Dan Foster

Thanks for all the replies. Strangely, this symbol doesn't appear in the current (online) Chart #1 as far as I can tell. But it's an older chart, so perhaps NOAA went in and physically removed all of those pesky rocks from our coastlines so they could simplify the chart symbology.

My personal theory is that this symbol is being repurposed by the FAA for "Quadcopter/Delivery Drone Landing Area", and within 10 years, 95% of the surface of all charts and maps will be covered with this symbol.

Despite having read 100+ pages of Chart #1, I still don't know what the "plus in a box/Space Invaders" symbol on this chart represents. Any definitive answers? (Stevens Island, Jonesport, ME)

I leak-tested my boat this morning (it got a perfect score - all bulkheads leak to some degree!) and since we've finally got some dry weather and I've got a trip coming up next week, I decided to fast-track the resealing project. Some tips for others, and especially for me for next time:

Lexel gets tacky in 30 minutes, and cures completely in 1-2 weeks, according to the label. I put the boat and the tube of Lexel out in the morning sun to dry and warm up. I always end up wishing I cut a wider opening on the squeeze tube - I'd go about halfway up the tapered nozzle next time.

Start with the easy-access bulkheads - behind the seat and in the rear hatch, and once you've got the technique down, move to the more confined spaces. I don't bother trying to crawl up behind the foot pegs to do the inside of the forward bulkhead. Train a small child for that.

I like to put the boat on its side and lay a bead of sealant down from the top/side edge of the bulkhead down to the keel line, then swap sides, flip the boat on the other side, and squeeze another bead down the opposite side. Before smoothing with a gloved finger, go squeeze a second seam on a different bulkhead. Then come back and smooth all of the Lexel in using a nitrile-gloved finger. For the nicest lines, swap to a clean finger on each pass. Discard the gloves and put on new ones and go squeeze and smooth two more seams.

If the foam bulkhead is so separated from the hull that it freely moves, I would probably engage a helper to push it forward or aft so you can lay down a thick puddle of sealant, and then push it the opposite direction and work sealant well under the foam itself.

I used an entire 5oz squeeze tube of Lexel to seal five seams on my three foam bulkheads with a fairly generous bead of sealant. It took about 15 minutes to do.

I let the boat sit and dry in-place without moving it at all for at least 24 dry hours, and try not to cartop or paddle it for at least a week.

You can find gaps by shining a flashlight through at night. Or, dry the inside completely, set a hose in the day hatch, and look for water leaking into the cockpit and rear hatch. By repositioning and edging the boat on your lawn and wiping away the leaks you can usually figure out how far up the foam the problem goes. Repeat for the front hatch.

Every few years I buy a 5 oz squeeze tube of Lexel Clear waterproof sealant and reseal the bulkheads in my Tempest 170. It's pretty easy to do. Basically, spray out the kayak with a hose and get all of the sand and grit away from the bulkheads. Peel off any dangling, loose sealant strips. Let the boat dry in the sun. Squeeze the Lexel tube to run a nice bead of goo along the edge where the foam meets the plastic hull. There's usually a gap right at the keel line, and I start by squirting a bunch under there. You've got a fair number of minutes to work with the sealant before it sets up. I usually put on a nitrile glove and run a wet finger down the bead to smooth things out and get a good seal. Repeat on both sides of each bulkhead.

Sashco 13013-2 13013 5oz Sealants Clear Lexel Adhesive Caulk, 5-Ounce: Adhesive Caulk: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

On the search page, click More Options, and then set starting and ending dates for Date Created.

Searched for 'rescue' in Topics (nspn.org)

It looks like there are no forum topics prior to Sept 2001, so anything before that isn't online, at least not on this server.

It would be useful to bundle some of these "near miss" trip reports together as a learning and discussion aid for future paddlers. NSPN's own "Deep Trouble" series.

Nov 2001: https://www.nspn.org/forum/topic/2790-post-t-day-rescue/

June 2006: https://www.nspn.org/forum/topic/1484-kayakers-flip-off-plum-island/

A new type of boat to fall out of? I'm definitely interested! Weekdays would probably work best, preferably with travel outside of rush hour. I don't have anything useful to contribute (surfski-wise, or otherwise, I'm told).

I'm in the market for an endurance-focused (not stiff/sprint) small-mid or mid wing paddle, if anyone's selling.

Looks like a great trip on a classic New England waterway! I just picked up a Mad River Explorer and am itching to get out and do some canoe tripping.

What's the purpose of the long pole that shows up in many of your canoe photos? Tarp support? Canoe poling? Handy unit of measure for portages? Moose limbo?

I'd be interested in Sullivan Falls on Thursday before or Monday after.

One thing I want to clarify is that although this proposal came up in a conversation about NTSKW and what we are/aren't doing this year to attract new people to the sport, it is only tangentially related to that separate discussion. The primary goal here isn't to attract new people to the sport. The primary goal here is to create an annual weekend event that is compelling enough that everyone in our coastal and ocean-paddling "tribe" has no choice but to attend year after year after year. Ambitious? Yes. It's a Big Hairy Audacious Goal for the club, but it's something that we could all rally around, and the strategic thinking it requires might lead to all sorts of spillover benefits for the club and our paddling communities.

What would entice [experienced NSPN club members] to attend a two-day weekend event on the North Shore every year?

What would entice [protected-water meetup paddlers] to attend a two-day weekend event on the North Shore every year?

What would entice [sea kayak owners who don't have paddling buddies] to attend a two-day weekend event on the North Shore every year?

What would entice [famous BCU instructors] to attend a two-day weekend event on the North Shore every year?

Continue brainstorming with other sub-groups from our tribe and see what commonalities or opportunities emerge: [greenland paddlers, paddling leaders who need WFA certification, surf ski racers, non-paddling spouses, people who don't yet own a boat]

As BigBird points out, we don't have to do it all in year 1 (or year zero, if we start this year). Our regularly-scheduled, NSPN-members-only Solstice paddle, plus a trip in the same area the next day, plus an evening presentation in someone's house or in a private room in a restaurant might be all that's needed to build the foundation of what can grow into a larger, annual weekend gathering of our paddling community.

I started a new post for the discussion of the NSPN symposium idea since this post was for fleshing out the details of the imminent 2021 New to Sea Kayaking Workshop, and my proposal probably couldn't see implementation before June 2022 or beyond.

A Modest Proposal:

NSPN should host an annual two-day event toward the beginning of the paddling season that aims to be THE must-attend sea kayaking event in Massachusetts. Call it a symposium, an open house, or just a paddling party. It should be enticing enough that most of the club membership makes it part of their annual planning. It should be open to the public, with enough incentives and benefits that the event spreads by word of mouth after the first year.

It should feature club-led L1/L2 trips around a protected area for those just getting started, as well as rock gardening and exposed paddling trips for the seasoned paddlers. There should be options for on-water navigation practice, rescue practice, and stroke improvement. There should be a large social component to the weekend, with a potluck-style dinner on Saturday, preferably at a location that allows alcohol consumption. There could be a kayak camping option, and a WFA certification offered that weekend. In some years, there could be a "mini-Blackburn" and paddling clinic for the surf-ski and racing community, or a rolling demonstration and clinic for those interested in joining the cult of the Greenland stick. There should be the option for overnight lodging (a preferred hotel or room block for out-of-towners) and evening presentations on navigation, trip reports from faraway paddles, or maybe just a private room at a local tavern. There should be a dedicated forum or space for the selling, swapping, and buying of used gear. There should be an online forum for the matching of people who want to test paddle certain boats with people willing to let their boats be test-paddled. There should be raffle prizes and other incentives to encourage people to attend.

Other groups (AMC Boston Sea Kayakers, meetup groups) and local BCU/ACA instructors should be invited to participate, give seminars, lead trips, promote their offerings, bring their faithful followers, and donate to the raffle. There should be a modest fee for the weekend to help cover the costs, with all profits raised donated to Salem Sound Coastwatch or another organization we support. Non-NSPN members could receive discounted or trial memberships at the end of the weekend to encourage them to return and paddle with us again.

As inspiration, NSPN could look to the successes of other clubs and organizations in our area that put on THE premiere event in their respective sports each year, and have built up vibrant communities around the events:

NEMBAfest for the entire New England mountain bike community.

The Wicked Ride of the East for the North Shore mountain bike community (the North Shore chapter of NEMBA is much closer to NSPN's size).

Riverfest for the New England whitewater kayaking community, an annual event started by AMC Boston Paddlers.

D2R2 for the New England gravel bike riding community, a huge fundraiser for a local land trust.

Other sources of inspiration might come from the New England Paddlesports Show, the now-defunct EMS Demo Days (for trying out new boats), and that meetup group that used to rent out a NH/ME hotel and get dozens of paddlers together for a weekend (sorry, I can't find any details on that one).

My vision was always to take the Solstice Paddle, throw in a second day of the instructional/skills paddling that we already do throughout the season, open it to the public and invite other groups and instructors to join in, add a gear sale and boat demo option, and have a big social party whenever we're not actually on the water. Make it something that the existing NSPN membership looks forward to year-after-year, and you can't help but draw in new members at the same time.

Respectfully submitted, your faithful "ideas are cheap" dreamer, Roxbury Puddingstone

This is a great event for anyone looking to brush up on their paddling skills at the beginning of the season. I can't make it this year, but always found it useful in the years I attended. You don't have to be a member of AMC or interested in being an AMC trip leader to attend.

Sea Kayak Spring Tune Up - Appalachian Mountain Club - Event Listings (outdoors.org)

Join us on Lake Cochituate and refresh your paddling and rescue skills. We will break into groups of similar ability led by volunteer instructors that will take you through maneuvers and challenge your strokes. All abilities are welcome. If you are interested in becoming a leader or coleader, this is an opportunity to meet other leaders and plan trips for this season. This event has an introductory portion on Zoom, Wednesday May 26, where we will review the basic elements of SK leadership and also break new participants into groups based on skill levels. Participants must bring their own boats with hatches for floatation. The zoom meeting will cover additional safety gear to bring.

Join us Saturday, May 29 at Lake Cochituate ...
After missing 2020 due to the pandemic, we're pleased to announce that the annual Boston Paddlers Sea Kayak Tune-Up is being held once again this year at Lake Cochituate in Framingham.
 
... and Wednesday, May 26 on Zoom
We're still taking precautions, so our traditional lunchtime "Picnic Table Talk" will be held Wednesday evening at 7:00 on Zoom.
You'll get a chance to hear a bit more about our program, discover ways you can give back to the paddling community as a leader, and get a chance to meet your instructors/coaches for the paddle on Saturday.
Participation in each session is capped at 8 people to comply with AMC COVID policies and practices. To avoid a crowded launch, each session will meet at a different time and location to start the day. It's important to attend the Wednesday evening Zoom to get your group assignment, meet time, and location.
It's Not Just for Leaders!
Originally developed for our leaders and co-leaders, the Tune-Up now offers something for all sea kayakers.
Looking to shake off the winter rust and get back on the water? Want to practice rescues? Need wet exit training? We have skill clinics for novice, intermediate and advanced paddlers as well as a leadership skills refresher for current and aspiring leaders.
Registration is Open!
Participants must register on Outdoors.org for the Saturday event and register on Zoom for the Wednesday virtual session.
Space in the program is limited. Sign up now to reserve your spot in our 2021 Tune-Up!
 
Please note:
Paddlers will either need to bring their own boat or rent a boat for the Tune-Up. The Paddling Committee does not have sea kayaks for rent in our program.
Rentals may be available at the park through Boating in Boston, although we haven't yet confirmed whether they'll be open for business that day or the type of boats they will be renting this year.
Paddlers in the sea kayak program should be using a sit-in kayak, 12' or longer with double bulkheads, perimeter deck lines and (optionally) a nylon or neoprene spray deck.

Recent NSPN discussions about camping options in Boston Harbor inspired an early-season camping trip, which was postponed twice until we found a suitable stretch of weather, tides, and people's availability.  Finally, four of us set out from Hingham for an overnight on Langlee Island, just a quick 20-minute paddle at the head of Hingham Harbor. Permission to camp on Langlee involves sending a free permit application to the harbormaster, and overnight parking can be arranged with the Hingham police department. Nancy handled all of our paperwork, and we were good to go.

Langlee has two camping areas, both accessible from a protected sandy beach and gravel bar on the east side of the island. Access to the bigger one seems easiest through the smaller one, which might be an issue later in the summer, as there was plentiful evidence of prior partying. Closed-toed shoes are highly recommended, for the broken glass, and for scrambling up "Mount Langlee" for an excellent view of the sunset over Boston. Bring binoculars and plan on washing your tarps and tents when you get home, as the birds are prolific, and we'd often look up to see a night heron or egret perched nearby. There was a small amount of poison ivy (just starting to leaf out), but we had no issues with ticks, bugs, or food-stealing mammals. Hammock campers will find many suitable trees, and there was plenty of downed wood for a low-tide beach fire. There are absolutely no facilities, so bring those wag bags and plan to pack out EVERYTHING.

We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon in camp, cooked dinner, watched a nice sunset over Boston, and then headed down to the gravel bar where Ben got a crackling fire going. The East campsite, landing beach, and gravel bar all face the beautiful wooded drumlins of World's End, and with the right attitude (and a carefully-chosen viewing azimuth), you could convince yourself you were in a totally remote environment somewhere much further removed from the busy world of Boston. We sat and talked for hours by the fire until the rising tide started lapping at our feet, and within five minutes our fire had been smothered as both sides of the bar flooded, leaving us a narrow path to retreat to our tents for the night.

After some light rain overnight and again at breakfast, we lounged in camp until the tide released us, and then paddled toward Boston and up Weymouth's Back River for lunch. The morning's light wind picked up considerably for the return paddle to camp, where we loaded boats and returned back to our cars.

Thanks to fellow paddlers Ben, Jane, and Nancy for a thoroughly-enjoyable, much-needed early-season escape. Throughout the trip, I was struck by how different it was to be paddling on these normally-crowded waters without a boat, wake, paddler, or moored sailboat in sight. I expect to be back again next year to take advantage of the early-season solitude.

Faithfully summitted, your humble NSPN trip reporter, Roxbury Puddingstone, III.

Given the high winds for the rest of this work week, and the threat of rain early on Sunday, this weekend's trip has been cancelled. My weekends are now fully-booked for the next six weeks or so, but if anyone wants to give this idea another try, there are a number of paddlers interested, and most of them can go mid-week. For future planning purposes: I have not received a reply back on the camping permit I sent in on Friday, so getting a last-minute permit may be an issue.

I had a conversation recently with one of the other Walden regulars. Maybe others will chime in as well, with their thoughts and interest level in a weekly Walden-area session.

The construction at Walden which constrained the parking is finished. The park will likely still shut down due to overcrowding on really nice (hot) days. There are some alternate locations in the area: Whites Pond in Concord, Heart Pond in Chelmsford, Lake Whitehall in Hopkinton, Lake Cochituate in Framingham. A few years ago I organized some river paddles during the overcrowded nights at Walden.

My current thinking is that I'm going to be an occasional-at-best attendee in mid-week practice sessions this season, maybe once a month after an initial "does my roll still work?" check-up. I'll be more likely to show up for camping trips, the occasional ocean day trip, and I might try to organize some longer down-river paddles if we get some big storms and a good downstream push in the next month.

In the past we've had good success with Bill's model: a recurring weekly timeslot at Walden, with a go/no-go decision the day before if enough people commit to attending that session. "Walden Wednesdays" has a nice ring to it, but those members who expect to be regular attendees should pick a night that works best for them, and the rest of us can join when it works out with our schedules.

Thanks, Rob!

A few people reached out privately with some suggestions, and some concerns about Covid. I'm still a few weeks away from my second shot, so I'm concerned as well. April 24/25 is my last free weekend for a while, so if there's a small number of fully- or partially-vaccinated folks who are OK with the risk/reward tradeoffs involved with the trip (and ONLY if the weather cooperates), I'll keep organizing. I'm also fine with filing this away as a good idea for early-season camping in 2022, or with stepping aside and letting someone else take it forward for only those with a fully-punched ticket/upper deltoid.

Happy kayak camping, all!

Since there's another NSPN event this weekend, and my weekend just got less available than it was 2 hours ago, I'm going to withdraw this trip. I'd still like to get out for a short overnight this month, so if this trip interests you, let's talk about the weekend of April 24/25, and proceed if there's interest and cooperative weather. High tide 9:40AM Saturday 4/24, 10:30AM Sunday 4/25. So we'd need to launch from Hingham by 10:30AM on April 24th. It's a nearly-full moon that weekend, so there may be werewolves and we'll have to drag the boats up higher.

Oh, sorry about that! Somehow I conflated the Easter plunge with the cold water workshop, and thought it had already occurred. Happy plunging/workshopping, everyone!

All this recent talk about Boston Harbor paddling has me itching to get out for an early-season overnight, and this weekend's weather and tides look perfect for an overnight at Langlee Island in Hingham Harbor. High tides around noon both days make for easy launching from Hingham Harbor, and low tides at 6PM mean plenty of beach for exploring and for below-the-tide-line driftwood fires. Overnight lows are a balmy 45, and the wind and boat traffic are both expected to be light.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a noonish launch from Hingham Harbor on Saturday, leisurely exploring of Grape, Bumpkin, and the inner islands, socially-distanced camping on Langlee, and a return back to the cars around noon on Sunday. Open to a max of 5 paddlers, drysuits required, and due to the early season and water temperatures, this can't be your first time kayak camping.

If there is any interest at all by Wednesday morning, I'll get in touch with the harbormaster and reserve the island for Saturday night.

Lovells is my pick. Some great waterfront sites, way down to the left, furthest from the water taxi landing. All of the sites feel very remote and private. The group camping area (may not be open in COVID times) is a grassy field, in the middle. Less interesting than the individual beachfront sites. You can walk all the way around Lovells on easy gravel at lower tides. Have seen bioluminescence there. The downsides are that it's the hardest one to get to (an upside, in my book), and it's closest to Logan airport. Bring earplugs for sleeping.

Peddocks: Short access from the tip of Hull, if you can park still there. We used to be able to park overnight at the high school in summer, but finding parking was always a challenge. "Easy" paddle across Hull Gut at slack, otherwise, it's an adventure. The yurts and tent sites are up a fairly large hill. They may have carts to haul stuff, but it's at least a 10 minute walk up a gravel road from the water. Group site is a grassy field near some of the abandoned buildings. This is a great island for a big group, a group with mixed interests or early and late risers (some can go a big day paddle, others can walk and explore the history...)

Grape has a great group site with water views on a grassy field right at the water's edge, with a big shade tree. The campsites on that island were hacked into the overgrowth and you would be hard-pressed to fit a second tent in any of the individual sites. Not impressed (this was 2012, perhaps they've made improvements). We got lucky and they bumped us to the group site.

Overnight parking in Hingham harbor proved to be the best option - just call Hingham PD and give plate info for permission. It's a mud flat at lower tides, so pick the right weekend dates. Good food/beer directly across from boat ramp.

It may still be possible to schedule a landing and coast guard tour of the lighthouse on Little Brewster.

On 2/8/2021 at 8:55 AM, Nancy Hill said:

I also recall seeing an add from a local kayak company (not sure which one) a few years ago advertising a kayak/camping overnight on one of the islands. They must have gotten permission.

 

 

Peter Sawtell from Seven Rivers Paddling was offering Isle of Shoals trips in 2018 - not sure if there was an overnight component or not. I see no mention on his current site. He was one of the boat providers and headed up the boating safety crew for Untamed New England 2018. After seeing he had Isle of Shoals trips on his website, I was terrified that the four day race was going to end with an open water crossing to Star Island. Instead we fought the tide from Dover up into Great Bay, all the way to Newmarket, and then rode the tide down to finish in Kittery. The worst lightning I've ever experienced came through right as we were about to push off at dusk in Dover. They called us back as we were launching and we rode out the storm (and the rest of the night) in the back of a leaky U-haul truck. The next day, Peter pulled us back over at Goat Island to ride out another storm cell right as we were about to run the wave trains under the General Sullivan bridge.

I'll add my name to the list of interested paddlers, but only if there's no lightning.

You're probably thinking of a "bothy". I carry this one for winter hiking and the occasional cold weather paddle. Bothy Bag 4 Person – Bothy Bags made in UK (summitgear.co.uk)

We didn't get to have our traditional Solstice Paddle this summer, so let's at least get together online for a Winter Solstice happy hour of happiness. This year's winter solstice is at 5:02AM, which seems a little early, even for this crowd, so let's start things off at 7:32PM, a mere 14.5 hours into this winter of our discontent.

Please join me from the comfort of your own comfy chair or survival bunker for an hour of virtual socializing and storytelling with your fellow NSPN paddlers-in-exile, from 7:32PM-8:32PM on Monday, December 21st.

At the anointed hour, click the following link to join: [removed now that event has passed]

You'll be asked for a passcode to join. You have to enter a number. I've tried to make it easy enough for the NSPN crowd to figure out, while thwarting the Zoom-crashing bots. It's the number of cockpits in your kayak. It's the leading digit on Tom Brady's old jersey. It's how old you'd be on your first birthday.

Enjoy these last few days of autumn (that reminds me, I should probably start raking leaves), and I hope to see you all in winter, on Monday, on the Zoomies.

 - Dan

You'll need a laptop computer, phone, or tablet with a front-facing video camera and a microphone, and you'll be prompted to run some free video conferencing software from Zoom when you join the meeting. If you haven't used Zoom or other video chat/conferencing software before, you might want to click the link below a few minutes ahead of time, to give yourself time to test your video and audio settings.

Sharing photos:

Zoom has several ways to share photos. If you'd like to do a slideshow or give a presentation to the group, the easiest way to do that is to share your screen from a laptop or desktop computer. In reality, this usually ends up causing a two-minute interruption while people try to figure out why it's not working. For simple sharing of a single photo, try the following:

Option 1: Make it a virtual background: click the options arrow next to the Video icon in Zoom, and click Choose Virtual Background. Select the photo you want to share with the group, which will then appear behind your disembodied head using a "green screen" effect. You can duck your head completely out of frame if needed, or point to stuff behind you like you're a TV weather caster.

Option 2: Make it your Zoom profile photo, and it will show up when you click Stop Video. To do this, click the options arrow next to the Video icon in Zoom, click Video Settings, and then click the Profile tab. Click the picture icon above your name to change your profile picture. If you turn off your video camera during the call, we'll see your profile picture instead.

Virtual meeting etiquette for large groups:

Mute your microphone if you're doing something else in the background or need to move around. Laptop users can stay muted and then hold Spacebar to unmute whenever they want to jump in with a comment. Speaking of jumping in, it takes us a second or two to realize who has started speaking, so it can get confusing if people throw in a quick one word reply or question. Keep talking, or use hand signals (thumbs up, wave, etc) instead of "yes", "hi", "bye".

For the best video quality, try to pick a spot in your house with plenty of light and make sure the brightest light is in front of you, and not behind you! (sit facing a window or lamp, with a wall with no windows behind you). Virtual backgrounds (when not sharing a photo with the group) and snap filters (puppy dog ears, and the like) can be extremely distracting. Sit close enough to the camera that we can see your face. It's more fun when we we can see you and your facial expressions!

These are meant to be light and airy social occasions and to offer an escape from the news cycle, politics, and negativity. If you get booted or muted, that's why.  

Cabela's in Hudson MA usually has a bunch, sometimes tied up along the outside wall or on display inside. I've shopped for fishing kayaks for myself, for a family member on a lake, and for a friend who fishes for stripers off Marblehead. Reflecting on the following might help steer you to a good purchase:

 - What conditions? Choppy ocean? Placid lake? [how much freeboard, how stable...]

 - Do they want to stand to sight-cast or fly fish? [wide, extra wide, or so wide it doubles as a dock...]

 - Are they minimalists or kitchen sink fisher-persons?

 - Transportation to/from the water? Drag down the lawn from the lakehouse? Car topping? Trailer? [heavy, extra heavy, or ...]

 - How do they feel about getting in and out of a tippy kayak?

I ended up with a plastic fishing SUP which is perfect for my minimalist fishing use - a big flat area to stand/move around on, with a single rod and small tackle box clipped onto a deck line.

My friend ended up with a pair of Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100 kayaks which are light enough to shoulder onto J-racks on a subaru, and we use milk crates with two rod holders behind us for tackle.

My father's main criteria was something he could easily get in and out of, which wasn't obvious until we tried a few options. A sturdy strap tied to the bow toggle helps a lot.

A few boat types just to get you started:

Wilderness Systems Tarpon Tarpon 120 - 2020 | Wilderness Systems Kayaks | USA & Canada

Ocean Kayak Malibu Ocean Kayak Malibu 11.5 Sit-on-Top Kayak | Cabela's

Hobie Mirage pedal kayaks Kayak & Fishing Kayak | Hobie

If you have a chance to see a bunch in person, open one of the access hatches and get a sense for how thick/flimsy the plastic feels, and how the rigging is attached. On the low end, I found several promising options that we immediately rejected for durability issues.