Looking for a good mast boot

[Celestialsailor]

In the upcoming weeks, I will be pulling my mast to deal with a disintegrated mast step/heel in the bilge. Probably cutting off a few inches off the bottom of the mast and building up a platform to compensate.
My question is...what mast boot is the most reliable and robust to replace the old one?

[Jim Cate]

Best one I've had I glued up out of wet suit neoprene foam with backing on both sides. End glued in place with Black Magic glue and clamped in place with big hose clamps. Leak proof, not fiddley about fit 'cause it is stretchy, and pretty durable. I covered it with a Sunbrella sun s hield.

Jim

[Ferrity]

I like 4" wide self bonding silicone tape commonly known as Rescue Tape. It is inexpensive but a bit of a challenge to find in wider widths. My recent install was 4 years ago and has held up fine.

Dennis
s/v Ferrity

[boatman61]

Back in the late 90's I tailored a car tyre inner tube to make the mast boot for my Carter 30.. worked really well.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Best one I've had I glued up out of wet suit neoprene foam with backing on both sides. End glued in place with Black Magic glue and clamped in place with big hose clamps. Leak proof, not fiddley about fit 'cause it is stretchy, and pretty durable. I covered it with a Sunbrella sun s hield.

Jim

That’s an awesome idea.

[Bill O]

All the suggestions above are on the money. Add Jim's sunbrella cover to make it look better and keep the boot out of the sun.
The attached file gives variations to the ideas above.

[Wallaby]

That rot also might be caused by water coming down inside the mast.
Remove rot, rebuild with fiberglass and filler. Construct 'dam' with a runoff into the bilge. Drill and tap the bottom of the mast and insert threaded pipe fitting with barb. Pipe internal water to bilge or other collection point



Mast boot: double layer of neoprene rubber, or silicone rubber, secured to mast and mast-plate with oversized hose clamps compressing appropriate sealant, all within a sunbrella cover.

[Fore and Aft]

Celestialsailor I used a vent pipe rubber boot from the hardware store. They have plenty of variety's.
Cheers

[CelestialMelody]

I have been totally dry finally using rubberized adhesive window flashing from Lowes. Go figure

[partingclouds]

Do it just like Jim suggested. It's exactly as l made the boot and Sunbrella cover. That was five years ago, and it still doesn't leak a drop of water. As far as l know, there's no such thing as a good mast boot on the market. Neoprene rocks, and the cover will keep it happy.

[jen1722terry]

What great ideas! I like the neoprene (I have a few old wetsuits that have somehow shrank as I got older and lazier). My wife is a wizard with Sunbrella and made the boot cover, secured with the aforementioned hose clamp.

Actually, dear spouse has been making Sunbrella covers for much of the copious brightwork on our old Cape Dory. Looks nice, lasts decades and minimizes revarnishing, which appeals to my penchant for abject laziness. We'll remove the covers for photo ops.

We particularly like the covers on our cockpit combings, which can get fearsome hot.

Actually, the brightwork covers are not our idea. They came with the boat when we purchased it in '13. Must have been at least 20 years old, but the sunbrella was still sound, just really faded, so Jenn copied them in new fabric.
Amazing stuff, Sunbrella, as is neoprene.

Cheers

[jen1722terry]

Forgot to mention that I liked Boatman61's car tire inner tube approach. Sadly, all the tires on our car are tubeless.

I'll have to sneak around some parking lots to see if I can find tubed tires. Do they still make tubed tires? Am I dating myself here?

Gees, when I was a kid back in the 50s, we used old inner tubes for clam digging on the Jersey shore. The just fit a bushel basket. Ahh, those were the days.

Cheers

Cheers.

[foufou]

I used grey PVC shower pan liner from Home Depot. Wrapped it around and glued it. I sealed the top with vinyl electrical tape which needs replacing every 3 or so years. Ten years out no problems

[Celestialsailor]

Thanx for all the suggestions. Looks like no one uses the store bought type...so I will combine a few of the suggestions listed here.

[Bent Bugle]

+1 for the rubber vent pipe boot flashing, it's called a Dektite here in Oz, different sizes available, tough & flexible, especially the fireproof ones,you can also buy ones you can retrofit...