You can't completely compare a veneer deck with a solid one but they share some traits. These are the original decks on the the schooner BRILLIANT built at the Nevins yard. You can see the plugs are losing their depth/grip as the deck has worn deep over 75 years of hard use.

But the caulking worked well over the lifespan of the decks. I have no idea of how often they were re-caulked, but I don't expect to have to re-caulk mine. I'm likely going to use TDS deck caulking available at Hamilton's, down the road. I've used it a little, an easy product to use and the results were great.

As I'm tired of laying decking on my tiny project, this picture of the new decks that were installed on the Schooner Brilliant in Rockport a few years ago, make me feel better. I guess I can finish mine.