I just acquired a Pyranha H3 255 white water boat. From the serial number it looks to be a 2003. It’ll be my first white water kayak.
The high density poly hull looks to be in great shape but the outfitting has some issues:
One of the thigh brace brackets (they look like Bakelite)is broken where the back band ratchet buckle attaches. A piece chunked off the end and the threaded brass lug is gone but the bracket still secures the thigh brace okay. Can I get a replacement bracket?
The seat pan is adjustable fore and aft with long slots. The surface of the slot has teeth that probably mates up with a matching toothed washer to keep the seat pan from slipping once it’s bolted tight. THe toothed washers are missing on both sides. Can I get replacements?
The drain plug screws into a threaded lug that is screwed into the rear of the hull. The lug has just one plastic thread remaining and it looks like more threads were there but have been stripped. Can I get a replacement drain plug assembly?
The back band ratchet buckles are badly worn. Get I get replacements?
If replacements aren’t available are there suggestions?
Thanks.
Original parts might be tough
but replacements are available. In my opinion a replacement back band would be easier (and possible cheaper). Immersion Research makes replacements that are very user friendly to adapt to nearly any existing boat platform.
In regard to the area that the back band attaches to, it sounds like the seat tower to me. This may be tough to find a replacement for, and may need repair by either plastic welding or laying up some plastic or other support to allow the slot to support the back band attachment.
In regard to the drain plug assembly you could plastic weld the entire area to build up more plastic and re-thread the hole, or look at compression style fittings that are used in many boats, and are available online at many outfitters (NRS, REI, or Harmony).
Try a Pyranha dealer
Although that model is discontinued, Pyranha may well have used the same thigh brace assembly on boats still in production or have replacement parts for your boat available.
The drain plug is probably not a big problem. There are lots of aftermarket drain plug kits like this one, and they seem to mount in the same diameter hole in the hull:
http://www.harmonygear.com/products/9688/Harmony-Drain-Plug-Kit.html?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleHG&gclid=CKjk-Kj5yLoCFaUWMgod5FgAdg/
If the hole spacing for the well nuts is the same, you may be able to just drop in a new drain plug and secure it with your existing hardware.
Your boat has a forward adjusting ratcheting backband that mounts on the thigh brace assembly (as you know). Immersion Research does sell replacement back band ratchets that might work on your boat: http://www.immersionresearch.com/store/parts/backband-ratchet/
They also sell a replacement forward adjusting ratcheting back band similar to the one in your boat, but it probably requires that the existing ratchet mounts be intact: http://www.immersionresearch.com/store/accessories/reggie-forward-adjust-backband/
There is an installation video on the web page for that back band. If you watch it perhaps you might be able to tell if it could be adapted to your boat if you are unable to secure a replacement thigh brace from Pyranha. Possibly you could remount the one back band ratchet in a slightly different position on your thigh brace by drilling new holes and using stainless steel hardware.
I would simply look in your local hardware store for an appropriate sized stainless lock washer for your seat adjustment machine screws.
If all else fails the Pyranha H3 was/is a pretty popular design. You might look around for someone who has a trashed H3 hull from whom you might be a replacement thigh brace cheap. The H3 255 was also a hull that some C-1 boaters liked to use for a "conversion" in which case they would have taken the thigh braces out. You might post over on cboats.net and see if anyone with an H3 conversion has a set of thigh braces laying around.