I just broke my second seat on my 2006 Valley Nordkapp LV. Both seats broke where the seat flange bolts to the hull. This is the new plastic seat, 2nd generation. The first seat that broke was a thinner plastic. Has anyone heard of this problem before? Valley replaced the first seat at no cost. I am awaiting the outcome for this second break.
Yep
The seat in my housemate’s ‘Greenlander Pro’ is all busted out. But wait, that is a NDK boat.
Perhaps it is a British thing!
I have two 2006 Valley boats…
a composite Aquanaut LV and an Avocet RM. Both appear to have the same Valley seat pan and backband. No problems so far.
Follow-up question, since you have obviously removed and replaced your seat once. Can these seats be moved forward, let’s say 1 inch from the factory placement?
Thanks.
I would leave it out
and make one out of foam.
Same goes with my '06 Aquanaut
– Last Updated: Jun-24-08 3:06 PM EST –
I broke the plastic seat on my Aquanaut about three months after I bought it. At the same place ... where the plastic seat bolts to the deck. At that point my local outfitter Geneva Kayak replaced it after a VERY slow response from GRO Great River Outfitters (The US importer for Valley).
Low an behold, about one month ago the seat broke again. This time I fixed the crack myself by bolting two metal plates together with epoxy reinforcement.
My thought is that these seats are going to continue to break. So I'm going to replace the plastic seat with the foam seat that Valley puts in their plastic boats. GRO said they would give me a no charge foam seat. I'll pull out the backband and replace it with a foam back rest. See this link to KayakQuixotica for details http://www.kayakquixotica.com/learning/kayak-seat-replacement-1/
Just my $0.02
DaveS
Broken. Twice.
I’ve broken the foam seat in my 2004 Avocet RM twice. Both times the line that connects to hold the backband broke through the ABS plastic - once on each side. I fixed by gluing in a SS fender washer using Plexus MA-300 adhesive.
This is the second boat that I have broken ABS plastic on (the other was my Swift Bering Sea). I’m not a fan of using ABS plastic in high stress areas. It just doesn’t hold up.
I’m not sure what plastic was used (and failed) in your 2006 boat, but if it’s the black ABS plastic I wouldn’t be at all surprised. Plexus MA-300 bonds well to the ABS for repairs.
Cheers,
~wetzool
Breaking Valley seats
– Last Updated: Jun-24-08 4:20 PM EST –
The original seat broke in my 2004 Aquanaut (first interation of plastic seat). Valley replaced it in 2005. The replacement seat has been fine thusfar.
The seat in my 2008 Nordkapp LV seems fine, but has not yet had truly hard use.
Yes
When Tom Heineman stopped by my home on his 2006 Lake Michigan circumnavigation, his Nordkapp was suffering from a cracked seat pan. As there are no kayak shops in my town and he was only staying one day, we attempted a repair. I was surprised to find how shoddy the workmanship was on this important part of the boat; the plastic is pretty flimsy, and the bolt holes were enlarged because they were obviously drilled in the wrong place when it was first installed.
Our field-expedient reinforcement only held for a few more days and Tom got the seat pan replaced by Valley further along on his journey.
BTW, my poly Aquanaut’s seat pan is integrated into the bottom of the boat for stiffening purposes versus being suspended as in a glass boat, so I’m not that worried about mine.
another option
The foam backrest is a good idea. However on the NDK I didn’t have a choice because of how it broke. When I took the seat out of my Valley Anas Acuta I cut below the hangers so I could keep the back rest. .
http://www.kayakquixotica.com/learning/kayak-seat-replacement-2/
Moving seat forward/backward
I have replaced two seats but feel it might be difficult to move and attach successfully. New holes would need to be drilled in the flange that keeps breaking, weakening it further. If the flange could be reinforced it might work. The next seat I attach will also in someway be attached to bottom of the boat (velcro or 3M 4200 )and I will fill the sides with closed cell foam. All seat motion needs to be stopped somehow. That is what is breaking the seat.
Valley Seat
Bruce: I have monkeyed around a bit with the seat in my Legend and noted the front edge is firmly bonded to the hull thus reducing any side to side movement. As you know, the Legend seat is glass not thermo plastic which also contributes to its rigidity. I would try bonding the seat to the hull wherever it makes contact. I use ShoeGoo which is tenacious and a darn sight cheaper than 3M 5200. Blocking the sides with foam will also help.
Seat Replacement methods
Reggie - Another seat I replaced was in my wife’s Silhouette. It was cracked on delivery. Seaward had me just about chisel this seat out, and replace it using a big glob of of caulk they supplied that was put on the bottom of the hull under the low spot of the seat. I did this again when I replaced the seat on her Avocet. This stops any seat movement. I plan to do the same for a new seat on my Nordkapp, but for now I have installed a NDK seat pan with my old backband and foam hip pads. I seem to be going through a lot of seats.
I agree, they break too easily
My '06 RM Aquanaut seat pan broke last year at the hangers when standing in it. I got a replacement, no questions asked, from the local dealer (RKC). I try to stand in front of the seat now when I goof around on the lake, but the seats are definitely too fragile. I’ve thought about putting some more foam around and under it to take some of the stress off the hangers, but haven’t gotten around to it.
When it breaks again I’ll have to do it right and put a foam seat in.
The only plastic…
…that should come near a fiberglass kayak is a credit card! Yuck!
Standing…
Well, I guess if ya see it on one of the guru video’s ya gotta get in line eh? How bout a surf board??? 
Glass seats need to be re-inforced with foam at sides and underneath.
that sounds reasonable
I’ve had an NDK greenlander for six years and it’s been well-used, but the seat bucket has stood up well. But it is well-supported by foam on the sides and bottom.
Are these seats failing near where holes or slots are placed for backband attachment?