To pull or not to pull.
All, Here in SoCal there is no need to pull the mast for the winter which is great. For that matter, we don't store our boats on the hard either. But that's good and bad as regards the mast or specifically the mast foot. After having our boat for 11 years out here, I had the deck stepped mast pulled to rewire and repaint it. After fighting to get the mast off, the result was a mast base that had virtually turned to aluminum oxide and what wasn't white powder, came apart in chunks. So I guess I'd have to say that periodic pulling of the mast would be a good thing if not for the simple reason that the base should be inspected. It might interest anyone about to replace theirs to know that after getting a replacement base from Le Fiell, through the wisdom of my rigger, he immediately sent it out to be anodized. Prior to slipping the mast over it, he applied liberal amounts of Tef-Gel to all the faying surfaces, the benefit being that it now has a better chance of emerging intact the next time the mast is pulled. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA