Trionic Corporate Partners, LLC News

Cleaning Your Dock Box

Trionic Corp's roto-molded polyethylene products (dock boxes, dock boarding steps, and marina trash cans) are built to be long-lasting and require little maintenance.  UV inhibitors are included in the molding process to help maintain a bright white appearance.  Prolonged exposure to sunlight actually helps whiten the dock boxes over time.  The smooth finish of these products also makes cleaning them quite easy.  These polyethylene dock boxes will not get chalky or brittle over time like fiberglass boxes do.

We recommend that you occasionally hose down or wipe down your dock boxes, steps, and trash cans to keep them looking great.  If your run into any stains or dirt that isn't easily removed, we recommend an environmentally safe cleaning product that won't have an impact on the water quality around the docks.  There are a number of different cleaners available that fit this description, but an inexpensive product like Simple Green Marine All-Purpose Boat Cleaner is a good choice.  Tough stains may require mutliple applications and a little elbow grease.  A drain hole is present in the bottom of each dock box, meaning they can be hosed out without retaining fluid.  You may need to remove the plug for the dock box to drain properly.  

By occassionally investing just a little time, you can keep your Trionic Corp dock box looking its best.  

Trionic Corp regularly updates information on its social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Visit these accounts on the respective platforms and follow them to keep tabs on the company's current events.  Topics covered include product spotlights, images of Trionic Corp products in use at various customer locations, customer events, and other noteworthy announcements.  

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Days on the water are a favorite with many boaters.  While many may take advantage of their own boat lift or marina storage to keep their boat located on or near the water, a great many others haul their boat with a trailer to launch with each use.  Whether you are a beginner at hauling a boat trailer or an old salt, there are several best practices that should be followed each time you hitch your trailer to a tow vehicle.  Some of these are outlined below:

1. Perform a trailer inspection prior to beginning the journey that includes:
   • Check tire condition and inflation levels.
   • Inspect trailer leaf springs and bunk boards.
   • Ensure the winch strap is tight and locked and the safety chain is secured.
   • Verify that additional security straps are secured properly in place.
   • Tilt the outboard motor up to avoid contact with the roadway.
   • Secure any items in the boat that may fly out during transport (e.g. coolers and lids, tubes, cushions, etc.).

2. Ensure your vehicle is properly rated to pull the boat and trailer to be used.

3. Connect your trailer to the hitch:
   • Confirm the hitch ball is the proper size for the boat trailer.
   • Attach tether used to activate electric brakes in case of emergency.
   • Verify the ball seats properly into the trailer tongue.
   • Secure the locking mechanism on the trailer hitch.
   • Attach the security chains from the trailer to the vehicle in a crisscross configuration (left chain to right loop and right chain to left loop).
   • Connect trailer lighting harness to the vehicle and verify proper lighting function (taillights, brake lights, turn signals, hazards).

4. Verify lines of sight via rear view and side mirrors. Additions of fisheye mirrors or mirror extensions can increase visibility. Try to eliminate blind spots by adjusting mirrors. 

5. Remove wheel chocks that may be in place prior to departure.

6. Test electric trailer brakes to ensure they are not locked.

7. Ease the trailer into motion with your vehicle. Avoid rapid acceleration and build momentum gently and slowly.

8. Leave adequate space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. The required braking distance with a loaded boat trailer has been greatly increased.

9. When turning corners, allow for extra clearance on the inside of the turn. Reduce speed and swing wide push deeper into new lane to avoid clipping the curb or dropping into ditches or culverts by cutting corners too sharply.

10. Double-check available clearance when changing lanes. Be aware of your blind spots and the possibility that other impatient drivers may quickly pull into your target lane.

11. If you detect any trailer sway, reduce speed, and pull over immediately. Adjust the load balance by redistributing weight if possible. Tongue weight should be 10-15 of the overall trailer weight. 

12. Boat ramps can be crowded and hectic. Before backing down a boat ramp, have a plan:

• • Place boat keys in the boat.
  • Properly place plugs into the boat drains.
  • Have the boat fully loaded with all your gear to reduce the time needed between parking and returning to your boat and clearing the ramp for the next user.
  • Ready mooring lines and secure a leash for the boat if you are launching solo.
  • Remove security boat straps.
  • Understand ramp conditions including wind and how slick the ramp is due to algae.
  • Know where you plan to park your vehicle and trailer ahead of time

13. When backing down a boat ramp, don’t panic. Expect the unexpected. Do not leave your vehicle without shifting into Park.  Keep your vehicle running during the unloading process.

14. As mentioned before, boat ramps are often very slippery. Navigate on foot with caution.

15. When preparing to put your boat back on the trailer, be sure to position your trailer straight back down the ramp.

16. Ensure the boat is properly positioned on the trailer, trim the motor up, and ensure the strap on the winch is tight and properly secured to the boat, as well as the safety chain.

17. Be prepared for the load of the boat and trailer as you shift your vehicle back into gear. Gently accelerate to pull up the boat ramp with the boat in tow.

18. If you can’t get proper traction on a slippery ramp, you can solicit a tow from another vehicle. Connect a tow strap in line from the rear of the additional vehicle and attach it to the front of your vehicle. Having a tow strap with you can really help save the day.

19. Before leaving the boat ramp area, remove the boat plugs to drain any water in the bilge to reduce tow weight, replace straps to secure the boat to the trailer, and inspect the boat and motor to ensure no invasive species may be transported to your next destination.

20. Secure all items in the boat that may blow out during transport.

Be safe, be courteous to your fellow boaters, and maintain your composure.  Boat ramp videos are popular on social media for a reason.  If you are not comfortable or confident towing a trailer, consider practicing in an empty parking lot, as practice makes perfect.  Preparation and caution can be your greatest allies in making your boating trips a pleasure. 

USE CONNECTIVITY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

You can track the weather from your phone using various forecast and radar apps. You can also check local TV every day, listen to the weather forecasts on radio stations, and check out the latest NOAA forecast online. Your VHF radio with NOAA weather channels or VHF transceiver is another option on the water. You can use any of these options or, even better, combine them all to ensure that you get the most current forecast.

KEEP YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS

Storms are often visible as they approach. Particularly on hot and humid summer days, be sure to check the western and south horizons regularly in order to spot any potential storms. A storm front can be signaled by low, dense clouds and steady rain. However, tall clouds that quickly develop and reach great heights, or form an anvil shape, may indicate thunderstorms or a squall. They will move in the direction indicated by the anvil.

You want your dock box to look as good as your boat, so don’t completely ignore it over the course of the boating season.  It helps to hose it down and wipe it down a few times a year just to get the dirt and spiderwebs off the box.  The smooth surface of the dock box makes wiping it down quick and easy.  For tougher dirt and stains that may occur (those darn seagulls), we recommend using a mild dish detergent like Dawn or an eco-friendly boat cleaning product like Simple Green Marine.  Avoid the use of cleaning products with ingredients that should not end up in the water under the dock. Keep water quality and wildlife in mind.   

We would recommend completely emptying your dock box at least once a year and completely cleaning the inside surfaces as well.  Then is also a good time to dispose of any unneeded items.  It’s also worth reviewing your marina’s rules and being conscious of items that shouldn’t be stored in dock boxes like flammable paints and cleaners.  These can not only create a hazard but also lead to staining should they leak inside your dock box.  Once done with cleaning the inside, allow it to air dry before returning your items to the dock box.  Note that Trionic Corp dock boxes come with a drain hole pre-drilled.  If the plug remains in the hole, you may consider removing it to allow for any excess water to drain from the box during use. 

When cleaning a dock box, you should avoid using abrasives that can mar the finish of the dock box.  Those include cleaning products with abrasives, as well as scrapers or steel wool pads.  Damaging the finish on the dock box can result in a less attractive box, and the damaged areas can also retain dirt more so than a smooth finish.

During the cleaning process, you should also check the hardware on the box.  Tighten any loose nuts on the lid retention cables and hinges.  In the event the cables or hinges are damaged, you can order replacement hardware to repair the dock box quickly and easily in minutes. 

Even if you are not storing items of value in your dock box, we recommend keeping a lock or a simple loop through the lock plate.  This can range from a keyed or combination padlock that provides great security for your items to a simple inexpensive shower curtain ring or even a zip tie during the off-season.  This can prevent the lid from being blown open during a storm and damaging the box in extreme conditions. 

Buoys in general are floating markers that provide information and navigational aid to boaters on the water.  Buoys serve as the equivalent of floating road signs, communicating information to all those on and around the water with the goal of safety for all.  Buoys come in several categories with specific purposes including mooring buoys, channel marker buoys, and regulatory buoys.  Here we explore the latter, and go into depth on what regulatory buoys are, the messages they convey, and how to interpret them.

What is a Regulatory Buoy?

Regulatory buoys are buoys designed to communicate a range of information to boaters, ship captains, and others on and around the water.  Through a combination of symbols and words, regulatory buoys can convey warnings, indicate locations, and spell out rules and regulations.  Typically, a regulatory buoy is white with orange symbols and bands, and black text.  These buoys are approved and universally used by local, state, and federal agencies to ensure water safety.   They are appropriate for government and private applications. 

Characteristics of a Regulatory Buoy

• White with an orange horizontal band at both top and bottom.
• Black text within or around an orange square, circle, or diamond; or black text outside a diamond with an orange cross.
• Can be buoys or beacons.
• If lit, the light will be white and may have any light rhythm except quick flashing, flashing (2), or Morse code “A.”
• Chart symbol indicating regulatory buoy location: 

Regulatory Buoy Designs

In today’s market environment, marinas are experiencing record demand for their services.  Interest in outdoor activities has skyrocketed due to the prolonged COVID era.  The boating industry has seen record demand for boats, boat maintenance and repair services, and marina slips.  Marinas across the country are reporting 100% capacity and long waiting lists for slip availability.  Given these circumstances, marina operators may be tempted to rest on their laurels and reap the financial benefits associated with the boating boom.  However, it will behoove marina owners and operators to utilize this time of economic prosperity to consider ways to strategically invest in their property and its operation to position it for longer-term success. 

Below, we highlight several investments and improvements that can yield dividends by increasing the perceived value of the marina by tenants while being conscious of spending.  Marina expansion is a consideration for some marinas given the spike in demand for boat slips.  This option can require significant capital investment, involve a lengthy permit approval process, and take quite a while to complete the project.  Space constraints can also make this option infeasible.  For the sake of this article, we will forsake this option and focus on smaller-scale projects that may be sage investments.

1 – Earn “Clean Marina” certification.  Most states offer Clean Marina certification that provides guidelines to be followed to allow a marina to earn accreditation while also being good stewards of the environment upon which they depend to support their business long term.  Boaters are drawn to pristine waters which are free of environmental threats and unsightly refuse.  Studies show marinas that are certified as Clean Marinas can charge slightly higher slip fees and have higher occupancy rates.  While the occupancy rate may not be a concern today, it has certainly been an issue in the past and may well also arise in the future.  Consult your local government branch of the Clean Marina program in your state and get to work meeting the requirements to earn their stamp of approval. 

2 -  Review & Update the marina rules.  It typically costs little to update the rules that marina tenants are expected to abide by during their use of the marina facilities.  Take into consideration things like boat maintenance and appearance requirements, dock clutter, noise and disturbance limitations, and consistency of appearance for items like dock boxes and boarding steps.  While marina operators don’t always provide dock boxes and dock boarding steps to their tenants, they can require that everyone purchase the same products to provide a uniform look.  This can go a long way to improving the appearance of a marina.  With demand at an all-time high, now is the opportune time to implement rules changes without much fear that the changes could lead to the departure of marina tenants. 

3 – Expand the Ship Store offerings.  Take advantage of the captive audience made up of your marina tenants.  Explore whether additional product categories could sell well to these customers.  Consider adding new and current apparel and merchandise featuring the marina logo.  Expand the offering of drinks and snacks to offer upscale items that have a higher unit price and margins.  Survey your customers to see if they have recommendations about what additions they would like to see to the onsite store. 

Running a high-profile event in a city known for its beautiful water and white sand beaches is certainly an attractive draw.  However, the recent F1 event in Miami was presented with a bit of a problem.  The location of the racecourse for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix ended up being Hard Rock Stadium, which is quite a distance from popular South Beach.  When presented with challenges, creative event hosts come up with a myriad of ways to tackle them.  In this case, a “marina” was created far from any open water.  The yachts were real and staged in a dry dock area, and decal-covered plywood decking enclosed the area to provide the mirage of water.   The faux marina surely attracted a lot of attention and scrutiny with mixed reviews.  We only wish the marina designers had chosen to accessorize the unique race viewing area by adding Trionic Corp dock boxes for an added touch of authenticity.  Maybe next year?

Trionic Corp is pleased to announce the launch of the new TrionicCorp.com website.  The new e-commerce website is a significant improvement over the previous site.  The overall look and feel of the site are modernized.  Enhanced capabilities, including the ability to add products to a "cart" and submit the "cart" as a request for quote (RFQ), have been added.  This is particularly important as many Trionic Corp customers are buying in large quantities and therefore qualify for bulk purchase discounts.  In addition, due to the size and weight of many of Trionic Corp's products, freight estimates need to be added to quotes to provide accurate pricing.  This added capability will result in streamlined communication between Trionic and prospective customers.  Trionic's social media accounts have been integrated with the new website.  The depth and breadth of quality content are also upgraded, including installation instructions, online catalogs, marketing materials, FAQs, and other reference material.  The shipping charges will also be accurately calculated based on the destination of the shipment, allowing us to keep shipping charges down for our customers.  The product photography and tank drawings have been upgraded to improve the customer experience.  We are also pleased to share a wide array of gallery images demonstrating Trionic Corp products at use in the field.  Each of these factors combines to provide an enhanced online experience.  

We look forward to receiving feedback on the new site and hope our customers will encounter a more efficient shopping process.  Please don't hesitate to let us know if you run into any issues during your time on our website.