I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made use of knives, pliers, screwdrivers, files, or saws on my multitool while cruising, saving me time by not having to access the boat toolkit. A multitool is often considered a jack of all trades and master of none, and while using the correct tool for a job should yield better results, it’s not possible to carry a full toolkit in your pocket on board, or have all the tools on hand, especially when working alone or in the confines of a yacht. 

Onboard my boat, I have several ‘levels’ of toolkits, each with more tools. These are buried deeper in my tool locker depending on the severity of the problem, but a multitool lives either in my pocket while sailing or on the chart table so I can find it night or day, in calm or panic. There are so many to choose from, and all have different features and uses. Some are also better for sailors than others, so we selected eight popular models to see how they cope with life on board.

How We Tested The Multitools

No one multitool had the same tools as the next, so we devised several challenges typical to those one might find on a fraught voyage with our crew. The best knife in the world is no good if you can’t get into it, so all the knives were opened, if possible, with one hand, two hands, bare hands, and gloved. Next, the blades were tested, cutting rope on a flat surface and looped. Where a knife had a shackle key, this was tested; where it didn’t, we used the tool’s pliers.

All knives had to have one or the other to make our selection. Screwdrivers were tested by driving brass screws into seasoned pine, with no pilot holes, to assess the tool’s grip on the screw and whether the driver blades would fold in. Saw blades were tested on a 2inx2in a piece of timber. While the saw blades were short, it was good to see how they would cope in an emergency.

Finally, we soaked all the tools in seawater and left them for a month in plastic bags – as tools left in wet oilskin pockets can be – to see how well they fended off corrosion.

Leatherman Wave – Best Sailing Multitool

This knife has four main blades: straight, serrated, wood saw, and metal saw with coarse and fine files, all of which can be locked open. The wood saw was easily the best on the test and ferociously sharp. Both cutting blades can be opened singlehanded. It has good needlenose pliers, with wire cutters and strippers incorporated into them. There’s a small reversible screwdriver fitting for flat/cross head screws (other bits are available), as well as a fine reversible screwdriver. Care needs to be taken folding the scissors; they can be easily damaged. There’s a lanyard loop, but using it impedes the screwdriver.

Leatherman Sidekick

The polished stainless-steel Sidekick looks the business. It has two main lockable blades: a straight blade and a wickedly sharp saw. The tool feels solid, and you can use it singlehanded, but the blades weren’t the easiest to access. Unlike the pliers on the Wave (see over page), these are spring-loaded and easier to use. There are also wood/metal files and a serrated blade, but all three are shorter than the main blade, making them a little less usable. It has a good range of tools, though some are fiddly to access. It also comes with a karabiner accessory, including a hex driver hole and a bottle opener.

Leatherman Sidekick Specs

Make	Leatherman
Model	Sidekick
Weight	198g (7 Ounces)
Blade Length	60mm (2.36 inches)
Closed Length	97mm (3.8 inches)
Locking Blade	Yes
Features	14
Singlehanded Use	Yes

Victorinox Fisherman

The Angler fits easily into a pocket and doesn’t fall foul of the law so that you can keep it with you day in and day out. It has all the features one would hope to find, like various screwdrivers, small pliers, a reamer, a bottle opener, and a corkscrew. It features a large and a small blade, but like all blades on this knife, none of them lock open, so care is advised while using the reamer, corkscrew, and screwdrivers as they can fold while in use. The blades polished up nicely after its month in a wet ‘pocket’, the interior parts less so. Not the most robust of knives, but it is small and light enough to be with you all the time.

Victorinox Fisherman Specs

Make	Victorinox
Model	Angler
Weight	113g (4 Ounces)
Blade Length	60mm (2.36 inches)
Closed Length	90mm (3.54 inches)
Locking Blade	No
Features	18
Singlehanded Use	No

Victorinox Swiss Army Multi-Tool, SwissChamp

I doubt there isn’t a boy scout in the land who wouldn’t swap an armful of badges for this Swiss army knife. However, what’s good for the Swiss army and boy scouts doesn’t necessarily make a good knife for sailing. The blades came through the saltwater test shining, but the insides of the knife were less corrosion resistant. None of the blades lock open. The only time this was a problem was when applying pressure while screwing – the driver blades can fold onto your hand. The pliers are okay for small jobs but aren’t big. This knife has all the blades one could wish for, and while it has pliers, we missed a shackle key.

Wichard Offshore

We purchased a range of sailing knives from Wichard (available in many variants and colors), but we lost the Offshore with a blade, shackle key, and spike version in the sea (and it doesn’t float). The version tested is the single-blade Offshore. Both blade and spike/shackle key/bottle opener can be opened singlehanded and lock into place; a button on the top of the handle unlocks each blade – a two-handed operation. This version had a semi-serrated blade to aid in cutting modern UHMWPE ropes. The grip was comfortable and the best on the test. Not feature-laden, but a good simple knife.

Wichard Offshore Multitool Specs

Make	Wichard
Model	Offshore-Single Blade
Weight	85g (3 Ounces)
Blade Length	80mm (3.14 inches)
Closed Length	115mm (4.52 inches)
Locking Blade	Yes
Features	4
Singlehanded Use	Yes

Gerber Crucial

This Gerber was one of the comfiest knives to use. It also had a handy belt clip as well as a built-in karabiner for when you can’t put it down – great if working aloft. It might not have many features, but it has the basics and more than others around the same price. The blade is very easy to access singlehandedly and one of the few possible with gloves on, thanks to the raised nub on the blade. The pliers weren’t the strongest on the test but did a reasonable job. The tool gave lots of leverage when using the screwdrivers, but the flex was a little disconcerting, and the screwdriver tended to strip the screw heads.

Gerber Crucial Specs

Make	Gerber
Model	Crucial
Weight	142g (5 Ounces)
Blade Length	58mm (2.2 inches)
Closed Length	109mm (4.3 inches)
Locking Blade	Yes
Features	9
Singlehanded Use	Yes

Best Sailing Multi Tool – Final Verdict

Despite playing with knives for many days, our crew’s fingers remain intact, and any cuts are healing nicely. All the multitools had very sharp blades, and no one blade stood out for sharpness during the test period. The only other tool that all the knives had was a bottle opener; we checked these all worked well. You’ll have to prioritize which tools you want the most and which you will actually use.

The Victorinox Swiss Champ leads the way in the features, possibly too many – which add bulk, and while the blades lasted well in an oilskin pocket, the plates between them showed signs of corrosion. The Wichard was simple, light, and comfortable to use. The decent lockable marlinspike, proper lanyard, and build quality of the Currey Lockspike Captain feel like the knife will survive for years and be passed from one generation to the next makes it our Best Budget Buy.

The Gerber Crucial offers the basic tools one needs, a fairly reasonable set of pliers, and true singlehanded operation of the blade, with the ability to open and unlock with ease. All this, and good value for money too.

However, as tested, the best sailing multitool is the Leatherman Wave, even though it was the most expensive on test in some way. With the exception of the scissors, all the tools feel solid and work well. It is Leatherman’s most popular knife, and it’s easy to see why; it has all the tools one actually needs. An excellent set of pliers and four good, lockable and easy-to-access blades and a variety of screwdrivers and other tools, all ready at a moment’s notice.