Just purchased a 2010 Valley Nordkapp and after a test paddle and some very close inspection found a few concerning things.
1.) Skeg action is very good actually too good where it falls down just from the action of paddling the boat about 1/4 of the way and will not stay up. Does not seem to be any way to create more resistance so it is snug in the up position. Has anyone encountered this and come up with a fix/adjustment.
2.) The underside of the combing and the combing joint between the deck and the combing was not well finished and the joint has gaps and the gel coat looks blistered in the same are. It was taped over with the blue electrical tape from the factory. Is this common or did I just get some shoddy work?
3.) There is a spider crack in the recess in front of the combing. Cosmetic I suspect but still for a brand new boat? Are these easy to fix?
4.) The glassed in cutout in the hull for the slider mechanism is not gel coated and is raw fiberglass with a bit of the blue color. The cable tubes had some sort of color matched putty but it was all cracked and dried. I looked at another Nordkapp and there was no putty at all just silicone sealant. Mine does have the silicone sealant under the putty. So my question is are these cutouts for the slider normally finished with gel coat before installing the slider?
Any responses will be appreciated.
So overall are these to be expected or does this seem like a poor build?
The boat paddles great and the hull under the waterline has beautiful finishing. These are minor things but…
Normal, go paddle it.
traditional traits 
My 2008 Nordkapp LV was finished beautifully and my sense is that most recent vintage Valley boats have a very high level of finish. My 2004 Aquanaut was much better finished than Celia's 2004 Explorer LV, but my Nordlow's finish exceeds the 'naut's and rivals the best I've seen.
The joint of coaming and deck is often ragged in British boats I've seen. The tape makes it less apparent. P&H has been taping that seam for years. Valley has done so only in the last few.
There was a time when inattention to detail was a norm for Brit boats (except P&H), now it seems a rarity. Take a look at older NDK boats for a thrill ;-)
All that being said, the only thing you mentioned that effects the boat's performance is the skeg deploying unintentionally. It should not be a difficult fix. (I have no advice on that fix as 3 of my boats have rope skegs and the one slider skegged boat has been flawless)
under the bell curve
What does a person pay for …
a boat that comes through as shoddy as that ?
Jack L
Nostalgia
Getting better but many of these older Brit boats and some of the new one’s are roughly built with cheap materials. Valley seems far better in recent years.
does this seem like a poor build?
I tend to differentiate between poor build quality and lack of attention to finish details. Most of the concerns expressed go to finishing details and do not effect the performance or safety of the boat. If you bought the boat from a dealer, you could talk to them about addressing your concerns. If the seller is unresponsive you could contact Valley directly. I’ve found Peter Orton to be very responsive when I had concerns with a Valley boat.
In the meantime, you have a Nordkapp. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but a boat unlike any other…
Example of this
Recently I peered at the interior bow and stern areas of a kayak made by a British company known for producing good boats. I understand it may not be easy to get the seam tape all the way down, but in this boat the tape did not get within 2 or 3 inches of the end pour and was just dangling (though solid now from epoxy)waiting to be broken off when the first dry bag got stuffed into the bow.
skeg
I have an '08 Valley that has a stainless rod at the adjuster end near the cockpit. If yours is the same then it’s pretty unlikely that the cable/wire was ever replaced but maybe it’s possible.
On my '01 NDK, I have replaced the cable due to kinking it and replaced it with something that was fractional - not metric. Since the skeg comes down on that boat a little when I drive (but not on the water) I wonder if a replaced cable is a possibility.
The other stuff? Never paid attention. Both of my boats are well made, but neither is finished like a Mercedes. 