Whomever had my boat before me has sealed up the gap on the back of the pylons with silicone. Is this really necessary? The corner castings are not watertight around the pylons so sealing up this gap seems counterproductive. Water would get in but not be able to drain out or evaporate. Also there was sealant caulk around the pylons to the hull. It was kind of nasty looking so I scraped it off and was going to reseal but it looked pointless to me. The pylons are hard cast into the fiberglass and there is no gap whatsoever. I'm thinking that if the pylons are separating from the hulls....the boat ought to be scrapped.
It's probably not necessary if they are not leaking, but everyone does seem to seal them. Note that there are foam plugs inside the pylons that will keep water out (unless they're rotted). There are vent tubes in the foreward pylon plugs. These tubes and the drain holes in the transon are all the ventilation you've got, unless deck ports are installed. That's why it's recommended that the boat be stored with the hull plugs out.
I had a brand new H16 (06') that leaked like a sieve when it got rough. I never did get around to sliconing it around the pylons, but I should have. Its the mostly like spot water would have gotten into that boat.
Always do. I keep my boats on the beach and the hulls can get pretty hot in the sun. Also, I take my plugs so no one else will!
I just bought an '82 Hobie 14 that was abandoned at a storage lot for at least five years. The previous owner had siliconed every possible gap at the pylons to deck connection and all the way up the back to the castings. She's been sitting there all this time with the drain plugs in, the decks are rock solid and when tipped up not one drop of water came out of the hulls <img src=
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/>...go figure?
All that said, I strongly believe in storing a 16/14 with the bows as high in the air as possible, with the plugs out. ALL the water, from a days sail, won't drain out immediately.