Siliconing tramp pylon vertical slots.

Hi guys, I'm wondering if slots on the vertical pylons that told up the trampoline at the four corners should be sealed up with silicone. I have siliconed the junction between the hull and the pylons, but not those vertical sliots. I'm finding Ants and other insects think this area is a great place for a home. I would imagine this is an area for water to get in hull as well. Any input?-

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Mims, FL

good question... and if so, what type of silicone do people recommend? great question as i have the same issue...

For some odd reason everybody does this. I think it is a waste of time. If they were meant to be sealed Hobie would be doing it at the factory. The forward pylons have hull vents in them and water splashed up there should have a way to drain out. If these slots are sealed the water will just drain into the hulls through these vents. My boat had a ton of silicone gooped around the pylons and I scraped it all away with no ill effects. BTW, if you need silicone between the hulls and pylons you have BIGGER problems.

I have some news for you - Hobie DOES put a bead of silicone around the plyon/deck joint on all new boats - and they've been doing it since boat #1. Aluminum and fiberglass have different coefficients of thermal expansion, so eventually, the pylon/deck joint will develop a leak if it's not sealed.

Newer boats have a modified pylon extrusion that doesn't have the track - it's just blank in the back.

If doesn't hurt to shoot some silicone in the pylon tracks of older boats. I don't think I've ever seen a leak develop there, but it's OK even if it's just to keep the ants out.

Any silicone sealant will do - available at any hardware store. Just clean off the old silicone, wipe with acetone to get it really clean, then apply the new stuff.

Wow. Okay, thanks MB thats what I needed to know.

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Mims, FL

I think I need to do this. I get some water in the hulls (starboard mainly) during normal use... but the other day I flipped it again and when on it's side the hulls take on massive amounts of water. I can only assume it's getting in at the pylons.

Check the deck lips, too. Best done with the boat flipped upside down on shore.

Older boats had a film of silicone applied to the hull/deck join.

Newer boats have a bead of resin drizzled on the seam.

The original poster (and my reply) referred to the vertical slots in the back of the pylons. You obviously see more new boats than I do (zero) but I still believe these slots are caulked up after boats leave the factory.

The silicone around the deck/pylons was all dry and cracked when I got my boat so I removed that too. It looked like a fairly watertight mold so I just left it. I get very little water in my hulls but maybe I'll put it back now.