The simplest ideas can be the most revolutionary.

Chafing dock lines are a perennial maintenance issue; in a bad storm, the issue can graduate to line failure with the constant up-and-down of surge and wind that not only creates chafe but heat. Boaters use PVC, sections of fire hose and all sorts of ways to reduce the friction.

Enter TideMinders, one of several vendors that showcased products at this week’s Hurricane Preparation Symposium in Orlando. A set of nine balls with holes large enough slide over dock line and roll up and down along the piling with wave and wind motion. The holes can accommodate 1-inch line; the balls come in white, black, blue and orange; the company guarantees them for 10 years and they are self-cleaning.

Go With the Flow Solutions LLC

A set costs about $50. Go With The Flow Solutions LLC makes them. Check out www.tideminders.com or call 800-968-5147.

At a completely different price point, KMI Sea Lift was also in Orlando. Aimed at marina and yacht club owners, the symposium offered a target-rich environment for the popular but pricey boatlift systems.

They lifts can get a boat out of the water in 60 seconds. Depending on the model, the machines can handle vessels, including keeled ones, up to 70 feet long and 150,000 pounds. The rig is engineered so it can place boats close together for storage.

It isn’t something the average boater would buy. The most popular model, sales manager Wade Koning says, “runs in the $300,000 range.” But if your marina has one, take that as a good sign. Go to www.sea-lift.com for more information.