Wanted to take a moment to publicly say "wow"!! There was no doubt in my mind last year that @Whitney Pillsbury would be the Absolutely right fit for our PR Department. The new issue, if you haven't seen it yet? Amazing!! Great Job Sir!! and thank you for taking the torch!

OEM vs. Aftermarket? No.... How about Quality vs Price? I wrote this article and figured it fit well here also. It's been as much of a debate in the boating public as Ford vs Chevy. Everyone has an opinion and we know where that leads to. But let’s dive in a bit on this debate and try to help you make the best decisions for the long term health of your investment. What is OEM?  Simply put it’s the “Original Equipment Manufacturer” of parts used in your boat. You’ll notice, if you read closely “manufacturer” there? It’s absolutely false that your engine manufacturer makes every single part in their engines. Just because the box or the part has the engine name on it, is not proof that they made the part. But for instance if you buy an impeller for your generator and it says Kohler or westerbeke, or some other manufacturer on the box? It “could have” been made by another company who actually made the pump itself.  Think of it this way. When you go to the store and to the milk aisle, there are several brands of the same Vitamin D whole milk right there in front of you. And then there is a “store brand” of the same milk as well. The store brand is almost always cheaper than the popular brands. Is it different? Is it better or worse than the others? It’s all Vitamin D whole milk right? Well maybe, and maybe not. But did the grocery store make that milk? Not in most cases. Instead they entered a contract to have their name labeled on the milk because it meets “their requirements” and represents their marketing strategy.  Back to parts.  There are several things to consider when using parts on your boat. First and foremost. If your boat is under factory warranty you are obligated as part of the warranty terms to use ONLY OEM parts, and service intervals. We often ask this question when being contracted for service because some warranties require a servicing dealer perform and document the service interval. For instance, a Yamaha Outboard has specific service intervals and requirements and will void the engines warranty if those guidelines are not followed. We will turn away and refer the client to the nearest servicing dealer explaining this reason to them.  For those engines that are not under any further warranty, we will gladly service with high quality parts and exceptional service and education.  Do we use aftermarket parts? In a lot of cases yes. But aftermarket is a technical term. As in the references above, and even on others. We use Impellers that are made by the pump manufacturer not the engine brand. An interesting thing happened one day regarding this story. The client requested “Volvo Penta OEM parts only be used on his boat. We will gladly do this for any client who requests it. When we went to pick up the Spark Plugs required for the job. We opened the sleeve labeled Volvo Penta with their part number and found eight AC Delco Plugs with part numbers available at any parts store. Want to guess what the price difference was? It was significant.... We had to take pictures to prove to the client we honored his request.   Now, When it comes to fluids and filters? It’s always prudent to use OEM as the oils and filters are the lifeblood of the engine. As one commercial used to say “You can pay me a little more now, or a lot more later.” Price should not be the determining factor for the parts we use. It is one equation but not THE equation. It's far more important to do your research if you don’t want to pay OEM prices. In some, not all cases, You’ll be able to find out who makes the filters for your engine. Now I’m not talking about a cross reference to other brands here. I’m talking specifically about what manufacturer MADE the OEM filter you have. One good general example of this not related to boats is Napa Gold Filters. Did you know they are not made by NAPA? No, they are made by WIX (which is actually Mann-Hummel Corp in Europe)  see how many names just popped up there? M/H makes Wix which makes NAPA Gold (and only the GOLD) filters. Puts the NAPA name on it and ships it out. Another item, like the milk subject again? Store brand oil.... It’s all oil right? No, it’s not. Not even remotely close to the same. Years back by accident I learned from a counter guy that a specific store brand oil was actually made by Valvoline. A large supplier of many store brands. I don’t know if they still do or not, but it’s just another case of identity confusion. But I wonder who makes Volvo Penta brand oil? It’s a good question and I’m sure a well hidden secret. Belts,Hoses,Manifolds and Risers,Plugs and Ignition parts, Water pumps, and the list goes on. Do you think West Marine makes their own batteries? No DEKA East Penn makes them and outs the West Label on them.  My point on all of this is simply wrapped up this way.  1) Take into account your warranty status and the terms.   2) Take into account and research who the real company behind the “curtain” is (the real manufacturer)  and 3) make sure the parts used meet all requirements of your engine manufacturer before saving a few dollars?  Or just stick with OEM if you’re not sure. That’s our policy at Glassic!

Reason #4,368 why I dont trust nor believe in engine room heaters as a substitute for proper winterizing in the cold geographical areas. I Had a call yesterday that a clients engine room heat in their Rinker was not working when they went down to do a periodic check on their boat. After investigating that ALL outlets on the starboard side were out, I found Heater was plugged into a GFI outlet and had to go find the one that had the pushbutton (Usually in the head). First thing, if it's a gas boat outlets are not allowed and will be a failure of a survey. Diesels are allowed tho. Dont know when the GFI breaker popped. She thanked me for resetting and showing her where it was located and sent me on my way. Just dont trust em… but we only do what the client asks. Remember. You are trusting anywhere from 30-60k of iron and an upcoming season to enjoy with a 300.00 heater that requires power. It's your decision.... Lee

On Sunday Lakeview Marina on Lake Dallas, TX had a boat fire which reportedly according to the youtube video says was a Commander. From what I can see in the video it would be in the 42-47 range IF it's a Commander. Thankfully it's reported that no injuries and only one other boat were involved. Hopefully it was not one of our memebrs but I suspect if it's a Commander it is. Prayers up. The investigation is ongoing to the cause, but it burned to the waterline so doubtful of the results if any. Every year we see this around the country when cold weather shows its' ugly head. Here are some tips and advice for those that want it: 1) If you are using an engine room heater it must be USCG approved (Not just UL certified) and NOT attached to a drop cord but plugged directly into an outlet. 2) Space Heaters should never be used when away, and if used above decks in cabin areas AGAIN never plugged into a drop cord but directly into an outlet. 3) As the people in Texas found out a couple years ago? When a hard freeze is to come, Sea Valves to engines, Gen, and Heads should be turned OFF... The number one cause for the number of sinkings they had were due to the strainers busting glasses which allowed unlimited water inbound. The video of this fire is all over the 'net and Youtube. Please be safe and use common sense. Draining engines is always better than running heaters. ALWAYS... Hope this helps someone. Lee