Wooden plug at the bottom of the mast

[Steve]

I am working on the mast... rewiring and such. there is a wooden plug at the bottom of the mast which is form fit to the mast. It is quite wet and soft and I removed it. Is it necessary to replace this? ThanksSteve

 

[Shane]

I don't have one.

I don't know why there would be one there. I thought the mast was made to drain easyly because water will always get inside the mast from where the sheaves are. The only reason I could think of is to keep the birds out when the mast is not steped.

 

[Steve]

Thanks

Thanks for the reply. I can't think of any reason for it either. My dad's mast on his Westsail 32 is hollow at the bottom as well.The plug was all soft and wet, so had obviously been trapping water that got into the mast

 

[Art]

Aded hight

I have heard that some people have added a wooden plug under their mast beacuse their standing rigging has streached out. I do not recomend this. Spend the money on the new rigging. I am not sure that this is the issue for you but it might explain it.Art <(((<>

 

[Aldo]

Birds and Bugs

Steve: I stuffed a piece of sponge into the bottom of my mast to keep birds, and bugs (like wasps and yellow-jackets), from building their nests inside there. They kind of take the fun out of working on it. Aldo