It is my contention that the difference between a house and a boat is that if something breaks at sea, you have three choices 1) fix it, 2) replace it, or 3) do without it. At home, you call the plumber. At sea, you need some basic tools to survive if you don 't want to do without.

In my opinion, WD-40 and duct tape are two essentials. According to the old adage, "If it doesn 't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn 't, use duct tape." WD-40 restored our frozen steering column mid-Atlantic and duct tape held our dodger together in a gale when it broke apart.

According to one interesting website, WD-40, duct tape and vice grips can handle almost any household job. http://artofmanliness.com/2012/03/12/the-walt-kowalski-toolbox/. But what about on a boat?

What 's your favorite use for WD-40 and duct tape? And are there other secret or not-so-secret weapons in your arsenal?


Other secret weapons: gorilla glue, liquid wrench, barkeeper 's friend...

Vice Commodore, OCC 

In the absence of Selley 's All-Clear Sealant, the way to get Sikaflex to last in the tube is to cover the end tightly in cling film and keep it in the fridge (if you have one).

Smelly heads. When you get the eggy smell, close seacock, disconnect the input hose at the seacock, pump out and then fill with bleach solution, pumping it through the system. Fill to brimful again, thumb over end and reconnect to the seacock and leave for a few hours. Open seacock. Eggy smell gone for more than 3 months.

Squeaky heads. Forget pouring oil down every day. Take the top of the pump off (together with plunger), and smear cylinder sides and plunger O-ring with Vaseline (petroleum jelly). The heads will be a joy to pump (no more blisters on the hands) for about three months.

Tim Barker, S/Y Mina2