Selden Mast Problem

[billmacfarlane]

I had a problem this autumn with my Selden keel stepped mast. Basically the gaiter had split and water was p!"$*&^g down the mast, into the boat and onto my saloon table. The metal on the outside of the mast inside the boat was very wet. I solved that problem by means of a neoprene sheet and some waterproof glue. 6 weeks later and I now have a very wet saloon floor whenever it rains. The water is coming in the hole at floor level where the cables exit the mast. Any Selden aficionados out there who can tell me if I've caused this problem by making my new gaiter or whether this is a brand new problem.?

 

[Pye_End]

Have you put the new gaiter higher than the old one, or filled in any above deck holes? There should be a deflection plate in the mast and a hole which allows water out of the mast. I wonder if the new gaiter stops this happening, so the water is finding its way past the deflection plate. Perhaps the new gaiter is acting as a dam - ie water traveling down the outside of the mast is finding its way in by the same route - there shouldn't be very much going down the inside?

 

[pvb]

Selden have an excellent manual on sealing keel-stepped masts - http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900777/595-814-E.pdf

And one on sealing open conduits - http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900710/595-548-E.pdf

 

[Quandary]

Almost certainly what Pye End suggests, you have blocked the drainage holes above the foam which deflects water out of the mast just above deck level and the mast has filled with water, your problem is that with the pressure water has now found a path past the deflector which will be hard to close. You could try expanding foam but too much will just exacerbate your problem, some sort of quick setting liquid sealant injected through the drainage holes when the mast is dried out might possibly work. Pvb advice to use Seldens excellent manuals is the way but I find that some of their recommendations are harder to carry out than they admit.

 

[Yngmar]

Hopefully you won't need it, but just in case, there's Spartite, a liquid mast seal. These guys have a nice photo series showing its application: http://www.sailingbritican.com/how-to-use-spartite-to-reseat-your-mast/

It is shockingly expensive though!

 

[knuterikt]

Selden has lots of documentation here http://www.seldenmast.com/en/technical_info.html
Look at this
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900777/595-814-E.pdf
and
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900710/595-548-E.pdf

 

[pvb]

Selden has lots of documentation here http://www.seldenmast.com/en/technical_info.html
Look at this
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900777/595-814-E.pdf
and
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900710/595-548-E.pdf

See post #3.

 

[billmacfarlane]

Thanks for the replies. Because the problem began 6 weeks after I fitted a new gaiter I did wonder whether that was the cause of the problem. I've a suspicion that I fitted the new gaiter a bit higher than the original. I'll check it out at the weekend.