Spares & Tools for Cruising the Great Lakes

[Stu Jackson]

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You don't change your oil or coolant at sea, during the Summer, or on a cruise.  Leave them home and bring an extra blanket and pillow. 
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I do not believe this is true at all.

I have always carried fluids of all kinds with me, even though I had a pretty good sized dock box back in San Francisco and none here (18 years there and four here).  Oil, coolant, ATF, cleaners, wax, distilled water, etc.  You name it, I have it.  And it is all in the port locker in a few plastic crates, with plenty of room left over for lines, boat hooks, brushes and the ubiquitous bucket.

I call it our "Toxic Waste Dump." 

One should regularly check all fluids: oil, coolant, and battery water for sure.

Say you have a small leak, from either a loose hose clamp (that somehow loosened itself --- there's a REASON the Critical Upgrades topic recommends checking your engine while it's running!) or a frayed hose end, and your coolant is low.  It happens.

I was cruising in the San Juan Islands a couple of years ago and discovered an oil leak.  I wrote it up as a Tech Note last year in Mainsheet magazine.  I had to replace a stud on my raw water pump.  There was oil all over the place.  But I had oil with me that allowed me to get home (a five hour motor trip), and do the repair in my slip.

I check my battery water regularly, and almost always have to add a little distilled water because when you use your boat you are using your batteries, and charging always bubbles off a bit of battery acid - this is basic chemistry 101.

If you are going on a cruise, you should/must/better take what you need with you.  It ain't gonna help you if it's sitting in your garage at home or in your dock box 50 miles away. 

And an extra pillow isn't gonna help, either.

I often say "Your boat, your choice."    In this case, this doesn't apply.  In this case, best practice says take it with you, 'cuz you might need it, and if you do need it and you don't have it, you are simply SOL.  Which is a rather stupid place to be.

[ewengstrom]

I'm also on the side of having extra fluids on the boat.
Several years ago while pulling into an anchorage and preparing to slow as I approached the anchor boat I slipped the gearbox into reverse on my then Yanmar and heard a rather weird grinding noise. Turns out the nut that held the coupling onto the output shaft of the gearbox had somehow loosened itself and backed off to the point that the whole coupling pulled right out of the back of the transmission. The collar of the PSS shaft seal kept the prop shaft from sliding too far back but it did slide back far enough that the entire gearbox emptied itself into the bilge.
Reattaching the coupling took about an hour (+,-) but I had no extra transmission fluid on the boat and I was in a remote anchorage about 15 miles from our dock. Transmission fluid was the ONE item I didn't have...and it was the one item I needed!!!! AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!
I keep spares just as Stu mentioned, and I check my fluids and fittings regularly too (including the coupling) , it's just good insurance against the next showing of Murphy and his darn law.....

[Jim Hardesty]

The reason for all the oil is that the manual says to change every 100 hours. While I hope to motor as little as possible, I figured with prevailing westerlies, I could be due for a change part way through the journey.

I'm not that much of a sailing purist, only plan on sailing half the time on a cruise.  Like to keep the speed at least 3kn and eta before 5 if I'm going to a yacht club or marina, unless it's a place I know well. Often I'll motor sail for speed and comfort.  During long cruises I've done oil changes.  Can't depend on where you decide to do the oil change that they will have a place for the used oil and filter, so need to plan to carry the old oil. Not ideal but sometimes I only do an change oil, not filter, can store used oil in my oil extractor but don't want to deal with the filter. 
Jim

[Stu Jackson]

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During long cruises I've done oil changes.  Can't depend on where you decide to do the oil change that they will have a place for the used oil and filter, so need to plan to carry the old oil. Not ideal but sometimes I only do an change oil, not filter, can store used oil in my oil extractor but don't want to deal with the filter. 

Good points, Jim.  On our six week cruise to BC from SF, we did an oil change during the week we were tied up in Fort Bragg due to high winds.  Kept the filter, but changed the oil.  It's a very good trick I heard about from a fellow skipper.

Of course, my log actually says: "...forgot to change the filter after stowing all the oil change equipment..."

I'm willing to live with the "good trick" concept, if you'll let me.