Deck and Dockside Living

Need a Bear Proof Container? Try a Dock Box

Oct 162015

Bears are going for easier pickings as bear proof containers become the norm. Fortunately, our dock boxes measure up.

Bears have learned that coolers and boxes are often a good source of delicious food.

Somebody once told me that if you encounter a bear in the wild, you should soil yourself, to discourage them from attacking you.

“I’m pretty sure that’ll happen all by itself,” I told her.

But joking aside, hikers and campers have had to brave the risk of bear attacks for decades, even in well-monitored and operated national parks. Attracted by the noise and abundance of food, bears love to visit camp sites to search for goodies - and that often leads to frightening and potentially lethal encounters with humans.

In recent years, most national parks have implemented the ‘bear-proof boxes’ rule. All food brought into the parks needs to be stored in containers that bears can’t get at - products like our marine-grade fiberglass storage boxes.

In addition to masking the smell of delicious food, it’s hoped making food difficult for bears to access will teach them to ignore campers and campsites. I guess the theory is that even Yogi Bear would have stayed out of trouble if Ranger Smith had kept those pesky pic-a-nic baskets out of reach.

But the shift in orsine behavior has not gone entirely to plan.

Bears know boats are a great place to find ‘fast food.’ (Photo byline: Gorshkov/Minden/Solent News & Photo Agency.)

Firstly, bears are getting smart. Even after discovering that campers and hikers are keeping their food in bear-proof boxes, the bears are still lumbering into campsites and raiding tents and cars. The only difference is that this time, they’re stealing the boxes and making off with them; presumably to try and open in their own time, back at the cave.

Secondly, bears are forgoing the campsites entirely and wandering out of the parks - to snuffle around in people’s back yards, trash cans and even around the back of fast food restuarants. National Park authorities had hoped locking up food would send our furry friends back to eating salmon and berries - but apparently the lure of high-calorie fast food is too much for them to resist; and they’re venturing into human territory to find it themselves.

It’s pretty crazy - but it’s also a pretty good thing to ‘bear’ in mind if you’re taking your boat out into the wilderness this fall.

While not designed to be ‘bear-proof’ our boat boxes do fit into that category. Built from marine-grade fiberglass, with molded-in stainless steel hardware, they’re more than a match for most hungry bears and are an excellent place to store freshly caught fish, tackle and other edibles where furry visitors will be unable to get at them.

It’s a smart investment - not just to protect yourself and your family, but also to reduce the temptation for our bear buddies to come lumbering over into campgrounds and lakesides.

Marine-Grade Fiberglass: One Surprising Benefit

Boat Storage No Responses »

Sep 182015

Our marine-grade fiberglass boat boxes come with many benefits - but one might surprise you.

Plastic coolers can fade - and that can leave lasting impressions!

It was a poignant day for Lee Myers and his friends this September, when they gathered for their annual fishing trip in Lake George, New York. For the past six years, he and his buddies had been driving upstate for a long weekend of drinking beer, fishing and camping.

“We were kind of playing at being rednecks,” Lee explains. A life-long resident of Montclair, New Jersey, he’d loved the outdoors since he was a little boy, and he and his friends had a kind of ‘inside joke’ going about how they were ‘rednecks from New Jersey’ when they let loose upstate.

This joke had extended to decorating their coolers and boatboxes with a bunch of stickers - including a ‘Here’s Your Sign’ sticker immortalized by Blue Collar Comedy legend Bill Engvall, and even a Confederate flag that Lee had picked up with a bunch of Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia.

But that particular summer, Lee and his friends decided it was time to ditch the rebel flags.

“It’s not so much that I disagree with having them,” he admitted. “But I didn’t want people looking at my cooler and getting the wrong idea. Plus, one of our buddies who came upstate every year had a biracial wife and after everything that had gone on this summer, he no longer thought it was funny to have the sticker on his cooler.”

But when it came to peeling the stickers off - a few of the guys had a problem.

“A couple of the fellas had traditional plastic coolers and boxes - and when those stickers came off, the rebel flag didn’t.”

In fact, after years sitting out in the hot summer sun, the vinyl and plastic boxes had faded to the point that the flag was still visible. It had been branded right onto the side of the box.

“I was really worried about the same on my box,” Lee admitted. “Especially since it hadn’t exactly been cheap.” He’d bought one of our fiberglass boat boxes a couple of years ago and admitted: “I’d never thought it had been a smart idea to put that sticker on it in the first place.”

But when Lee removed his rebal flag decal? The fiberglass underneath was pristine.

“It totally matched the rest of the box,” he explained happily. “I was astonished. Even after all that time outside, the gel coating hadn’t faded at all - and once I scrubbed off the adhesive you’d never have known it had been there in the first place.”

Lee was happy - and that confirmed, for him at least, the wisdom in paying extra for one of our boxes.

“My buddies removed their stickers, but you can still see ’em,” he admits. “The other weekend we passed a group of fraternity kids from Sigma Phi Rho and…” He bit his lip. “Well, let’s just say that things were awkward.”

Our boxes will withstand years of hot sunlight without cracking or fading - and that means they’ll look as good in years to come as the day you bought it.

Make Your Own Cold Storage Box

Boat Storage, Fishing Gear No Responses »

Aug 212015

Deck and Dock Boxes have a lot of cool features - but not literally. Here are some tips and tricks for keeping the contents of your box cold this summer.

Taylor Made Dock Box - Deep Medium in White

Our boxes are made from marine-grade fiberglass, and finished with a UV resistant gel coat. That means they’ll withstand hundreds of hours in direct sunlight without cracking, fading or peeling.

But we’re not going to lie - they’ll get pretty hot.

And for some people, that’s not ideal. Whether you’re using your box to store bait, tackle, refreshments or even freshly-caught fish, it’s not that helpful when the temperatures rise enough to bake cookies outside.

To some extent, the boxes are already a great choice because the white gel finish reflects the sunlight, and helps keep the contents cooler. But other options for keeping your supplies cold are:

Ice: A perennial favorite for those who like a cold brew while they’re fishing, ice is great for rapidly cooling beverages and foods, and then keeping them cool. In fact, a can of beer swilling around in a mixture of ice and water will chill faster than one sitting in a freezer. However, ice melts - and soon your box will be full of a mixture of ice and water. While that’s fine for cans and bottles, it’s not idea when you’re trying to store live bait, food or freshly caught fish.
Cooling blocks: Available from most camping and outdoor stores, these are solid blocks filled with ice or gel that reduce the temperature without melting and getting things wet. They’re great for keeping the ambient temperature low, but won’t chill things as quickly or thoroughly as ice will.
Frozen water bottles: A great trick we learned is to freeze bottled water. Not only do the bottles themselves act like cooling blocks - chilling the contents of your box without flooding it - they bottles are also great for grabbing when you’re feeling thirsty. They’ll melt slowly over the course of the day, giving you a handy source of ice-cold water that will last for the entire day.
Gel packs: If you’re trying to keep fish on ice, a great option are gel packs. These are plastic packs filled with a gel substance that ‘freezes’ without getting solid. They’re perfect for layering over and under fish, and can be rinsed clean and refrozen for next time. Gel packs are available from all sorts of places - or your can make your own with rubbing alcohol, water and resealable sandwich bags.

The great thing is that whatever method of cooling you use, your dock box will stand up to the rigors of it. With stainless steel hardware and marine-grade materials, our products are resistant to rust and moisture and will continue to look great for years to come.

When Your Fishing Rod Box Costs More than Your Truck…

Boat Storage, Fishing Gear No Responses »

Aug 072015

With a $2,000 budget for fishing, one DeckandDockBoxes.com customer made his choice…

“My wife and I have an arrangement,” explains Frank Rand, from New Eygpt, NY. “Whatever I make on my business, I can spend fishing.”

A life-long fan of fishing, Frank supplements his income as a truck driver by making and selling fishing lures - which have quiet a reputation amongst his fans. Last year, his side-hobby cleared him $2,000 in profit; and his wife gave him permission to spend it how he wanted.

“For me, that was easy,” Frank explains. “A truck to take me to the lake, and a box for my fishing gear.”

While Frank’s wife had promised he could do what he wanted with his hard-earned money, even she was alarmed when she saw how he divided his budget. More than half the money went on a brand-new Fishing Rod Box from DeckandDockBoxes.com - leaving less than a thousand dollars for the purchase of a 1995 Ford 5-150 crew cab.

“Struck me that for two grand, whatever truck I was going to buy was going to be a beater,” Frank explained his decision, “but the right kind of storage box was going to last me a lifetime.”

And with a box from us, that’s no exception. Crafted from marine-grade fiber glass, with a gel finish and stainless steel hardware, our boxes have an industry-leading reputation and are highly sought after.

In fact, the box became one of the deciding factors in the truck Frank eventually bought.

“I had my eye on a short bed,” Frank remembers, “but the rod box is 95″ long. That meant I needed an eight feet bed to put it in; and that’s why I picked the truck I did.”

For the princely sum of $850 and another hundred in parts, Frank’s dream of getting to the lake is now a reality - and, as far as he’s concerned, he made the right decision with where to spend the bulk of his money.

“Up there on the lake, nobody cares what you drive,” he admits. “But my rod box? Everybody’s always asking about it!”

Sweetening the Deal with a Fiberglass Deck Box

Boat Storage No Responses »

Jul 102015

A New Jersey boat-buyer paid above the odds - not for the boat, but what came with it!

Dennis found a good-looking 18ft boat… but the price was a little steep.

You get what you pay for - and that’s doubly true when it comes to boat accessories. The reason why DeckandDockBoxes.com continues to be successful is that we offer the keenest prices on the best quality products on the market; and smart customers know that making a bigger investment upfront will be rewarded years down the line by years of trouble-free use.

The reputation for quality is what led to Dennis Escalera, from Brick, NJ, to send us an email recently. He’s been a customer of ours for years, but recently made a purchase he wanted to boast about.

“I retired last year, and was looking for a bigger boat to enjoy with the family during the summer. I got wind of a nice-looking ’04 Trophy down in Wall, but was a little disappointed by the price.”

Large fiberglass deck box with seat top.

The fact that the boat came with a nearly-new fiberglass deck box significantly sweetened the deal.

The 18ft cuddy was pretty beaten up, and the motor was seized. Yet, despite that, the owners wanted $3,500 for it.

“That was about $500 more than I figured it was worth,” Dennis admits. “And they weren’t budging on the price.”

But then Dennis spotted something that sweetened the deal.

“The boat was apparently part of their dad’s estate sale, and the family were throwing a lot of his boating stuff in with the deal. One item they included was brand new - a large fiberglass deck box with a seat top.”

Dennis knew exactly what it was, because he’d bought himself one a year or so earlier.

“When I saw that, I realized the money wasn’t in the boat, but in the boat box.” So Dennis agreed to overpay for the boat; knowing he was getting a deck storage box for practically half price.

“The family thought they were pretty smart with the hard bargain on the boat,” Dennis admits, “but I’m from Jersey. We always find an angle to sweeten the deal.”

That being said, Dennis’ find was a fluke. Because these boxes are so highly respected, you won’t often find them for sale second-hand - and definitely not at the price Dennis paid for his.

Which is why we always recommend buying them new, through us. That way you’re guaranteed exactly the make and model you want, with the color and fixtures you choose, and many years of trouble-free use.

“You get what you pay for,” Dennis reminds us, “and when you’re talking marine-grade fiberglass boxes, they’re worth every penny.”

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