In another thread on whether the market for larger recreational trawlers and cruisers would survive long term, I mentioned that my biggest concern isn't the market or economics -- it's the decline in general mechanical resourcefulness of future generations. Yes, lots of systems are far more complex now, and the days when I replaced the heads in my 1974 Nova SS are long gone, but I think there's a sharp decline in average mechanical ability lately. I try to nudge my sons (10, 12) into learning basic mechanics all the time and doing tasks and projects with me but they have very little patience or interest.
The air conditioning was getting warm in my Cadillac Escalade a few weeks ago, so I figured it needed a recharge. I took it to Carl Titze's auto shop here in Sioux Falls, a nondescript place behind a trucker's restaurant on the north end of town. I only found out about his shop through word of mouth from the janitor in my office building. Now of course everything on an Escalade is $9,000 to repair, but Carl opened the hood, took a broomstick, pressed against the A/C condenser and it blew cold again. He removed one washer about as big as a dime and re-tightened it, worked great. Charged me $20. That's what's disappearing (and Carl may have never set foot on a boat in his life but he's the kind of guy I'd want on my boat).
