Leaking water down mast compression post

[Kevin in VT]

I'm at my witts end.I've got water leaking down the mast compression post and can't figure out where the h*ll it's coming from.I have a 1983 h27.I've sealed around the mast step.I've sealed around both the V-birth hatch, and the main cabin hatch, and rebedded all hatch screws.I've rebedded the mast step screws.Still, I get water.The leak has apparently been happening for a number of years, and has rotted out the bottom of the teak box that surrounds the compression post. I also see that the compression post has started to colapse the floor of the cabin. So, I've got a good repair to do this off-season (another 6 weeks). Archives have a bunch of info. on how to handle this. I'm not afraid. But, where's the source????First question: Can water drain down the inside of the mast and run through the mast step, or is the mast step solid and has a plate preventing anything from entering the cabin? I seem to remember a post in the archives that indicated the mast step is hollow, but I can't remember what year boat that was.Second question: If water can drain down through mast step, what are the usual suspects on the mast that I need to check out when I have her stepped this fall??As always, thanks for any help you folks can offer.Kevin (sailing his summer away on Pure And Easy) in VT

 

[Daryl2400]

Mast Leak

It is common on the h31 and h34 for water to leak through the passage where the mast wires go through the deck and rot the compresion post. Properly installed there should be a drip loop on the wires to avoid water running down them and entering the boat. Yes water gets inside the mast through halyard opening. On those vessels the mast tub stuck up about 3/8" above the deck and needed to be periodically resealed.

 

[Patrick Lombard]

Same Problem

I had the same problem on my 1987 H31 early this year. I did not want to pull the boat out and step the mast, I wanted to sail. I got some Minwax wood harder from Home Depot and a ear dropper. Removed one of the sheeve at the base of the mast and flowed in about 3 ounces of wood harder. Waited an hour and repeated. Leak stopped.

 

[David11054]

Mast Step

The mast step on our '77 model is a hollow aluminum insert with several holes in the bottom:- 4 holes for the 1/4" bolts that hold the step to the pad/deck ovedr the compression post.- a 1" hole for a length of plastic tube that carries the electrical cables, and antenna coax to the mast.Loss of the sealing of any of these holes will cause a leak, and lead to the rotting away of the two wood sections of the step structure/deck. There are good descriptions of the step structure and repair techniques in the archive. I think you have to assume that you will have to lift enough fiberglass to get at all the rotted wood, and replace it with aluminum or epoxy.DavidLady Lillie