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mast water

Bolo

Contributing Partner
What 32 do you have? I own a E32-3 (1987) and, yes, there is water intrusion at the mast and it's typical for that boat. Not sure about earlier models of the 32. If you have a mark 3 version you'll notice that it has a mast/shower sump bilge which, on my boat is almost alway filled with some water. I use to have a rotary type pump in that bilge but changed it over to a diaphragm type which can suck out most all of the water without refilling from the back pressure in the line after a rotary pump stops. I also have plans on installing a diaphragm put in the "main" bilge too.

There are some things you can do to reduce the water intrusion. Make sure that your mast boot is secure and not letting water in at the deck. Mine needs to be repaired/replaced. Also, at least on my mast, there is a small almost unseen slot in the base of the mast facing aft. Sometimes this gets clogged with whatever junk is in the mast and needs to be cleaned out. I found that a typical butter knife does the job of clearing it and allowing whatever water is in the mast to make it out to the mast/shower bilge.

I see that you're from NYC so during the winter I suck out all the water in the mast bilge and then pour in a bit of anti-freeze. Since water will find it's way into the bilge the anti-freeze will help it becoming one solid block of ice. I make a trip to the boat every two to four weeks during the winter to check it out and again drain the mast bilge and re-fill with a bit of anti-freeze once again.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
The owner profile here shows an Ericson 29. (?)
More current info will help.
 

1911tex

Sustaining Member
Water intrusion from the mast? Oh my goodness...not being facetious here, but I think that is pretty much SOP with most if not all sailboats to different degrees.
 

julibell

Member II
What 32 do you have? I own a E32-3 (1987) and, yes, there is water intrusion at the mast and it's typical for that boat. Not sure about earlier models of the 32. If you have a mark 3 version you'll notice that it has a mast/shower sump bilge which, on my boat is almost alway filled with some water. I use to have a rotary type pump in that bilge but changed it over to a diaphragm type which can suck out most all of the water without refilling from the back pressure in the line after a rotary pump stops. I also have plans on installing a diaphragm put in the "main" bilge too.

There are some things you can do to reduce the water intrusion. Make sure that your mast boot is secure and not letting water in at the deck. Mine needs to be repaired/replaced. Also, at least on my mast, there is a small almost unseen slot in the base of the mast facing aft. Sometimes this gets clogged with whatever junk is in the mast and needs to be cleaned out. I found that a typical butter knife does the job of clearing it and allowing whatever water is in the mast to make it out to the mast/shower bilge.

I see that you're from NYC so during the winter I suck out all the water in the mast bilge and then pour in a bit of anti-freeze. Since water will find it's way into the bilge the anti-freeze will help it becoming one solid block of ice. I make a trip to the boat every two to four weeks during the winter to check it out and again drain the mast bilge and re-fill with a bit of anti-freeze once again.
What 32 do you have? I own a E32-3 (1987) and, yes, there is water intrusion at the mast and it's typical for that boat. Not sure about earlier models of the 32. If you have a mark 3 version you'll notice that it has a mast/shower sump bilge which, on my boat is almost alway filled with some water. I use to have a rotary type pump in that bilge but changed it over to a diaphragm type which can suck out most all of the water without refilling from the back pressure in the line after a rotary pump stops. I also have plans on installing a diaphragm put in the "main" bilge too.

There are some things you can do to reduce the water intrusion. Make sure that your mast boot is secure and not letting water in at the deck. Mine needs to be repaired/replaced. Also, at least on my mast, there is a small almost unseen slot in the base of the mast facing aft. Sometimes this gets clogged with whatever junk is in the mast and needs to be cleaned out. I found that a typical butter knife does the job of clearing it and allowing whatever water is in the mast to make it out to the mast/shower bilge.

I see that you're from NYC so during the winter I suck out all the water in the mast bilge and then pour in a bit of anti-freeze. Since water will find it's way into the bilge the anti-freeze will help it becoming one solid block of ice. I make a trip to the boat every two to four weeks during the winter to check it out and again drain the mast bilge and re-fill with a bit of anti-freeze once again.
Bolo- many thanks for your thoughtful and detailed answer. I have a 29 and have been looking at a 32 that had a bilge filled with water. Perhaps I have been very fortunate with my E 29.
 

vanilladuck

E32-3 / San Francisco
Blogs Author
I have an 1985 E32-3 and after this month's first rain I went down to the boat and found a puddle of water on the cabin sole. The boat lists a few degrees to starboard and since the step of the mast is raised off the sole the water just runs across and under... well, who knows, probably onto an adventure inside the TAFG ;-) I've looked at the mast boot and am moderately confident it's in tact. Examining how the water enters the cabin and I think it's using the sail track on the aft side of the mast with a hold at the bottom that @Loren Beach points out. The only difference is it runs down the outside of that track as well, but not the forward or port/stbd sides.

PXL_20201231_033910643.jpgPXL_20201231_033918380.jpgPXL_20201231_033930853.jpg
(please don't judge my dirty bilge)

I was chatting with @gfilipi who has his 1986 E32-3 nearby and his mast step actually has a trough with a channel to guide water into the shower bilge (sorry no photos). Maybe this was an improvement they made in '86 vs '85. He was suggesting to use something like Rescue Tape | Self-Fusing Silicone Tape to build my own DIY channel. You can see the little guides that someone else attempted to put in place using some sort of tape that is now so dry and brittle it might pass as an aged parmesan at a really bad Italian restaurant.

If I can get the water into the shower bilge I'd be very satisfied - any suggestions or things other folks have tried?
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
My 32-3 had two measly holes drilled by a previous owner. I may have enlarged the hole to 1 inch--can't really remember.

I think the simple solution is to carve away a bit of the floorboard so mast water can enter the bilge, then guide it with pencil-thick dams of epoxy or similar. The vent in the mast base needs to be kept clean, if it clogs the mast base will fill with water.

crop Thelonious saloon table-001.JPG

This I found out when probing with a screwdriver, followed by a flood. There's no way to keep water from coming down inside the mast, all we can do is direct it where we want it to go.
 

Filkee

Sustaining Member
My mast step had a system which looks pretty nifty but had
failed. I am in the process of fabricating a replacement. It’s basically a dam that wraps around and directs flow forward. A4ACC206-DC08-4FAA-8783-CB454C53662D.jpeg
Then there is a cap that goes over the whole thing. (2 pieces). Bonus: if my saw cut isn’t perfect around the mast, the cap will cover it.
D0C504CD-898C-4939-B4EE-D632C21336C1.jpeg
I measured and pulled it out
6144CE9F-951A-4583-BA36-DD047D54AD37.jpeg

And now I’m fabricating a replacement from scrap.
image.jpg
it was held down with machine screws and a lot of sealant and there were a few spots where it had rotted and was fiercely weeping.

Another safety tip, if the yard likes to pitch you aft on your cradle, the water won’t go down the hole.

...and before you ask, the crack is where I realized I’d have to pull the mast if I wanted to get it back on in one piece. What’s the Good Old Boat motto? Often wrong, always confident?
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Mine has gone through various iterations over the years--it's a manageable problem that never goes away:

First I just went with a strip of silicone caulk around the mast step base. This works until the boat pitched or heeled enough to make the water jump the caulk. Note the removal of damaged sole veneer in that area.
20170205_221301.jpg

Next, I built-up the caulk to higher/wider levels which worked ok, but looked like hell. Also, I could never get my hands between the port side of the mast and the settee to properly caulk the port side. I also ground out "tracks" in the step to get water to drain where I wanted.
20190221_145731.jpg

Final iteration was to cut narrow plastic strips and 'adhere' them to the port side of the step with black polysulfide (kind of like Filkee's idea). I actually like this look and function better than the plain caulk, but haven't bothered to redo the stbd side.
20201012_222602.jpg

I have never had water running down the outside of the mast (your 3rd picture). To me this would hint that water is getting into the mast boot. My mast boot was poor fitting when installed--the hose clamp made the rubber scrunch up into folds that would admit water. I filled the folds with silicone and wrapped the entire top of the boot with electrical tape until the tape was pulled into a tight seal against the mast. Then I put another hose clamp around the electrical tape to keep it from unwrapping. You can see the electrical tape above the Sunbrella cover--no leaks.
20200810_174025.jpg
 
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