I started a thread last year prior to doing our trip from the PNW to Florida.
The thread is:
Too many spares?!?
Just to reiterate, here was our list of spares we started the trip with:
- spare macerator pumps (for offshore use)
- spare fresh water pumps, (in addition to the two installed in parallel)
- spare bilge pumps
- spare shower pumps
- spare fuel/water/black tank deck plugs
- spare isolation transformer
- spare Victron Quattro Inverter Charger
- spare 24v charger (start battery bank)
- spare IR Temp gun
- spare 4/0 battery wire, terminal ends, and crimper
- large quantity of smaller ga wiring and connectors
- large assortment of zip ties, wire bundle ties, clamps, etc
- spare plumbing parts, fittings, tubing, glue, hangers etc.
- multiple soldering irons
- spare dinghy fuel tank, fuel hoses, and filters
- spare dinghy air pump and patch kit
- spare bulbs galore including Nav lights, interior lights etc, both LED and incandescent
- extra light fixtures of various types
- spare windshield wiper arms and blades
- spare anchors, chain, and rode (5 total)
- spare anchor swivel
- spare anchor chain bridle, all set up for use
- spare anchor windlass (the one that was removed when the current one was installed), It was working when removed, but since then has been inspected and serviced to ensure proper operation.
- spare foot switches for windlass
- large assortment of shackles, swivels, etc
- large assortment of various hardware
- spare wash down pump for deck/anchor chain
- spare paravane fish, as well as one complete set of cable/chain rigging
- spare coffee maker (2) and spare coffee grinders (2) Heaven forbid we can't make coffee!
- spare reverse cycle heating/air raw water pumps (2)
- spare watermaker low pressure raw water pump (1)
- spare shop vac filters (2)
- spare hydronic heater radiator
- distilled water in jugs, as well as an onboard distiller (for CPAP, and FLA start batteries and auxiliary (get home) engine start battery)
- extra shore power cords (2), and spare ends as well.
- multiple adapters/Y's etc for shore power
- spare shore power insert into boat
- backup small freezer in the event the 10cu ft freezer fails
- spare pair(s) of reading glasses, multiple, as I keep misplacing the damn things!
- spare CPAP along with associated spare hoses, masks, water trays, filters, etc
- Both Passports, and Passport Cards
- spare (backup) credit cards (several)
- spare Kindle
- spare tablet loaded with Navionics
- Two installed VHF radios, 1 new spare in a box, never installed, along with 3 handheld VHF's
- We have a Sat Phone, but with Starlink, I don't know if we'll enroll in the service or not.
- our two older I-phones in case we accidentally drop one in the water, will new new SIM card though.
- multiple PFD's, 4 offshore w/ plb's and 20+ others, offshore, and near shore. All serviceable, we can give them to people who may have theirs lost/stolen
- Extra foul WX gear for people who fly in to visit
- more scuba gear than any sane individual could possibly need (says my wife!)
- spare boat poles, total of 4
- spare fenders, too many to count . . . the darned things keep floating by our marina, and we keep the good ones!
- spare blade for the Hundested CPP (came with the boat)
- spare hydraulic fluid, enough for total replacement of system oil
- enough engine oil for 4 oil changes (along with containers for used oil)
- spare engine oil removal pump(s)
- spare torque wrench, as well as multiple tool duplicates
- complete set (8) rebuilt injectors, along with tooling required to install
- spare impellers for auxiliary engine cooling system (main engine raw water and fresh water cooling pumps are bronze, gear driven)
- spare engine driven bilge pump impellers
- spare belts/hoses
- spare boarding ladder
- fiberglass mat/roving/resin etc for projects, or repairs
- spare VHF radio antenna
- spare LED reading lamps (2)
- Sailrite sewing machine and misc canvas, etc for projects/repairs
Since (and during) the trip, we added:
- Freon for refrigerator
- HVAC gauges
- Spare fridge controller for main refrigerator
- spare hyd hoses
Parts of Mexico, and definitely El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama, it is extremely difficult to get parts, and expensive and time consuming when you CAN get them in. Case in point: The fridge controller went out. The name brand, SECOP OEM controller in the United States is readily available for $68.00. In La Paz, MX, only a no name controller was available . . . for $350,00 usd. I ordered the name brand, had it sent to my sister in the States, but bought the no name brand to get us going immediately. Also has a very small leak in one of the fill valves of the system. We had a refrigeration guy remove the valve, and silver solder the tube. (hence the freon and HVAC gauges added to our inventory of spares).
Other than that, I used:
- fuel and oil filters, and engine oil, spares on-hand.
- replaced LED reading lamp in fwd stateroom. Replace with on-hand spare.
- two macerator pumps. Replace with on-hand spare.
- misc electrical connectors
- wire wire to fix an intermittent electrical issue with our get home engine
- replaced a VHF antenna. Replace with on-hand spare.
- hyd hose, which I did not have, but sources in La Paz for $110.00 usd, made to order
- fresh water washdown pump, which died after only 3 months in use. Replace with on-hand spare.
This was a complete list of repairs in our 7 month, 7,500 statute mile trip from Port Orchard, Washington State to Moore Haven, Florida.
but that is pretty much all we used on our boat in repairs for the trip. Now, we used a LOT of our spares to help other boaters out along the way. Charged them the cost of replacing the parts once we got to Florida, NOT the local price, and they were ecstatic to get them! Especially for that price. Let's see, one macerator pump, two fresh water pumps, some tubing and hose clamps come to mind, as well as making up a couple of battery cables for a guy in Mexico.
This was a complete list of repairs in our 7 month, 7,500 statute mile trip from Port Orchard, Washington State to Moore Haven, Florida.
If you are heading down the intracoastal waterway, or podunking around in short trips, obviously you won't need this many spares, but this is what we carry.
Edit: Since you are doing the Loop, spare parts will be WAY more accessible than we had, so I would abscess over spares, fuel and oil filters, hose clamps, fresh water pump, belts and hoses, misc hardware and electrical connectors would probably do you just fine!
Enjoy!
