Mast Boot Replacement w/ Mast Up

[Sundance]

I am looking to replace the mast boot with the mast up.  The old one is pretty beat and leaks bad, and I don't plan to pull my stick anytime soon.  I have seen the universal mast boot at WM which requires you to cut it and then use the adhesive to glue it back.  My thought/question is, it doesn't look like the universal boot will work with the C34 mast as the block for the main sheet is very close to the deck.  Has anyone used a C34 boot from Catalina Direct and just slit it down one side, or does this create a big problem, meaning it leaks.  Sounds simple, but thought I would ask of anyone has done this before.  Thoughts?

[Stu Jackson]

See reply #14 here: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4631.0.html

The mast boot itself doesn't really stop the leaks, it's the line at the deck where the stick comes through called the partner.

Do a search on "Spartite," too.

[Sundance]

That looks like a good idea, I'll have to give that a try.  I prefer not use Spartite, I prefer to spend my boat $$ other places first.

Stu, did you have to reinstall a new boot after you completed the sealing at the mast, or did you just raise up your existing boot, then pull it down when complete?

[Stu Jackson]

Same old boot, it's split at the back end.  It's 22 years old now! 

We also took Ron's advice, in one of the early Tech Notes, to build a BLUE canvas cover over it.  That's why it's lasted so long.

I recommended that you do a search on Spartite simply to suggest another opportunity for you to read more about different ideas about sealing the leaks, not to purchase it.  As you can imagine, Spartite comes up a lot in mast leak issues.

[Terry Forshier]

http://www.csjohnson.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16

try this stuff. Easy..You can also usually buy this on ebay at about 1/2 the price

[Stu Jackson]

Good idea, Terry, thanks for the link.  The questions is, basically, where YOU choose to begin to attempt to keep the water out.

[Bob Kuba]

I have used the rigging tape in the past. My experience has been that it is very hard to keep clean, and after a couple of seasons, it looks pretty bad. But it did seal very well and kept the water out. The only installation issue was that it has to be cut or slit at the base of the mast where the vang attaches and then sealed again.

I removed it and went to the split mast boot method and it is working well, but it's a slightly different version than the one WM sells. It keeps out all but the water coming down the spinnaker halyard.

If anyone is interested, I have an unused large Spartite kit that I am not going to use.