"What you need to know before you go"
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Spare Parts & Supplies for Offshore Sailing
The further you sail away from your local hardware store, and the longer you stay out, the more you'll have to be self-reliant with parts and spares. Even if you're not a hands-on type of person, having the proper parts for a mechanic to install can make the difference between being stuck and being able to continue the voyage.
The following checklists cover parts and spares for a typical cruising sailboat on an extended voyage to the Caribbean. Consider adding to this list if you're going on an extended voyage beyond the reach of any mechanic.
Knowing the condition of your boat, particularly its strengths and weaknesses, will also help you to select appropriate spare parts for a voyage.
The parts and supplies on the following list are the most commonly carried items. They have been included because they support critical systems and/or because they re prone to failure. This list may be more comprehensive than what you need. Assess your boat, destination and current inventory of parts then decide if it's worth the expense and storage space these parts take up.
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Item |
Link to Detail |
| Anchoring Gear Spares | ||
| Spare anchor (in case of loss of primary anchor) | ||
| Spare anchor rode (in case of loss of primary anchor rode) | ||
| Spare shackles to fit anchor chain | ||
| Spare chafing gear | ||
| Communication Spares | ||
| Spare battery pack or batteries for handheld VHF | ||
| Emergency/spare antenna for main VHF | ||
| Cooking | ||
| Spare LPG solenoid (they seem to last for only 3-5 years before rusting out) | ||
| Crew Safety | ||
| Rearming kit(s) for inflatable PFD's | ||
| Damage Control Supplies | ||
| 1/4" plywood - four 2' x 4' pieces (store under bunks) | ||
| 1" aluminum bar stock and 1" aluminum angle iron - two 4' pieces | ||
| Assortment of adhesives: 3M's 4200 (fast-set version of 5200), epoxy, silicone sealer , crazy glue | ||
| Quick-set underwater epoxy | ||
| Duct tape, wire ties, whipping twine, monel seizing wire | ||
| 1/8" thick sheet of gasket rubber - one 1' square sheet | ||
| Hoses in 1/4" (fuel), 1/2" and 5/8" (water), 1" and 1 1/4" (engine/heater hose). | ||
| Hose clamps (assorted sizes) | ||
| Dewatering | ||
| Rebuild kit for primary bilge pump or spare primary bilge pump | ||
| Hose clamps to fit bilge pump hoses | ||
| Diesel Engine Spares & Supplies | ||
Engine Consumables |
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| Antifreeze - several gallons - enough to fill the fresh-water loop with a 50/50 water/coolant mix . | ||
| Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) or similar - as recommended by the manufacturer for your transmission. | ||
| Biocide to add to fuel at each fill-up | ||
| Cetane booster to add to fuel at each fill-up | ||
| Engine oil, filters, filter wrench, hand pump and empty 1 gal jugs. Enough oil for at least 1 oil change, plus extra to replace burned oil . | ||
| Fuel filters - 6 spare primary filters and 2 spare secondary filters. | ||
| Zincs - shaft zincs (2) and engine zincs (1 set) | ||
Spare Parts |
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| Alternator & regulator. If you don't bring a spare alternator, consider bringing an alternator rebuild kit consisting of bearings, brushes and diodes. | ||
| Cooling system: thermostat and gasket set , pressure cap | ||
| Fresh water pump and gasket kit | ||
| Fuel lift pump and gasket set | ||
| Hoses - complete set of cooling system hoses and clamps | ||
| Impellers (2 or more) for raw water pump | ||
| Jumper cables | ||
| Packing to fit propeller shaft stuffing box | ||
| Raw water impeller, gasket kit and spare screws for cover plate | ||
| "Shop" manual for the engine | ||
| Starter motor | ||
| V-belts - 2 complete sets | ||
| Drinking Water | ||
| Spare water pressure pump | ||
| Electrical System Spares | ||
| Wire - 25' or 50' spools of #12 wire in black, yellow and red | ||
| Terminal fittings for wire | ||
| Spare fuses to fit all equipment on board | ||
| Solder | ||
| Head | ||
| Spare parts / rebuilt kit | ||
| Outboard Motor and Related Items | ||
| Fuel filter (in line) or fuel filter element | ||
| Impeller for cooling water | ||
| Spare prop and shear pin(s) | ||
| Spark plug(s) and spark plug wrench | ||
Plumbing Spares and Supplies |
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| Water hose (usually 1/2" OD) 25' | ||
| Water filter elements | ||
| S[are water pressure pump | ||
| Tubing joiners (male to male barbed ends) 1/2" and 5/8" sizes | ||
| Sail and Rigging Repair Kit | ||
| Patching: heavy duty scissors, spare sailcloth material (a 3' x 12' piece is good for most needs), roll of sail repair tape 3" wide | ||
| Sail sewing kit: - six heavy-duty needles - two spools of #4 whipping twine - needle nose pliers - sailmakers palm - spare sailcloth for patches - sail repair tape (adhesive) - dacron thread |
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| Spare sail slides | ||
| Spare batten (as long as longest batten in main) | ||
| Winch repair kit - spare pawls and springs | ||
| Self Steering / Autopilot | ||
| Hydraulic oil for autopilot ram - check owner's manual for recommended viscosity. | ||
| Spare drive belts (2) for autopilot (wheel type) | ||
| Spare wind vane for wind-driven self steering units | ||
| Steering | ||
| Spare parts for mechanical steering: wire, nicropress fittings (or cable clamps) sheave(s), | ||
| Hydraulic oil (for hydraulic steering systems) - enough for one complete refill | ||
| Standing Rigging | ||
| Swageless fittings (e.g. Norseman or Sta-lok) - 2 fittings to match each size of wire on your rig. Remember, shrouds and stays are usually different sizes. | ||
| Spare turnbuckles (2 of each size) | ||
Supplies are items that are consumed during the normal course of living aboard and cruising. Periodically review this checklist to make sure you have enough of these items stocked aboard.
Adhesives & Sealants |
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| Adhesives: Crazy Glue, 10-minute epoxy, West system epoxy & cloth, 5200, 4200 quick set, Silicone caulking | Note: adhesives have a fixed shelf life. Don't use old adhesives - they won't set up properly. | |
| Sealants: Life-caulk, Life-caulk liquid, Silkaflex, | ||
| Drinking Water | ||
| Spare filter elements for sediment | ||
| Spare filter elements for taste filter @ faucet(s) | ||
| Household bleach for sanitizing (Don't use if you have aluminum tanks!) | ||
Fasteners |
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| #16 Whipping Twine (waxed) | ||
| Assortment of stainless steel nuts, bolts and washers | ||
| Assortment of stainless steel screws (wood screws and self-tapping screws) | ||
| Assortment of stainless steel canvas snap parts | ||
| Assortment of wire ties | ||
| Head | ||
| Holding tank deodorizer (blue liquid) | ||
| Toilet Tissue (marine or RV type that breaks down easily) | ||
| Vegetable oil - use to lubricate head every week | ||
Lubricants / Solvents / Etc. |
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| 3-in-1 oil | ||
| Acetone (1qt, preferably in heavy plastic container that won't rust) | ||
| Anhydrous Lanolin - for turnbuckles | ||
| Boeshield corrosion blocker (or similar) | ||
| Form-a-gasket compound | ||
| Graphite lubricant | ||
| Grease gun with end to fit common grease zercs | ||
| Loc-Tite thread locker (both red and blue varieties) | ||
| PB Blaster (for freeing frozen parts) | ||
| Silicone spray | ||
| Winch grease (do NOT use regular grease!) | ||
| Navigation | ||
| Spare batteries for handheld GPS | ||
| Personal Gear | ||
| Rubber gloves for protection while scrubbing hull | ||
| Nitrile gloves for working on greasy engine (dyed diesel fuel stains your skin) | ||
| Safety goggles | ||
| Rigging | ||
| Monel seizing wire | ||
| Riggers tape (white, self-bonding tape) | ||
| Tape | ||
| Duct tape | ||
| Masking tape | ||
| Riggers tape (white, self-bonding tape) | ||
| Strapping tape (for bundling things together & emergency repairs) | ||
| "X-treme" brand tape for repairing broken hoses, etc. | ||
Links to Outside Resources
The following links provide links to further reading, manufacturers websites and more information on "how to"
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Item |
Link to Detail |
| Topic | ||
| Topic | ||
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