Leak test at pylon/casting

My port side hull takes on two quarts or so of water per sail while the starboard only spills a couple of cups. This is consistent with each outing. I am new to H16 ownership (3 months) but have spent hours researching leak detection and repair. All areas (that I know of and can physically cover with soapy water) have been checked including chain plate anchor, bow tang (cannot imagine these leaking with reinforced glass in this area), gudgeons, drain plugs, hole in lip for rudder pin, pylon thru deck seam, keels (slight wear, barely into glass, saving for winter project) and deck-to-hull seams. I sealed all air leaks except for the four joints where each corner casting ties into its corresponding pylon. As far as I know (after three separate leak test) the only thing left that leaks air are those four pylon to casting joints. If the pylons are equipped with a vent tube I certainly do not want to eliminate them by sealing the joint. Also, I have yet to capsize or fly the hull much (boo hoo) and it is difficult for me to imagine much water getting in through these joints. If they became submerged often enough or long enough I would expect water to make its way in rather rapidly, but it's hard to imagine that the occasional burst of water against a pylon would force enough water up to the top of the pylon and in the hull, even if the pylon was completely hollow. Which reminds me, I have yet to remove the castings to check the condition inside the pylons. Plus, in conducting a leak test both hulls leak air out of their pylons. Why is one hull taking on more water than the other? If both leak air equally shouldn't they take on water at a similar rate? The starboard is almost dry each time I sail it. Maybe it is the way I sail. I do favor the starboard tack more than port.

What is the recommended repair, if any, for leaks around pylon and casting joint without making hulls airtight. Is casting hollow? Cannot imagine it is. If I seal the bottom will air escape thru the front crossbar joint? Also, what is the track along the back of each casting. These had silicone in them when I bought it. I have since resealed these from the deck to about an 1/8 of an inch from the casting.

Billy Kaufman
Louisville, KY
83' H16 (AKA The Softy) Took a quart and a half to stiffen her decks.

See pix here:

http://tinyurl.com/jgsmp

The pylons are sections of H-14(?) mast extrusion, so they are hollow and the "seam" on the back is the luff track. Each pylon has a closed cell foam plug....the forward pylons have small vent tubes through the foam. The inside of the corner castings are not open to the inside of the crossbars.

It amazes me that so much water gets into most H-16 hulls. Sometimes I think rain water must get in somehow...or maybe it's condensation. Anyway, your foam plugs are probably shot, but I don't think it would be worth the effort to fix them with the amount of leak you're describing. On my previous boat, I replaced my pylon plugs with Great Stuff when I had the boat apart to epoxy the castings, do a bottom job, etc. in a last ditch effort to keep her racing. For now, my advice to you would be to drain after every sail and (everyone should) leave the plugs out to let her breathe while on the trailer. Just don't forget to put them back in for sailing! Hope this helps!

Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mi'sippi