Mast gaiter

J

Jabamusic

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I am needing to replace the mast gaiter and am having problems locating one.

It might be a matter of the correct term which is causing the problem.
What i mean is the waterproof jacket which one fixes at the bottom of the mast where it goes thru the deck which is keel-stepped. This prevents water entering the cabin.
Any thoughts?
Many thanks
 
If you have a Selden mast with their cast aluminium deck collar you may have to purchase one of theirs to get a neat fit, the collar is substantially bigger than the mast section, any Selden rigging shop; in Scotland we would go to MRS in Kip but since I have no idea which country you are in that is as far as I can help.
 
if you need to step/unstep the mast you are going to need a pproper boot, otherwise self adhesive flashing from a building supplier works well too, you can get it in 6 inch wide rolls. If you are anywhere near southampton come grab some from me, I have tons of the stuff.
 
Depends if you have the mast out of the boat or not.
If you have then obtain a truck tyre innertube of a suitable diameter. These being almost free can be doubled over to give additional protection and hide the upper clamping band.
If the mast is in situ then you need a strip of neoprene of a suitable width and of a length to wrap around the mast and deck plate three times. This will ensure no liquid tracks around and through the gap. You can buy a sealant for neoprene diving suits that will go some way to sealing the end of the roll but if sufficient turns are taken its not really necessary.
Often in both methods the hardest task is to achieve a good sealing surface on the mast because of the shape of the extrusion etc. I have in the past formed a mould around the mast and cast a silicone collar of sufficient depth to be able to clamp a mast boot to!
An alternative to a boot is to cast a rubber compound in the area where the rubber mast wedges are fitted between the deck collar and the mast. This both seals the mast against water ingress and acts as the admiralty rubber wedges do. It is expensive though compared to the first method!
 
The perfect mast boot - a Flexseal Rubber Flexible Drainage Adaptor Coupling. They come in a wide range of sizes and come complete with two stainless steel clamping bands. I have two (because it's a ketch) and they do the job perfectly. I found mine here https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.u...age/flexible-couplings/adaptor-couplings.html. Having the clamping bands included makes the price a bargain.

You have to lift the mast to fit it, but that's true of most of the alternatives.
 
andygc said:
The perfect mast boot - a Flexseal Rubber Flexible Drainage Adaptor Coupling. They come in a wide range of sizes and come complete with two stainless steel clamping bands. I have two (because it's a ketch) and they do the job perfectly. I found mine here https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.u...age/flexible-couplings/adaptor-couplings.html. Having the clamping bands included makes the price a bargain.

You have to lift the mast to fit it, but that's true of most of the alternatives.
Click to expand...

That's brilliant - just what I was looking for to replace my rotting mast coat. Thanks!!
 
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