Fasteners & Accessories

Fasteners and Accessories for Boats - Resources & Information

For marine applications, fasteners are mechanical devices that are used to hold two or more objects together. Some common types of fasteners you’ll find on boats include hose clamps, canvas fasteners, bolts, machine screws, and rivets.

PartsVu offers a complete selection of Fasteners & Accessories from OEM manufacturers and trusted aftermarket suppliers. Whether you need fastener kits, fastener hardware, and all the specialty tools to make installation easy, PartsVu has what you need to get the job done. 

Need help servicing your boat and outboard engine? PartsVu regularly publishes helpful how-to guides and other valuable maintenance information to help boaters properly service their boats and engines. Browse our outboard maintenance blog for a wide range of relevant topics and see the FAQ section below, covering everything you need to know about maintaining your boat in confidence.

Fasteners & Accessories FAQ

What should I know about Fasteners & Accessories?

Here’s some info you need to know about Fasteners & Accessories:

• Because of the harsh marine environment, it’s important to choose marine hardware and fasteners made from materials that are resistant to corrosion and can withstand the rigors of being used in a marine environment. This typically means using stainless steel, brass, or other corrosion-resistant alloys. These materials are able to withstand exposure to saltwater, sun, and other harsh conditions without rusting or deteriorating. .
• It is important to use high-quality marine hardware to ensure that your boat is safe and reliable. Avoid using hardware unless it is specifically rated for marine applications. While many boaters believe that they can use regular fasteners and accessories in areas not directly in contact with the outside, such as the cabin, moisture can still seep in and degrade the strength of fasteners (especially during long-term storage and winterization).
• A good method to preserve your marine fasteners is to periodically spray any exposed surfaces with an anti-corrosion sealant. These products, like CRC Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor, coat exposed metals to prevent moisture from chemically reacting to salt spray and high humidity. When periodically servicing your boat and outboard engine(s), generously spray each exposed fastener, as well as other exposed surfaces on metal surfaces, electrical connections, steering & throttle linkages, and more.
• If you’re beginning to notice that fasteners aren’t holding like they originally did, it may be time to remove and replace these fasteners. Be careful and slowly remove these fasteners to prevent stripping the heads of fasteners or tearing away any connected material. When replacing the fasteners, it’s also a good idea to see how much material is left - installing a new screw of the size, for instance, may not hold as well (if at all), so you may need to install a slightly larger size to achieve a tighter bond. 

What are the most common types of fasteners I should have onboard my boat?

• Hose Clamps
• Snap Fasteners
• Cotter Pin
• Flat Head Wood Screws
• Lag Screws
• Carriage Bolts
• Wing Nuts
• Lock Washers
• Blind Rivets
• Stainless Tee Nuts
• Locknuts
• Acorn Cap Nuts
• Eye Nuts Stainless
• Angle Mount Hold Down Clamp 
• Cotter Ring 

What outboard engine tools should I have onboard?

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.

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 marinas 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.
• Toolkit—if you have room on your boat, all-purpose toolkits can come in handy. 
• 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 duct tape.
• Duct tape

What’s a common source of vibration on my outboard motor? 

One common source of outboard engine vibration can be an alignment issue with your harmonic balancer. 

Without getting too technical, there are specific operation frequencies that are more resonant than others. When outboard motor(s) are attached to a hollow boat, the resonance can create vibrations that seem to only appear at certain speeds or times. 

To understand this quirk of physics, you may notice specific notes when you sing in the shower are more resonant than others. The idea is that certain frequencies – measured in hertz (Hz) – can vibrate to the hollow body of your boat in the same way that a string strung across a guitar does. 

You may notice that this type of harmonic resonance goes away with just a little more or less throttle. Often, it will only occur when you hit certain “sweet spots.” This is an inherent quirk of reciprocating engines. The problem with unwanted vibrations of this sort is that they can vibrate fasteners loose over time, exacerbating the problem and creating a less seaworthy vessel. 

However, there are a few tell-tale signs of a harmonic balancer out of balance. To see if this is the cause of your vibrations, exactly double the RPMs where the vibrations occur (e.g., if the vibration occurs at 1,000 RPMs, throttle to 2,000 RPMs). If the engine vibrates there too, that’s your cause. At higher RPMs, the vibration will be less pronounced but still present. The same goes when your RPMs are tripled, quadrupled, etc. Similarly, you may notice more violent vibrations at half the RPMs. 

What are canvas fasteners used for?

Canvas fasteners are a type of fastener that is specifically designed to hold canvas material together. Marine canvas fasteners are typically made from durable materials, such as brass or stainless steel, and are designed to be strong and long-lasting. 

Boat canvas fasteners are typically featured in covers for boat seats and cushions, the sails for sailboats, and the bimini top, which is a type of canopy that provides shade on deck. Canvas is also used to make awnings and enclosures for boats, such as cockpit covers and dodgers, which provide protection from the elements. In addition, canvas is often used as a backing material for boat cushions and other items to add strength and support.