Today we stepped our mast on the boat after it had been down for the winter, not a normal thing for us, but the boat was shipped back from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to our home Port on Lake Huron.
The old mast boot was shot, so I went without one on the advice of the marina store who sold me a 4 inch non-sticky product.
I wrapped it around the flange and the mast, but it's stuck to next to nothing. I ended up taping it with 1 inch white electrical tape in the hope that it won't leak until I figure out what to do.
Please let me know if any of you have a solution you in lieu of the mast boot.
Since the mast is already set, if I do buy a boot, I might have to cut it and reform it around with the proper adhesive.
Any help would be much appreciated,
take care,
Rich
Rich
Richard & Joan Bain
PAZZO Hull#1670
1997 Catalina 36 MK11
Bayfield, Ontario
My Day Job Below
www.richardbain.com
www.bineapress.com
I ordered a new original boot through CatalinaDirect.
Quite an easy job to replace the boot with the mast off.
After removing the old damaged boot and cleaning the mast, I put the new boot in a bucket of hot water and with the "heated" boot is was easy to slide it over the mast to the final end position.
When cooled down the boot had a tight fit around the mast and no concerns and the supplied stainless hose-clamps are more for the show than that they have a real functionality.
I am aware that this needs to be done with mast off, but to our experience taking off the mast is an easy job which can be done within an hour (we do this exercise every year when taking out for the winter), so within a day you can get the best future-proof solution instead of struggling around with other so called "mickey-mouse" options.
Durk Nijdam
S/V "SILER"
Catalina 36MKII - 2001 / hullnr. 2013
Stavoren - Holland
I replaced mine with the mast up with this: https://www.fisheriessupply.com/sailing-specialities-universal-mast-boots/91200000
I'm not sure which size I used, but I just measured the circumference of the mast and collar to pick it. Following the instructions that came with it for installing with the mast up, I cut it down the side and then trimmed the top and bottom down to where you have a bit of overlap at both the mast and collar. It comes with a rubber cement type glue that you use to glue the overlapping section. Then I put silicone on the mast and collar where the boot ends up and secured it with hose clamps. I needed an extra hand to help stretch it evenly around the collar while I tightened the clamp. I did this a couple years ago and haven't noticed any leaks.
Eric Howell
Take Five
Seattle, WA
1989 MKI Tall Rig #1013
C36/375 IA Webmaster
Great information, thanks very much,
are you near Bellingham, Washington? I have family there,
take care,
Rich
Rich
Richard & Joan Bain
PAZZO Hull#1670
1997 Catalina 36 MK11
Bayfield, Ontario
My Day Job Below
www.richardbain.com
www.bineapress.com
Seattle is about an hour and half drive south from Bellingham.
Eric Howell
Take Five
Seattle, WA
1989 MKI Tall Rig #1013
C36/375 IA Webmaster
Richie,
Richie,
I had my mast stepped after the winter having my rigging replaced. The old boot that was on was an accordion looking type used for after the mast is in place, that I had installed to stop the leaks.. It came in a kit ( I'm thinking Catalina direct) with stainless clamps, glue and sealant. This spring I used the hard preformed boot and what a pain in the butt to get it to fit, and the wedges in there too. You cannot slide the boot up high enough to install the wedges so off comes the boom vang and bracket! Wew! That wrap or similar would probably do the best at this point. Checkout the link.
https://www.catalinadirect.com/shop-by-boat/catalina-42/rigging/standing...
Serenity C36 MKII 1996 #1583
For many years I've led the mast stepping crew at our self-help club in Toronto, so I've had a lot of exposure to different keel-stepped mast installations. I completely understand that, 'intuitively' (human kind's most natural go-to methodology for solving what appear to be problems at first), it appears that the mast going down through the hole in the deck requires some 'help' to stay centered in the hole. Our PO also had some carefully carved pieces of wood and plastic designed to be stuck down the sides of the mast. However, for many years now I have ignored whether the mast appears to be a bit port-starboard, or fore-aft in the hole when stepping and wait to tune the rigging. Seems that the turnbuckle that is intended to pull down the deck down around the mast and ensure that the shrouds do not squeeze the hull inwards is also super important to this process. Once I tighten the outer shrouds (read the C36 owners' manual), the mast centers itself and no blocks, chocks, Spartite, etc. is required. I can then slide the Cataline Direct pre-formed white plastic boot down over a bead of clear silicone and use two large hose clamps to secure it above the aluminum deck collar and around it. Consider giving it a try and ditching the 'centering aids' that 'feel' like they are essential to the process. The mast still leaks down the center of the mast into the bilge, but we have no leaks around the boot.
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada