Insights
Field notes on selection and maintenanceWritten from project questions, not from marketing copy.
These are the questions we get asked repeatedly on projects. None of the conclusions hold everywhere — each note states the conditions it assumes, and when you should decide the other way.
Polyethylene or steel buoys — how to actually decide
Compared on whole-life cost, maintenance windows and what happens after a collision — including where steel is still the better answer.
Boat-shaped vs. column buoys: where each one belongs
How current, water-level range and dragging risk drive hull form. Boat-shaped is not "better" — it is better loaded in specific conditions.
What changes once lanterns report their own status
From scheduled patrols to condition-based response. What telemetry really removes is not the patrol — it is the wasted trip.
Have a specific question?
Send the channel conditions and we will answer directly."Not sure which type" is a perfectly good starting point.
These notes cover the general reasoning. On a real project it still comes down to channel class, depth, current and how the aids will be maintained.