MAST CARE/prep for stepping & cleaning lines.

[luvitt]

Hey all,

Please give me some advice and steps to prep and care for my mast. I'm stepping it on soon, and it has been sitting about 2 years. Everything is very dirty and stained. There are black splotches in places. No corrosion. All the rigging was new when it was stored. The plastic covering the mast deteriorated and all the lines, halyards, sheets, etc got filthy and look sad. They were new as well. any suggestions about sprucing up the lines? or should i just replace them?

I washed the mast today with soft scrub and it definately looks better, but its still discolored and dull looking. Is there any treatment I can use? do you wax a mast? This is my first time!

What is the "putty" stuff around the joint between the mast and deck. the mast doesnt go through the deck, it sits on the deck and has a post inside. I assume the putty is to prevent leaks? is there a special brand or kind of stuff to get? oh, its on a 40' Hunter Legend.

Thanks

 

[Alex]

cleaning

you can daisy chain the lines and put them in a washing machine, cold water, if its really bad you can use mild liquid detergent making sure detergent DOES NOT HAVE BLEACH. After just hang them up to dry untied. The joint between deck and hull nowdays is usually sealed with 3m 5200 if thats what your lookin for. Different manufactures used different stuff at different times.

 

[BobM]

I'd buy a net bag made for washing fine washables, put the lines in the bag and wash them on cold. No bleach or fabric softener of any kind. Make sure you pull some thin cheap messenger line through the mast so you can easily rethread the halyards when done.

 

[luvitt]

you can daisy chain the lines and put them in a washing machine, cold water, if its really bad you can use mild liquid detergent making sure detergent DOES NOT HAVE BLEACH. After just hang them up to dry untied. The joint between deck and hull nowdays is usually sealed with 3m 5200 if thats what your lookin for. Different manufactures used different stuff at different times.

i dont think its 5200. its a mountain of a white putty-like stuff around the pipe that the mast wiring goes through. it isnt putty though, b/c it is solid/cured. feels like cured 5200 kinda, but i dont see using a mountain of 5200 on anything. i know its not 5200.

i believe its to keep something from leaking. what kinda putty/sealant/stuff is generally used for that?

 

[ajsail1]

going off what hunter currently uses, 5200 would be used on mast plate itself cause its load bearing. Around connections they would use dow corning 795, along with anywhere else that needs sealing thats NOT load bearing. you should be fine with just silicone.

-Alex