They say cruising is simply working on your boat in remote locations. Remote locations go hand in hand with no access to hardware stores, but how are you supposed to work on your boat without tools? Tools are heavy and take up space, but you need to keep them on board with you while cruising.
Ideally, you want to keep your tools low in the hull and in a dry space. Finding this space can be a challenge on a sailboat.
Most of the tools on board Wisdom are kept in this plastic tool box from Craftman. I do keep a set of pliers, phillips, and blade screw driver in a tupperware for easier access. The rest of the tools live in this box mounted below the floor boards. This keeps the weight low in the hull and centrally located to avoid inducing a list.
This space used to be consumed by the old diesel engine. Now it is a battery box and storage. The front of the electric motor can be seen poking its face from under the sole bearer.
We took advantage of all the freed up space when we switched from the large diesel motor to the compact electric motor and made a dedicated space under the floor boards to safely hold the tool box in place.
While this tool storage space is low and centerline, it is not completely dry. The tools can form slight rust and need to be oiled frequently, even though the bilge is bone dry. Simply exposing the tools to the marine environment will lead to their eventual degradation. This is another example of making the best out of what is available on a sailboat.
