I Tooled You So

A few weeks ago, reader Bob Adams asked the question, "Have you seen one of these before?" 

Adams said that he used this mystery tool to disassemble his speed winches. Many of you agreed that this was its purpose, but several suggested it might have additional duties. "That tool, used to strip the winch, can be found under another guise as a key to open the water or diesel inlet, or deck fitting," wrote David Wheatley from Portsmouth Harbour in the UK. He included a link to Sheridan Marine.

These multi uses — a winch wrench and a deck fitting key — seemed to have been the general consensus, the bulk of which we’ll include in the May issue’s Letters. But the discussion prompted the presentation of yet another mystery tool by reader wrote Ernest Galvan, who found this thingamabob on his Ericson 30 Plus Zenergy.

As it turns out, we have some firsthand knowledge of this particular instrument. "I have the same tool on my boat," said Latitude publisher and editor in chief John Arndt of his 1973 Ranger 33 Summer Sailstice. "And I’m sure there are lots of boats built in Costa Mesa in the ’70s with the same thing. Mine is used on the top and bottom of the dinette table to hold it secure."

Question? Comments? More mystery hardware to share? Please, let us know.