I'm thanking mmiller and Thinwater skinner for helping me with my "errant parts" question.
I did a follow-up inspection of the interior of my 2015 PA 14 this afternoon. As a result, I have 3 more questions to ask. They appear at the extreme bottom of this post.
This is what I found:
1. The port-side white foam support was found in proper orientation below the deck location where a person would place his left foot if standing on the deck. The first photo below shows that support (I washed the color out of the photo, as the lighting was dim and overall definition was better in that area as a black/white image).
2. There was a starboard-side white foam support lying on its side near its proper location. It was not attached to anything and did not support anything. I also had the white foam support that I found in a forward area of the kayak that had motivated my original post. This gave me 3 white foam supports.
3. The area just forward of the support location shows a "clean-up" or repair area that extends towards the center of the kayak for about 9 inches. The most starboard end of that area ends in a deep, uneven series of ridges or folds in the hull material. There is no evidence that this area affects the exterior of the hull - the exterior is smooth and has the correct shape.
PHOTO1: black and white image of the white foam support that remained in place.
PHOTO2: white foam support that had been missing placed in correct location, with irregular interior surface shown.
PHOTO3: extent of irregular interior surface , ending with "rippled" area.
PHOTO4: close-up of the rippled, melted, or machined area.
Questions:
1. Is there a location in the kayak where the 3rd white foam support that was found should be placed?
2. None of the foam supports (white or black) in the kayak's interior are glued in place. Each one can easily be shifted with very little lateral pressure. Is that condition proper for this kayak?
3. Is the interior machining shown in the photos within manufacturing parameters for the PA14?
Like most of you, I want to learn everything about the kayak and insure a long and safe operating history for it and its operator.
Thank you for taking a look at my observations and questions.