52 | BOATINGMAG.COM | FEBRUARY 2018
SHORELINE MARINE
DRAIN-PLUG WRENCH
$10; WALMART.COM
This gadget was immediately appealing and
worked perfectly in its intended domain. The
key-ring top comes off, revealing a gasketed
waterproof compartment for keeping your boat
registration and even your garboard drain plug.
You would know by the feel if it were in there,
an automatic reminder to install it. The socket
on the bottom fi ts the standard plug and is also
slotted to accept the T-handle bilge plugs.
MULTIPURPOSE: Replaces a fl oating key fob
and replaces an adjustable wrench.ADVANTAGES: Its corrosion-proof plastic
and stainless-steel key ring mean it won’t
rust like a wrench, and you won’t have any
trouble fi nding your bilge plug or wrench —
as long as you can fi nd your keys.
DISADVANTAGES: A soft key-fob fl oat fi t
more easily in a pocket than this fi re-plug-
shaped device.
TOOLS ON BOARD: 4 (garboard-plug
wrench, garboard T-plug wrench, key fl oat,
document safe)DAVIS INSTRUMENTS
SNAP TOOL MULTI-KEY
$12.99; DAVISNET.COM
If the Swiss Army could only see
this. Seventeen tools in one, the
fl at-stamped stainless-steel device
unsnaps snaps, loosens nuts, opens
deck plates and tightens pin shack-
les, plus includes a bottle opener,
zipper pull, knife and more. Seven
hex-nut sizes include^5 / 16 -,^3 / 8 -,^7 / 16 -
and^1 / 20 -inch plus 8, 10 and 13 mm.
Oh, and it has a paint scraper for
doing brightwork.
MULTIPURPOSE: This is a record
breaker for multipurpose gizmos.
ADVANTAGES: It’s made of stain-
less steel, fl at to slip in a pocket or
glove box, and has a lanyard hole.
DISADVANTAGES: Dang, why
couldn’t Davis squeeze a garboard-
plug wrench in there?
TOOLS ON BOARD: 17 (fuel cap,
snap and unsnap tools, zipper
puller, emergency cutter, seven
hex wrenches, Phillips and slot
screwdrivers, scraper, pin shackle
key and bottle opener)PHOTOS: ZACH STOVALL, COURTESY DAVIS INSTRUMENTS (SNAP TOOL MULTI-KEY)SEE MORE BOATINGLAB TESTS AT BOATINGMAG.COM.KNIPEX
COBRA LOCKING PLIERS
$33; HOMEDEPOT.COM
At a recent boat test, we found a
loose battery terminal, and as we
cast about for a tool, any tool, to
tighten it, one of our tech-support
team members pulled these pliers
from his pocket. With one hand, you
can open the jaws, press the adjust-
ment button with your thumb and
close the wrench to lock it to the ex-
act dimension of the fastener. Stub-
born hose clamps and nuts can be
quickly loosened or tightened with-
out fear of stripping the fastener.
MULTIPURPOSE: This one fi t
most marine fasteners for which
we’d choose it, but there are many
sizes available, including one to fi t
a prop wrench.
ADVANTAGES: The compact tool
gets into tight spaces and can be
adjusted by feel, if necessary, to fi t
nuts and pipes to 1 inch.
DISADVANTAGES: Its chromium-
vanadium steel is durable but not
corrosion-resistant like stainless
steel.
TOOLS ON BOARD: You be the
judge. This one size fi ts nearly all.