I just got a Greenlander Pro and want to replace the seat with a foam one.
Ordinarily I would cut the seat out with a reciprocating saw, but I have owned many NDK boats and know that the seats are not put in all that well.
What might be a better way to get it out without cutting? I am thinking of removing the foam from underneath and then banging with a rubber mallet.
Any other ideas?
thanks
Matt
In my experinece…
Just paddle it a few years. It’ll fall out all on its own, and usually at the worst possible moment. I’ve seen a half dozen or more of them fail.
Seriously, though, if you want to remove it, cutting is your only option if it’s the glass seat that’s integrated into the coaming. I’d use a Dremel tool with a cutter wheel on it myself. Less chance of collateral damage than with a sawzall.
no problem
The seat is hanging on fiberglass hangers, no? It cuts easy, a fine tooth hacksaw blade will zip through it no time. The dremel tool works fine too but if you go that route make sure you are wearing safety glasses and a dust mask.
One thing to consider before cutting is if you want to leave the hangars intact to keep the existing backband setup or if you want to go with a mini-cell back-support mounted to the bulkhead, or nothing at all.
Once the cutting is done, putting things back is much harder.
well
whatever you do please explain what you did and post pictures - inquiring minds need to know how it turned out… I am still procrastinating on the removal of my seat. I guess I am waiting for it to fall out at the most inopportune time
My experience…
…cutting the fiberglass seat out of the Greenlander Pro I bought used from YOU, Matt, was to simply put tape (ala Brian Nystrom) on the seat where i want to cut, mark with pen and then use a fine toothed hacksaw blade that has something wrapped around one end to save my hands.
Even with “extra foam” under the seat, its not too much work to use a plastic putty knife to scrape off the foam and that will let you pull out the seat pan. Then simply clean it all up and put in the foam seat. Mine works great (NDK brand) as it also has built in hip pads and is better than the Valley one that doesn’t have the cloth over the minicell.
I figured my GP lost 5lbs at least by removing it and gained alot in comfort. By the way, I cut it out so that I left enough support for the backband to remain!
Scott
hangers
Years ago I cut the seat out and left the hangers in on a Valley boat. This allowed me to keep the backband. I sold the boat but the guy who boat it used it as I left it and it put too much pressure on the hangers w/o the seat and caused the coaming to crack. So when getting rid of the seat, you may want to consider getting rid of the hangers too and going with a foam backrest which is way more comfortable anyway.
Suz
Got it out
Plain old manual hacksaw blade taped on end worked best.
thanks
Matt
Sanding
They mold the seat and then glue it in place with thickened resin and I believe glass over that. I’d have to look at my boat to be sure. If you wanted to save the seat, sand down the glass holding it in and then try to heat up the glue while working the seat out. Might work.
NDK attaches the backbands
on their foam seat boats with a SS screw down through the deck adjacent to where a glass seat would hang.
Works fine. If I ever do another seat-ectomy, (have done 4) I’ll just cut it out and not leave any “ears” hanging down.
That’s what my buddy did…
…with his Explorer. Works fine, I’m sure it’s much stronger.