Wet Mast Step Insulation / Questions

[Haley]

Hi Folks!

Would love advice on this. I've got a wet mast step, and I'm not going to re-step the mast (i hope), but I'd like to insulate it from water as best as possible. It's in a hard to reach place.

The details:
I have a 1974 32' Challenger (San Pedro, Cali, overbuilt and beamy!). The owner 10 years ago re-stepped the mast from deck to keel. I'd love to have known why but he can't remember. So the mast now comes through the head. There's a shower in the head, which I use and like. The boat was designed with a several gallon shower sump beneath the head that's supposed to drain into the bilge. Seems like the retrofitted mast step is where it used to drain in? Essentially, I took out my fuel tank, and have as much access to the mast step as I ever will. I was drilling holes, looking for spots to put a shower drain (may make a proper sump and keep my bilge clear of all my hair!). I was looking for spots to pull my hose through and drilled into the wet mast step. In the photos this is the maroon round hole surrounded by grey bilge painted fiberglass. From what I can see by peaking around through more little holes I'm making, is that the sides of the mast step do have fiberglass covering. I think the other side of the mast step is what had water coming at it. (There was a bow area water tank leaking for some time when I got the boat.)

I've done my best insulating the shower floor itself so I'm not adding water to the problem like the last owner. But, I want to dry out this mast step and insulate it.

What should I insulate it with? 4200? 5200? Fiberglass./ epoxy? I have very little access to the space. Should I just tear up my shower bottom and really check it out?

Any advice is helpful! If there happen to be any Challenger 32' owners out there who have torn up the head flooring, I'd love to see that layout!

[coopec43]