Tools - a subject that is near and dear to the hearts of those of us whose job description is BMW (boat maintenance worker). On board Zia, I am the family toolmaster. I keep a stash of everyday tools in the nav station. A multiple headed screwdriver, small adjustable wrench, razor knife, pliers and of course the star of quick fixes, my trusty Leatherman. I wasn't always a fan of this handy little tool; I used to think of it as more of a cute toy than a tool. But back when we were getting Zia ready to cruise, a friend helped me install a holding tank monitor. Pretty much the only tool that he used was his Leatherman. He looked like he was flipping a switchblade knife when he changed the functions of the tool. He even used it to saw a hole in a cabinet to mount the panel. I was converted. I now keep two of them in easy reach on the boat. My two young "assistants" have seen me use my Leatherman so often that Santa Claus actually left one for each of them last year.

Family Leatherman collection.

When a major job beckons, I pull out my tool bag. It is one of those big canvas bags with pockets inside and out - it must weigh 25 lbs. I keep my tool bag in my "workshop" within easy grasping distance of the hatch. There have been days when I wish I kept it more available inside of the boat since I have to walk - or crawl, as the weather dictates - to the foredeck hatch to retrieve it. Unfortunately I was overruled when I tried usurping part of our hanging locker for my toolbag. I like the canvas bag since it will mold itself somewhat into various places if need be. I have gotten it wet a couple of times, whereupon I've had to empty it out and clean and oil all of the contents.

I also keep a small arsenal of power tools that run off of our Mastervolt 2500 watt inverter. A skill saw, sander/polisher a rechargeable drill and dremmel. Two of my favorite tools are my new butane soldering iron, very handy for use up in the rig or anywhere that electricity is not easily available. I also carry a cool set of very useful vice grips with a chain on the jaws to get a firm grip on large and unwieldy things. And although not officially a tool, I love my wet/dry vac. If you need to clean a bilge or engine room, a wet/dry vac makes a nasty job a lot more tolerable - no more wringing smelly sponges into a bucket.

I am always on the lookout for useful tools. In Spain I found a great adjustable wrench that has a little gauge on it that tells you the size, in millimeters, of the opening.

We have found that most cruisers have no problem at all lending and borrowing tools. More often than not, when you borrow a tool, you can borrow the tool owner as well.