Refurbish painted mast - options?

[Jaco Versfeld]

Good day,


I recently dropped the mast of a project boat - 25 ft Flamenca. The mast and boom is painted, but both have corrosion spots on it, and the paint is not good in some places.



What would my options be to refurbish the mast and boom?


At the moment I am thinking of getting both mast and boom back to bare aluminum, and leave it as is. This would allow minimal maintenance, as well as potentially slow down corrosion.


Or should I do self-etching primer, primer and then a top coat?


Also, there are many unused holes drilled in the mast - around 5mm and smaller. What options do I have to plug these holes? I am thinking of tapping thread into the holes, and screwing matching aluminum screws in. Then cut off the screws and sanding the are flush. Is this a good idea, or are there better ways to plug the unused holes?





Your time, effort and suggestions will be greatly appreciated

Jaco