Replenish your spares

Deciding what kind of spares to keep on board is a balancing act: You want to make sure you have what you need when you need it but there is only so much space you can devote to extra parts. A good bin of small bits and pieces—cotter pins, cotter rings and stainless steel screws—as well as an epoxy repair kit, batteries, oil, light bulbs for navigation lights and an impeller are a good place to start. From there, take a mental inventory of the parts you’d really be in trouble without, keeping in mind that this list will vary depending on the kind of sailing you’re doing. Although they don’t necessarily qualify as spares, keep things you may need to fix a problem on hand as well, including tools, electrical and duct tape, zip ties and more.