Harken: Mike Lee's Toolbag

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Mike's Tool Bag

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Mike Lee is the technical expert at Harken's Newport Rhode Island office. He works closely with naval architects, boat designers, and boat captains, specing custom winch and hardware packages, and figuring out the best deck layouts for the projects.

A Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, Mike has been in the marine industry for over 17 years and at Harken for nine. For many years he sailed big boats in the Milwaukee area, but admits he's addicted to speed. "I sailed a Hobie 16 for a long time until one day a sailboard shot past me. I also satisfy my need for speed by sailing iceboats."

1. Mike's Tool Bag; 2. Side Cutters; 3. Hammer; 4. Dental Pick; 5. Screw Drivers; 6. Small Adjustable Wrench; 7. Forceps; 8. Small Channel Locks; 9. Small Vice Grip

From years of working as a rigger in the boat yards, I have accumulated a collection of select tools I think are unique, but are actually quite basic. I live in the North, so each spring and fall I would step and unstep no less than 200 masts. The trick was to be fast and efficient without the added burden of lugging around a toolbox.

Over the years, the tools in my bag have evolved into a grouping I simply can't be without. I carry them everywhere: from a day sailing outing, to a week of cruising. This kit is light, small, easy to carry, and can perform basic rigging tasks.

The Bag
The key to the tool bag is the bag. I prefer a medium to small fanny pack. When worn on the front side it works well when going up a mast. Everything I need is right there and easy to get to, and nothing jumps out unexpectedly because the tools are all zipped in. Also, when the mast is on the ground it is much like wearing a tool belt. Walking 45' from one end of the mast to the other can really be fatiguing if you always forget a tool at the other end.

The bag I use is well worn, and the little side pocket that once held cotter pins has blown wide open. The guys in the yard always gave me a hard time about the bag, but they were the first to ask to borrow a tool.

Side Cutters
The side cutter wins the MVP award. When rigging sailboats, I can't function without it. This is the primary tool I use for pulling cotter pins, while everyone else is fumbling around with a pair of needle nose pliers. The cutting part of the tool bites down on the cotter pin like a dog on a mailman's ankle and won't slip off when I pull with everything I've got.

On the other hand, if you use a needle nose you need to straighten the pin first in order to pull the pin straight out, and even after doing that the plier still slips off. However, with my trusty side cutters, I don't need to straighten the pin because I can pull it right through the hole, even if the cotter pin is curled around.

Everyone is always asking me, "Aren't you afraid t you will end up snipping the pin?" Don't worry, even the best side cutter can't snip through a stainless steel cotter pin. Using this tool for cotter pins is so fast that I can pull the pins on a whole boat while the needle nose guy is still wrestling with one.

Hammer
This is of course no ordinary hammer! It was the smallest hammer I could find. I made it even smaller by cutting several inches off the handle so it would fit into the tool bag. I use this hammer for tapping stubborn clevis pins out and really nothing else. Anything bigger than a clevis pin usually requires brute force and I can usually find a chunk of 4x4 lying around the boat yard to beat on it with.

ScrewDrivers
This is one area where it pays to spend a little extra money and get really good screwdrivers. Even though they all look the same, there is a huge difference between an average screwdriver and one you have spent more money on. I can't really explain how it's better; it just is! The only time I wish I had spent less money on a screwdriver is when it bounces hard on the deck before it flips into the water. I don't know if this helps, but I do find that if I have spent a lot of money on a good screwdriver, I tend to be a lot more careful with it and as a result I lose fewer.

Small Adjustable Wrench
I say 'small' because it will fit in the bag and 'adjustable' because it will work on any size nut you come across—power boaters included (That is an attempt at tool humor). Note: wrenches come in metric sizes too.

Forceps
I was lucky enough to find these in the bargain bin at the local hardware store. What a great find! My forceps are very handy when I am trying to grab wires or tracer lines inside a mast. They also work well for feeding lines through rope clutches and for retrieving dropped screws in tight smelly bilges.

Small Channel Locks (Pliers)
I use a small pair for one-handed operation and, once again, because it fits in the bag nicely. Because the plier is adjustable, I can still use it when I come across jobs that require a larger pliers. Also, the nose angle seems to grip more tightly.

Small Vice Grips
As with the channel locks, they fit in the bag nicely and are easy to use with one hand. The vice grip is nice when working on a furler to clamp it to the forestay to support the foils.

That's it! That's my tool bag; not very glamorous, but very versatile and streamlined. With just these few tools, I can work on just about all boats up to 40 ft. Anything else means it is a bigger project and requires a complete toolbox.