s).  Remember, if you have a mechanic flying in, send him or her an accurate list so travel can be as light as possible.

Please remember to always keep these tools on board the boat, even for the shortest trips. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.  Even if you are handy with the tools, an engine that is experiencing, electrical issues or some other major mechanical issue will more than likely require major surgery in a marine repair hop. Luckily, the increasing popularity of recreational boating has led to the widespread growth of specialized service centers along popular world cruising routes.

Whether you are on your way north, or sailing down south to the Bahamas, you can access our location at Harbortown Marina through the convenient and easy navigational Fort Pierce Inlet.You can rest at ease knowing you are leaving your boat in the hands of the only fully staffed, sail rigging department in the Ft. Pierce area. 

Can’t get to us? 

No problem. We will quickly come to you and safely deliver your boat to our top notch marine facilities.

Whiticar and Shearwater Marine also offers all of our professional services remotely. We will actually come to your dock or marina to service your vessel. We will provide, deliver, and install the quality OEM parts your vessel requires.

For larger repairs, we can remove engines, generators, or other miscellaneous systems. We will bring them back to our facilities for full repair, and then reinstall them to maintain the highest quality service for your vessel.

Our technicians have extensive knowledge and training to assist you with your boating needs.

For more information, feel free to contact Whiticar Boat yard at (772) 287-2883 or visit our website http://whiticar.com/

HAULING OUT CATAMARANS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

By Capt. Jeff Werner



After spending almost a quarter century under sail, cruising catamarans are my favorite boats. As a professional captain, I have crossed oceans and seas on monohulls, catamarans and trimarans of all sizes, but it is always aboard a cat I am most happy to be at the helm. 

With the ownership of a cruising catamaran comes the responsibility of maintenance, and that responsibility includes annual haul outs. Finding a boatyard or marina with the capability to lift a wide beam vessel can be a daunting task. My unscientific survey of sailing catamarans 40- to 45-foot LOA revealed the average beam is 23 feet, with a loaded displacement of 17 tons. From 45- to 49-foot LOA, the numbers average 25 feet and 18 tons. And 50- to 54-foot LOA are 26 and a half feet and 25 tons in weight. You get the picture. Hauling out a sailing cat is not about weight; it's all about beam. 

Fortuitously, from Fort Pierce to Key West there is quite a election of full service locations to haul out a cat of at least a 23-foot beam for repair and maintenance. Owners of increasingly popular power catamarans, or sailing cats'with air drafts less than 54 feet, can take advantage of the boat yards tucked away behind low bridges.

Harbortown Marina in Ft. Pierce is located along the ICW just north of downtown. For sailing catamarans with masts taller than the ICW fixed bridged clearance of 65 feet, Harbor­town Marina has direct access to the Atlantic Ocean through Ft. Pierce Inlet, less than three miles away. Their 150-ton Trav­elift will haul out cats with a maximum beam of 26 feet. 772- 466-7300 harbortownmarina-fortpierce.com

Head south along the ICW to Manatee Pocket at Stuart to find the South Florida boat yard for Hinckley Yacht Services. It has easy access from the ocean via St. Lucie Inlet; just watch out for the strong currents and shifting sandbars at the junction of the inlet and the ICW. Although Hinckley's heritage embraces building fine monohull cruising sailboats, the Hinckley brand has grown in the past 20 years to include jet drive picnic boats and runabouts with classic lines and superior craftsmanship. The maximum beam Hinckley's 150-ton Travelift can accommo­date is 25 feet. 772-287-0923; hinckleyyachts.com

Cruise west from Manatee Pocket along the Okeechobee Waterway to American Custom Yachts. This boatyard is located at marker Red "46" just east of the St. Lucie Lock, and sits between two fixed bridges. There are several fixed bridg­es on the way from Manatee Pocket, with the lowest_ vertical clearance being 54 feet. If your mast is short enough to clear that Palm City Bridge, American Custom Yachts can use their 150-ton Travelift to put the straps around catamarans of up to 27-foot beam. 772-286-2835; americancustomyachts.com

The north end of the Gold Coast is the home of Rybovich. Their marine centers in West Palm Beach and Riviera Beach are located just south and north of Peanut Island along the ICW. Entering the ICW from Lake Worth Inlet avoids any bridge clearance problems. The newer Rybovich yard at Riviera Beach (561-863-4126) will accommodate cats up to a 26-foot beam on their 150-ton Travelift. The original West Palm Beach yard (561-844-1800) has a massive 660-ton Travelift, capable of handling cats up to 35-foot beam.

Heading up the New River past downtown Fort Lauderdale offers a variety of haul out possibilities. Before heading up river, however, one must remember the bascule drawbridges are locked down during morning and afternoon rush hours from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Once through the William H. Marshall Memorial Bridge, just beyond the bend on the river that is home to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, continue on and choose the South Fork of the New River. 

Just before reaching the I-95 fixed bridge, note the Lauderdale Marine Center on the south bank. Lauderdale Marine Center is a combination full service and do-it-yourself boat yard encompassing 50 acres of land. It is a popular superyacht repair facility and its 300-ton Travelift can haul out catamarans up to 30-foot beam. 954-713-0333; lauderdalemarinecenter.com

To go upriver beyond the I-95 bridge, sailing catamarans must first negotiate the vertical clearance of 55 feet for that bridge. If your mast fits under that bridge, access to the boat yards along Marina Mile (State Road 84) is open.

Billfish Marina is the first haul out facility on State Road 84, and also has the smallest Travelift with catamaran capabilities. At 70 ton, it will lift a maximum of 23.5-foot beam, which is more than adequate for a 40-foot LOA cat. 954-587-6226; billfishmarina.com

Continuing west find Roscioli Yachting Center, a shipyard that has been in existence for 40 years and was completely renovated in 2008. It now has a 352-ton mobile lift capable of hauling out a catamaran with a maximum beam of 28 feet. 954-581-9200; rycshipyard.com

Source: Hauling Out Catamarans in South Florida, All At Sea - The Caribbean's Waterfront Magazine