E25 Masthead Allows Rain to Enter Spar
I've never seen/heard of a seal at the masthead, but putting a standpipe into the shoe of the mast step is an easy and effective way to stop water leaking below. Here's a page I put together way back on doing this on my prior E-27:
http://home.comcast.net/~ericson-yachts/standpipe/standpipe.html
http://home.comcast.net/~ericson-yachts/standpipe/standpipe.html
Joe
Member II
David: thanks for the link to the standpipe project (by the way, I got completely distracted by the rudder rebuild project: I had no idea that foam could be that powerful...). My mast is stepped on a tabernacle with a foot (including a heel) at the mast bottom. This is common on the E25 CB, so I'll put two weep holes just above the foot where it fits the mast bottom.
The original mast wiring had slabs of 2" cushion foam spaced every 3 feet securing it inside the mast, so the top few absorbed most of the rain and were quite black and disintegrated. Very little moisture seems to have reached the mast bottom over the years. I'm now using heavy duty ties in a star configuration every 3 feet around the mast wiring, and I was concerned that moisture would now pool in the bottom.
From the replies I'm not going to bother further with the issue. If the outside of the mast gets wet, the inside will just have to join in
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The original mast wiring had slabs of 2" cushion foam spaced every 3 feet securing it inside the mast, so the top few absorbed most of the rain and were quite black and disintegrated. Very little moisture seems to have reached the mast bottom over the years. I'm now using heavy duty ties in a star configuration every 3 feet around the mast wiring, and I was concerned that moisture would now pool in the bottom.
From the replies I'm not going to bother further with the issue. If the outside of the mast gets wet, the inside will just have to join in
.Ties are a good way to go in the mast to isolate the wires from slapping. You should be in good shape. Foam is wild stuff. I had no idea until I got into the project what I was in for. I'd do it again 
When I serviced the mast on my prior E-27, it was packed with styrofoam packing peanuts. That really sucked! You wouldn't believe how many hours of ram rod and vacuum action it took to free them up. There had been a suggestion to make my mast into a flame thrower/rocket launcher to clear it. If I could have figured a way....
When I serviced the mast on my prior E-27, it was packed with styrofoam packing peanuts. That really sucked! You wouldn't believe how many hours of ram rod and vacuum action it took to free them up. There had been a suggestion to make my mast into a flame thrower/rocket launcher to clear it. If I could have figured a way....