At the beginning of last year I purchased a 1987 Catalina TR. We had a great first season, however, at the end of last season I noticed a slight depression in the deck at the base of the mast. After investigating I noticed that the wooden block (it was actually plywood layed horisontally)in the bilge and beneath the compression post was rotted. The mast was removed as was the rotten wood. I contacted Catalina and they provided me a detail of the fix (replace the wood with a single piece of hardwood). The opening at the end of the bilge is smaller than the void that must be filled. So after talking to several other sailors I have decided that the best fix would be to replace the wood with marine grade plywood epoxied in place in several stages. I have decided to place several layers at the bottom, and several at the top. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to insert and epoxy that final piece in tight. And any suggestions on what type of epoxy to use. I have seen a fix where a stainless steel frame was constructed to replace the wood block, however I believe that Catalina designed this to be a wood block, maybe to act as a shock absorber between the compression post and the fiber glass hull. Are there any other thoughts or suggestions on this subject. Dave Mariano "Let It Ride" Braintree, MA