Glen Justice

When I went to contact my mechanic this past week, I faced an immediate decision: which one to call?

The guy who has serviced my boat for the last two years had done so as part of a large company. Over the winter, however, he split to open his own shop. I had to choose whether to go with the man or stay with the company.

There was much to recommend the company. It is an established shop, with a large warehouse in Annapolis that I had visited. It has a crew that handles contracts large and small – including some fleet work – and can always obtain parts in a hurry. The prices are acceptable, if not a bargain, the staff is accommodating and the owner is a nice guy. Overall, the company has done good work.

But ultimately, I had to go with the guy who performed all that work.

For two years, this mechanic (I'll keep names out of it for now) has been servicing my engine and generator when I ask; handling my requests for a little more pink stuff at winter; adding the more complicated toys, like the pyrometer I had to have; and tackling emergencies, like replacing the shaft and propeller aboard Anonymous Source after an encounter with something awefully hard on a shallow bottom just months after we bought her.

He knows me and he knows the boat. He's conscientious, does good work and he's a good guy.

Of course, I will have some questions about insurance. And I'm not nieve about small businesses and how they run. Just because this mechanic was capable in someone else's employ doesn't mean he can run his own show. It is a gamble.

But I think his experience on the boat, and his solid work to date, have earned him a shot at my business. In the end, it always come down to the people who actually do the work. Why not bet on them directly.