Repairs & DIY on board

Improvisation is required on long voyages. Spare parts aren't readily available – but with the right tools, a good spare parts inventory, and a lot of creativity, many problems on board can be solved by yourself.

To put it clearlyBe prepared for parts and systems to fail at any moment, and you'll have to bridge their failure, repair them, or manage without them. Relying on outside help is a bad idea. What works well in Europe can quickly become a showstopper in the Caribbean.

Therefore, acquire the necessary skills—the more the better. If in doubt, you should be able to disassemble and clean engines, or at least carburetors, lap clutches, and dip shaft seals.

Attention: Please don't blindly trust mechanics in marinas. You'll certainly find some experts there, but sometimes the work is done incorrectly and, above all, too expensively. Check and question everything.

Real examples: Replacing saildrive shafts for well over 1000 euros when a sleeve for under 50 euros would have done the trick, or a new saildrive clutch instead of simply lapping the existing one.

In this section, we'll show you what we've repaired, optimized, or built from scratch ourselves along the way – and which tools were indispensable.

🔩 What we fixed

A few of our most successful DIY projects:

✅ Clutch SD50 disassembled and lapped
✅ Leaky hatches sealed
✅ Replaced panes of broken Lewmar portlights (water hammer)
✅ Bilge pump repaired and switch replaced
✅ Lazybag and sail sewn
✅ Rudder position sensor repaired

???? Sealing Lewmar hatches – our step-by-step guide

🧰 Tools & Spare Parts

One of the biggest challenges, and one I completely underestimate, is sourcing tools from abroad. We equipped Joline in Turkey and spent the entire season buying everything we could find. We continued to complete our kit on our journey around the world, bringing many parts back from Germany.

We actually used these tools – some literally saved our butts:

✅ Cordless screwdriver with charging adapter
✅ Multimeter + crimping pliers
✅ 3M sealing tape, Sika, Epoxy
✅ Ball valves, replacement pumps, hose pieces

???? Tools on board – our must-haves

📦 What you don’t forget – but still need

We also underestimated how many small parts would suddenly be missing – and where improvisation becomes the solution. Tip: Put together an emergency kit!

✅ Replacement for clamps, screws, O-rings
✅ Double-sided adhesive tape, Teflon tape
✅ Dish soap, cable ties, insulating tape

???? Our DIY board box – Contents & Organization

🧭 More articles on the topic

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