Must-Have Tools For Boat Maintenance
As the proud owner of a boat, you’ll always want to make sure that it’s in good working order. You’ve made such a big investment in it, after all, so it only makes sense to do everything you can to maintain your craft.
In order to do anything on your boat, you’ll want to make sure that you have the correct tools for each job. Andersen Boat of Burnt Hills is proud to be your New York boat dealer. We’ve gathered together this list of must-have tools to help you with your boat maintenance tasks.
Rigging Knife and/or Scissors
No matter the size of your boat, you’ll always get some use out of a good, sharp knife or pair of scissors. A rigging knife can help you to trim nets, slice lines, cut gaskets and undo knots. The best materials are stainless steel or titanium, since they’ll resist corrosion. Lightweight knives can float, which will prevent you from losing them if they fall overboard.
Battery Terminal Puller
Working on your boat’s battery means that you’ll need to have the proper tool to work on the terminals. You don’t want to strip them, so a battery terminal puller is needed to give you the strength you need to loosen terminal bolts. These tools are very affordable and always handy to have to help you get battery work done quickly.
Sailor’s Multitool
The market has a number of different types of multitools available that are versatile and loaded up with handy devices to help you with boat maintenance. Some common features include paint scrapers, zipper pulls, can or bottle openers, blades, marlin spikes, rope cutters and a hex-nut wrench. Go with stainless steel to resist rust.
Moisture Meter
Living on your boat full-time or spending a great deal of time on it will mean that you’ll want to ensure that you’re keeping tabs on the moisture levels. A moisture meter can offer you a fast digital reading of the moisture levels and humidity in your boat to assist you in resolving any issues and preventing mold or mildew from building up. These nuisances can really do damage to many things on your boat like the vinyl covering on your seats or on carpeting, and they create noxious smells in addition to being a health hazard.
Adjustable Face-Spanner Wrench
Need to access the deck plates on your boat? Get an adjustable face-spanner wrench that’s made from stainless steel. Use this wrench to access your boat’s sea strainer, fuel fill and water fill caps. You can also use the wrench to perform maintenance on your craft’s outboard motor.
Jumper Cables
You might keep a set of jumper cables in your car’s trunk to give your engine’s battery some juice if it shorts out. You can also use jumper cables on your boat to hook up a secondary battery, jump your own battery or give another boat’s battery a jump if their craft has stalled. You should try to get a quality set that isn’t going to wear out. Make sure the jumper cables can provide your battery with sufficient power to get it going once again.
We hope this list helps you to fill out your boat maintenance tool kit so you can keep your current boat working great all year long. Looking to invest in a new boat instead? Come on down to our Burnt Hills location to check out our current selection of new and used boats for sale in many styles. We even offer financing options to help you get the boat of your dreams! You can also visit our pro shop for boat equipment or boat parts. Andersen Boat proudly serves the cities of Saratoga Springs and Schenectady, New York.