Mast Boot Deck Pin Mast Collar

Here are some photos of the right way and the wrong way to install a mast boot and seal around the deck collar on an Island Packet 35. The mast wedge is an L shape piece of rubber where the long part of the L presses into the gap between the deck collar and the mast. The mast pin is a SS pin that goes through the deck collar and through the mast. Both of these items need to be clamped. Clamping the mast wedge presses it against the mast and helps to seal out water. Clamping the mast pin prevents it from moving side to side and coming out of the mast deck collar holes. Once the mast wedge is clamped, add silicone sealant around the joint to help with the seal. After all the the clamps are on and secured, next wrap the mast collar and joint with boot tape which works like rigging tape but is 4" wide. It will stretch twice its length and it will stick and seal back onto the previous layer. Go around and around the mast making a good seal. Finally use silicone caulk and caulk the slots and gaps due to the shape of the mast cross section. At this point your mast joint at the deck is perfect and is sealed and will not leak.

Here are some photos of this process.

This is what it SHOULD NOT look like. This is an upside down mast boot! It leaked a lot


This is a proper job with no leaks!


This is the mast wedge with NO CLAMPS, also the mast pin is NOT clamped


Clamps added and sealant added


Notice the lower clamp around the mast pin, this is important!


The finished job, and zero leaks



Hayden

Thank you Drew. I am glad you found your mast leak and that you were able to redo this. I too just keep a caulking bead around the mast deck plate at the deck. This helps to keep that sealed as well. This has not leaked since doing as shown above now nearly 3 years ago.

Thanks for following our blog at www.IslandSpirit.us we are really enjoying Puerto Rico, what a surprise this island has been. Sat we power on east into the lighter trades but still into the trades. Thanks for sailing along.

Hayden in Salinas, Puerto Rico

Steve
I used Boat life caulk and it's working great this year in the Caribbean, no mast leaks. None.
Hayden

Andrew:
The caulk I use is BOAT LIFE caulk. This works well and you can see above how I caulk and wrap the boot tape around to finsh it all off. This all works very well. I would also ue the same caulk around the base of the deck plate. I would caulk it and not take it off, unless you really think it is required.

The mast deck plate pin is rather important. The purpose of this pin is to add stiffness to the deck when the rig is under load and sailing offshore. Without this deck mast pin, the deck can flex up due to the forces of the standing rigging pulling on the deck our near the edge. These pulling up and in and this tends to flex the deck upward at the mast plate. So the pin thru the deck plate and thru the mast stops this. You can carefully drill the hole into the mast then push the pin thru. I secure mine in pace with a large hose clamp making sure it does not move side to side. See the photos above.

Best wishes for working on your mast.

Hayden