Repair hole first
George: On my 1973 C22 I had a similar problem but in my case the bolt was just loose from minor leaks over the years. I repaired mine using the thru deck bolt hole sealing method in one of the West System books. I drilled the hole out 1/4" larger than needed, than using a bent nail chucked in my drill cut out the deck core anothe 1/4" all the way around the hole. NOTE: the lag bolt that holds the mast step to the deck goes down into the mast compression column that goes from the dinette seat to the cabin ceiling, so this will be a blind hole. Next I mixed up a batch of epoxy and liberally brushed the entire inside surfaces of the hole to "whet-out" the area. Next I added a west system fiber filler to the mixed epoxy that was left and filled the entire hole flush with the deck. Aftre a day or two I drilled the proper size pilot hole for the lag bolt 1/2" shorter than the bolt and drilled out the top 3/4" of the hole to the shank size of the bolt. Next I placed marine bedding compound around the hole and the base of the mast plate and bolted it back in place. On mine there was also another smaller screw or bolt that kept the plate in proper alignment. If you want more information have any questions E-mail me. Barry P. Broyles C22 # 1909 " Brighteyes" E-mail: LTBROYT6D@cs.com
