Boat Wiring Tools

For 90 % of on-board tasks you only need five items:
1. Ratcheting wire-stripper – gives clean, nick-free stripping.
2. Ratcheting crimping tool matched to your terminals (see Q 3).
3. Heat-gun – shrinks heat-shrink tubing evenly and is handy for freeing corroded hardware.
4. Cable-cutter – shears multi-strand cable without splaying conductors.
5. Multimeter – verifies voltage drops and continuity after the crimp. Tip: A precision screwdriver set is helpful for terminal blocks, but everything else (drills, wrenches, etc.) is project-specific.

Baywatt crimpers are built for professional day-in, day-out use on board:
• Hardened dies that match closed-barrel and heat-shrink terminals, so the terminal cold-flows instead of deforming.
• Ratcheting mechanism that won’t release until the crimp reaches the right compression.
• Electroless-nickel or black-oxide finish to slow galvanic corrosion.
• Comfort-grip handles sized for repetitive work, even with wet gloves. These details are why riggers and yard electricians trust them rather than generic hardware-store tools.

• CTST – red/blue/yellow heat-shrink ring, fork & butt terminals up to 6 mm².
• CTIT – colour-coded wire-ferrules (boot-lace terminals) 0.25 – 6 mm².
• CT650 – heavy-duty tin-plated copper lugs 6 – 50 mm² (battery cables, inverter feeds).
• PVCT – MC4 solar connectors 2.5 – 6 mm². Every tool page shows the recommended terminals, and every terminal page suggests the matching tool. If you’d rather not choose, check the bundle deals that pair the correct crimper with an assorted box of terminals.

A lighter’s pinpoint flame easily overheats one spot, charring insulation and wicking solder. A heat-gun surrounds the joint with uniform hot air, shrinking the sleeve in seconds without scorching the cable or your fingers. Because it’s indirect, you can also pre-warm seized fittings or dry damp surfaces without flame risk.

1. Identify conductor size (AWG or mm²) printed on the cable jacket.
2. Match terminal type and size – the sleeve bore must accept all strands without shaving copper. 
3. Pick the die colour/marking that corresponds to that size on the crimper.
4. Crimp once, pull-test once – a properly crimped terminal should survive a firm pull equal to the cable’s safe working load. If it slips, up-size the terminal or replace the die set.