Duhhhhhh ! Siliconed everything ! Is that a problem ?

I read in this forum that we don't like leaks. So I siliconed EVERYTHING that wasn't moving. Now I realize we have vent holes behind the front pilons on the 16. Is that something I need to remove or is it okay to leave it alone? Thanks!

The hulls need to vent due to pressure changes. Not venting can lead to delamination. Imagine putting a hot boat in the cold water and visa verse a cold boat left in the hot sun? This expands and contracts the air inside the hull. If is can not equalize, you flex and bend the structure. Over time it will damage the hull. Don't drive over the mountains with the plugs in for sure...

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

THANKS ! Got it !

Any chance of posting a picture of what those tubes look like and where they are exactly so I know what I am looking for to free/open them up?

Thanks Again !

They are inside the pylon. Pass through a foam plug from the inner hull to the top of the pylon. The venting is through the casting / pylon connection, so just leave the back side unsealed.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

it looks like this
i think if you just sealed up the outside.. it wouldn't be airtight...

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•Present boat -1998 Hobie 16 Solana Sails furling jib[/size]

Every H16 I've ever seen had the channel at the back of the pylons sealed with silicone. Seems like that is the first thing a new owner does even though they don't come from the factory that way. This just ensures that water splashed up under the pylons drains into the hulls via the vent tubes because it has nowhere else to go.

the vent tubes are very small 1/8" or so and are inside the pylon itself

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'73 hobie 16 restored 2011
'00 Seaswirl fishin boat

So....... Just free up a little of the silicon at the rear of the front pylons and everything will be fine? (plus leave the plugs out when not in use)
Thanks for the picture, I really was not sure where that hummer was!

Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be some confusion here. If you siliconed where the pylon goes through the hull deck (as sunvista mentioned), you're OK. If you sealed where the pylon goes into the corner casting of the tramp frame, you need to open it up some or the pictured vent tube inside the pylon won't work (as Matt M. states). And yes, leave the drain plugs out (when the boat's out of the water!).

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

Fyi... The pylon has always been sealed at the deck joint by the factory. There was never a leak issue down that luff track that I have heard of. New boats use a different extrusion that does not have the luff track "channel".

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

As usual I exagerated a little. I did you silicon on the pylon going into the hull on all 4 corners but never put any on the pylons that go up into the corner castings. And everywhere there was a scratch or dent to the gelcote I siliconed the heck out of it and smoothed it out with my finger. So it does not exactly looked top notch, but it should hold the water out.
THANKS TO YOU ALL !!!!!!!

The pylon appears to be molded into the deck. If that joint is loose enough to need silicone seems like you'd have bigger problems. My point was that plugging up the pylon luff track on older boats seems a little silly but everyone does it for some reason.

Well DEFINITELY add me to the silly folks category. In the absence of real knowledge seems like silicone, duck tape or WD-40 can heal just about anything. So here I am, with 2 large empty silicone tubes and a 1980 16 that HAS TO stay afloat because silicone is lighter than water (I hope) !

THANKS for all the input !!!

This really is THE BEST website with the BEST info/experienced guys around !!!