Boats large and small need care and attention.
Marine craft includes all waterborne vessels -- with or without engines -- made from several different types of material including wood, fiberglass and metal. There are so many different kinds of craft that many marine repair shops tend to specialize. Tools required in marine repair shops may vary from saws and hammers to large hoists and innovative apparatus.
Woodworking Tools
Richard Kolin's advice on useful tools for the mariner comes from the perspective of a boat builder rather than someone repairing a sea craft, but many of the techniques required and tools needed are the same. Kolin's account of how he built the 12-foot skiff Heidi contains many tips on make the vessel seaworthy. His list of tools includes planes, spokeshave, chisel and files, all of which are useful for shaping particular sections of the boat, such as side planks, keel and skeg -- the sternward extension of the keel. Of these shaping tools, the spokeshave is perhaps the least well known. This is a two-handed tool used to shape more complex pieces, such as the all-important paddles. Also on Kolin's list are a hammer, saws, sharpening stones, clamps and, perhaps the woodworker's most useful tool, a pencil.
Engine Tools
Powerboat enthusiast Allen Berrien likes to give rigorous attention to the engines of his boats, preferably when they are not out at sea. Emphasizing the importance of the role of spark plugs in the engine, Berrien recommends an air-gap spark checker and even recommends a company who can supply one, namely Stevens Instrument Company. Otherwise known as a spark tester, the device tests the ignition system and wires of the marine engine. Stevens can supply two-, four- or eight-wire spark checkers. Stevens also recommends a more humdrum tool, the screwdriver, but suggests you stay away from cheap versions and buy tools of quality. Berrien saves his highest praise for locking pliers. He suggests they may be the handiest tool ever invented, as they have a seemingly endless number of conventional uses -- such as holding, cutting and snipping wire and other items -- and not so conventional uses -- such as serving as temporary emergency handles.
Specialist Tools
Texas boat repair specialists Lake Conroe Marine, LLC, are able to repair damaged skegs, props, propellers and pontoons. In their marine repair shop are welding equipment, engine tune-up tools and pitch blocks, used to restore the pitch angles of damaged props to factory specifications. Rosden Glass Fibre of Jersey, a British Crown Dependency off the French coast, claim they have the tools and expertise to repair any boat. They have a large hoist to accommodate yachts up to 75 feet, full carpentry and fiberglass shops and a spray bay for repainting. They also have Hotvac, a patented tool for treating the problems and causes of osmosis, or water penetration.
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