Installing a radar dome on the mast, got the wires down through to the bottom, hit a snag: The exit hole for mast wiring is to port, up against the holding tank (why'd they do that? Oh well.). So, opened the door in the settee and drilled through the glass and a smaller hole into the mast from aft. Got the wires, all is good.

But: started wondering why the lower inch or so of the mast has paint flaking off. I've seen that, but it was just "oh well." So I poked my finger inside the mast and found wet "something." Got needle noses, pulled and started bringing out wet packing rope. Stuffed it back in for now. Clearly it is intended to be there, but from the factory? So, I'd guess that packing material has been wet since the boat was first rained on, no wonder the paint is flaking.

Should I leave the material in there? Why didn't Catalina drill a hole in the very bottom of the mast to let water out? I decided to drill a small hole as close to the very bottom as I could get to create my own drain.

Any other ideas?

Dan
S/V Tao
C36 1983, #114