What to do with spares??

[windmill29130]

I have to disagree with every part of this - except the point about having necessary tools and knowledge!

Many spares come with single-use installation bits like crush-washers and gaskets. Using them up just for the sake of "testing" them is clearly counter-productive, and then you have the issue of whether the (often hard to source) installation bit is exactly the right size.

But what I most love about spares is what they can tell me about the installed part. How many times have you gotten all the bolts / screws off of something and it still won't separate? If you have the spare - evening a NON-WORKING spare! - you can find out if there's some hidden fastener you're missing - or whether it really is time to give the thing a whack to free it. The spare also lets you stage ahead of time. How much is that starter going to weigh when I get it off? Damn, the replacement is 35 pounds - better get something ready to set it on and get in position to be able to take that much weight in hand.

And I'm also against disassembling and assembling things unnecessarily. Your boat isn't a prop in Bob Smith's "Diesel 101" class - if you drop something (perhaps even inside the engine!) you might end up with an even bigger problem. Many years back I installed a rebuilt Mercedes diesel engine in my car that failed at highway speed - it turns out that some extra gasket sealer had plugged an oil passage (fortunately it was the color used by the professional engine rebuilder, not the color of the partially-used tube that I used that was still in the trunk - I got a replacement engine without argument).

Every time you put a tool to something you run a risk (from negligible to appreciable) of rounding off / stripping / breaking / losing that or a related thing - and stripping / breaking / losing / mis-threading / mis-aligning on re-installation. And then there's the question of whether you are really going to test the new part under all the conditions that you know the take-out operated - extended idle, cold start at sub-freezing temperature, running at WOT.

You can adopt the maintenance regimen you are most comfortable with. Myself, I strongly prefer to not muck with things that don't need it.

I agree. Do what gives you peace of mind while cruising. I choose to have spares even though I have twin engines. I don't see much difference between a part being on my boat and a shelf at a parts store. My motto is: if it's not broke don't fix it.

 

[rwidman]

I think it's pointless to try and make a "one rule fits all" statement in regard to carrying spares and installing the new and keeping the old. I carry a brand new pump assembly for my Jabsco manual head. I certainly wouldn't want to install the new one and carry the used one as a spare.

Some of these points have been made, but we all operate our boats under different circumstances and we all have different levels of mechanical ability when it comes to diagnosing problems and replacing parts.

Another issue is trying to figure out what spare parts you need, the cost of the parts, and where to keep them on your boat. On about the fifth day of what is now a two month plus cruise I stripped the gears on my windlass. Should I have expected that? Should I have invested $700 to carry a spare in case it failed?

I ordered a replacement and had it sent to a marina I would be staying at.

The accumulator tank for the fresh water system failed. Who would have expected that? I borrowed the marina's loaner vehicle, went to West Marine and bought a replacement.

I do carry the usual filters, belts and impellers and I have a reasonably extensive tool set and the ability to use it.

 

[janice142]

I do carry the usual filters, belts and impellers and I have a reasonably extensive tool set and the ability to use it.

Having the tools is important, and having the shop manuals plus Calder's is imperative. I've fixed stuff simply by extrapolating what Calder said regarding diesels back when I had Beast.

Have I mentioned how nice it is to have a diesel?!

And being able to think "outside the box" sometimes helps too. The day before I was to leave I managed to dump the o-ring out of my water filter overboard. It sank like a rock.

Doggone thing won't pull water when air leaks in and I didn't want to by-pass it, though that was an option.

So, I took a pair of gloves, some teflon tape and made my own seal. It's not fancy -- it is "wrong" and (most important of all) it works. When I get to a Home Depot I'll buy another o-ring (or two)

Waiting to get to a store to buy the "perfect" thing isn't always a viable option. Sometimes I make do.

For the record: if I'd have had a way to buy an o-ring that Saturday night, I'd have done so. But I wasn't going to delay departure for something that functioned, albeit not with the proper o-ring.

 

[cafesport]

We bought a used boat with appropriate hours on her. We have decided to keep her and have added another 1000hours since purchase. We have purchased and stored the required maintenance spares for the next 2000 hours. We hate to wind up some place far away without the ability to perform routine maintenance to enjoy our trip,


Via iPhone.

 

[Art]

I carry lots of tools and spare parts aboard... matter o' fact, just in case a spare part not being correct, or a tool not available... I carry an entire spare drive line on each side of each pleasure cruiser I own.

 

[Bay Pelican]

I carry a large number of spares on board. Over the years I have bailed out a good number of other boaters who couldn't get what they needed quickly.

As far as being able to wait for a shipment, I have seen guys wait three weeks in the Bahamas for an item from Florida. In many of the Caribbean countries it takes at least a week for a simple item to be shipped, delivered to customs and cleared through customs, and that is with the very premium overnight FedEx and an item that is in stock.

 

[Northern Spy]

My boat is a floating toolbox and parts bin. Not necessarily because I need them, but because of my personality.

 

[angus99]

I'm just getting my arms around what came with our boat (also a Defever 44). The PO, also a fanatic, cycled his main engine impellers periodically with spares. He said it kept them from deforming in the pump housing and greatly lengthened their lives. The used ones he left me look like new, but I'm not sure I'll continue the practice.

 

[Art]

Six years ago... Raw water pump, sudden severe crack at pipe junction and heavy flow into bilge - bitch place to reach into on starboard engine. Boat ran fine on her port engine for rest of fun weekend outing on SF Bay Area. Replaced pump soon after. I do carry parts, and, appreciate twins for several reasons.