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Spartite and new mast boot

4K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  msmith10 
#1 ·
Hello all, i would like to replace the mast boot before restepping mast but i have the Spartite mast wedge system at the base of the mast. any ideas how to get the spartite off the mast base to get the new mast boot on? it slides about a foot then gets increasingly tighter. i waxed the mast to help it along. should i use a heat gun to make it more pliable? has anyone cut the spartite along the slide track and then reused it, seems the mast collar would hold it in place.

Any ideas? at least we are in the water, early for Lake Erie.

S/V Wendy Michelle
 
#2 ·
Our spartite 'wedge' is split.. it still works, and in reality it's not meant to be a seal so we fashion a boot above it. We build a tape boot that lasts a couple of seasons and then renew it..
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply Faster, i think i am leaning towards splitting it to get it off. the problem is that when the Spatite was poured into the deck collar the t-slot (sail slidetrack)was not sealed and the material got into the track. i think this is where all the resistance is coming from. i am going to try digging more of it out of the track first.

S/V Wendy Michelle
C-42 2Cabin
 
#4 ·
The mast boots are pretty stretchy. I think you should be able to work it over the spartite wedge.
Even if you have to cut the top a little larger, it shouldn't hurt the boot if you clamp it and goop it correctly.
I think you would be better off leaving the spartite wedge intact rather than making it looser. It should still be fairly water tight if you use some silicone when you slide everything back into position.
 
#5 ·
If you really can't ease the boot over the Spartite (soak with hot water? soften with heat gun?) you might try some cribbing, like a 2x4 or 4x4 down below, and using a small bottle jack to PUSH the spartite up.

I'd have to second the thought though: Work the boot, leave the Spartite where it is. Spartite generally doesn't like moving.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Forget using a one piece "collar" style boot. Get a dead inner tube from a tire store and cut out a piece shaped to neatly wrap around the mast with a healthy overlap. Wrap it around the mast upside down and hose clamp the top from the underside. Fold the rubber down over the hose clamp and organize it neatly around the base of the mast/collar/step and hose clamp it again. Put a bead of caulking in the top "roll" against the mast to prevent water collecting in the small depression where the rubber rolls over the top hose clamp. Total cost - the price of two big hose clamps.

If you want to get REALLY slick, get a fabric boot made from Sunbrella or suchlike to cover the innertube rubber.

Enjoy your totally dripless deck opening.
 
#7 ·
Well, thanks fellas for all the good advice, i really did consider the dead inner tube. after pushing an old ejector pin down the sail track i realized the Spartite had leaked into the track at the very bottom. used a Dremel to chew that out and it slid right off. only because it was greased properly as a mold release before it was poured.

Have a great summer

S/V Wendy Michelle
C-42 2 cabin
 
#8 ·
The best mast boot I've ever used is the self-bonding tape (like Rescue Tape). You can buy the 4" width which is a little easier, but I use the 2" that you can get deals on at the boat shows. After wrapping the mast in an upward spiral I fill the track at the boot with silicone caulk (one of the places I'll use silicone). As mentioned above, I have a sunbrella cover that goes over top of the whole thing and dresses it up a little (besides giving it some UV protection and a good place for spiders to hide).
 
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