It's not like the information is not readily available either. Most everything you need is either on the web or any number of readily available books so that's hardly an excuse.
Take splicing for instance. A rather simple skill that everyone should have in their back pocket. If you don't know how to splice all you need to do is pick up a copy of Brion Toss's "The Complete Rigger's Apprentice" and you'll never again have to pay some guy $25 for ten minutes' work to put an eye in a halyard or a dockline. Better yet, reading the book will also give you the knowledge to troubleshoot and fix your rig and its associated systems when needful... Such a deal!
That said, it's not just about saving money it's really about empowerment and the confidence you need to make this whole cruising gig work. None of it's rocket science (though working on cantankerous outboards may seem like it at times) and being up-close-and-personal with all of your systems is a very satisfying place to be.
