As a professional mechanic (forklifts of course) I can offer a few ideas to help the repair go smoother when you do have to pull a mechanic in. One of the first things is to have the work area/ engine room open and picked up when he arrives. This keeps you from paying $90 an hour for him to pull hatch covers and shuffle gallons of oil around. Have the boat cooled down and even set up a fan if feasible. This will probably mean a lot to guy who has up and down piers and crawling into tight spots all day. Have plenty of lighting set up for him. You may want to offer to get rid of any fluids or filters he ends up with. OReilly Auto Parts will let you dispose of any fluids at no charge. This may save you some labor time and a disposal fee. Depending on how he charges travel time (portal to portal is common in our industry), and how soon you need the repair done, you may tell him to take care of the repair the next time he is in the area. Sometimes this will save you some of the cost to get to and from your boat, since another customer is also paying to get him in the area. And most of ALL, don't let your dock neighbor corner him with questions about HIS boat while on your service call. This generally means that YOU are paying a buck fifty a minute for him to quiz your mechanic!
