Even if you don’t do your own maintenance, all boaters need some basic boat tools in their marine tool kits to help them out of a jam. Of course, if you plan to do your own maintenance or a portion of your own maintenance, you’ll need to be a bit better equipped.
This article addresses the essentials needed for your at-home and on-boat marine tool kit. Some items on these lists are relatively self-explanatory; however, some boat tools or the reasons for their inclusion in a boat toolbox might not be as obvious to a more recent boat owner or a boat owner just becoming before involved in DIY maintenance.
We’ve even included a pro tip from a veteran professional marine mechanic.
Onboard Marine Tool Kits
So which boat tools should you have onboard? The following are our recommendations and the reasons behind them. Of course, the tools you should have onboard are significantly dictated by the type of boating you do. As a practical matter, a near-shore, freshwater boater needs fewer tools than an off-shore boater. While a problem close to the shore can be an annoyance, a problem off-shore might be a whole different matter.
- Fuel filter wrench—good idea to have on board if you get enough water or debris in your fuel system that a fuel filter change becomes necessary.
- Adjustable band filter wrench—you may need to change your fuel/water separating filter if you have water in your system or if you got some bad gas at the marina. US marinas nearly always sell high-quality filtered gasoline, but marines in the Bahamas are notorious for selling contaminated gasoline.
- Prop nut wrench—carrying this wrench only makes sense if you carry a spare prop. Many boaters carry a spare inexpensive aluminum prop in case they spin a hub or bend a blade so severely that it wobbles.
- Deck fill key/deck plate key/spanner wrench—these universal tools are designed to open all types and sizes of deck fill lids and shackles. Many of these tools also include bonus tools like bottle openers. Perfect for a cold one after fishing.
- All-purpose toolkit—if you have room on your boat, all-purpose toolkits can come in handy. Just keep in mind, Yamaha outboards will use all metric tools, while Mercury Marine uses a combination of metric and standard.
- Pliers—channel lock, standard, and needle nose
- Leatherman–a very helpful all-purpose tool.
- Rigging knife
- Serrated knife—for cutting rope, your all-purpose tool might include a serrated blade.
- Flashlight
- Emergency plug set—in case a leak manifests while you are out on the water.
- Battery booster pack
- Battery terminal cleaner
- Zip ties—because we all know that you can fix almost everything with zip ties and duck tape.
- Duck tape
Pro Tip from a Professional Marine Mechanic
"My onboard marine tool kit includes a basic adjustable wrench, a pair of pliers, and a couple of screwdrivers. I seal them in a vacuum sealing bag (like you would use for food storage), then cut the bag open when I occasionally need to access the tools while out on the water. Especially if you boat in saltwater, saltwater will corrode your tools if you don’t keep them oiled. Sealing my tools in a bag protects them."
At-Home Marine Tool Kits
Of course, the goal is to avoid as much on-boat maintenance as possible. Instead, you should do most of your maintenance on dry land in the comfort of your garage, marina, or boat yard. Here are our recommendations for the boat tools to have on hand.
Essential Boat Tools
- Oil filter wrenches
- Fuel filter wrench
- Propeller nut wrench
- Hex or Allen wrenches
- Combination wrench set—Yamaha will use all metric tools, Mercury uses a combination of standard and metric.
- Short socket set—Yamaha will use all metric tools, Mercury uses a combination of standard and metric.
- Spark plug socket / deep socket set
- Socket extension(s)—will need these extensions for tasks like accessing the trim tab anode bolt.
- Screwdriver bit set
Miscellaneous Items for Your Marine Took Kit
- Circuit test/multimeter voltage tester
- Metal brushes
- Wire cutters & crimper
- Mechanical fingers/mechanical pickup tool—for those annoying situations like when you drop the screw in your oil drain pan.
- Lighter
- Flashlight
- Knives
- Battery booster pack—you likely don't need two of these but can be handy both on and off your boat
- Battery terminal cleaner
- Hammer—well, because sometimes you need to whack something. However, a hammer should not be the tool of choice for most boat repair or boat maintenance tasks.
- Zip ties—again, because few problems cannot be solved with zip ties and duck tape.
- Duck tape
Having the proper marine tool kits at the ready—both on and off your boat—is critically important if you will be doing some of your own boat maintenance. Additionally, having the correct tools on board your boat will both help you out of a jam and increase boating safety. We hope these tips helped and we wish you nothing but happy boating and fun on the water.
