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Dan:

I had what may be a similar leak on #450. At first, it WAS the boot seals which had not been well done, either by the factory or the PO. After I completely resealed the boot, top and bottom and sealed the grooves in the mast that the boot would not close, it was completely tight and dry.

Except sometimes, when it would leak, not down the mast but dripping onto the mast from the cabin top inside the boat. After a great deal of fooling around, I came to the conclusion that the water was coming UNDER the collar (thence below the boot) and leaking in that way. The water was pooling on the cabin top and when it got to be enough, it ran under the collar (or through the bolt holes of the bolts that pass thru the collar) and came down in the cabin where it could drip onto the mast.

I thought that was why it wouldn't do it when I washed the boat, as the water wasn't there long enough or deep enough. I speculated that if I loosened the collar bolts, lifted it up a little and fed sealant in there, and retightened the bolts, I would stop the leak, but sold the boat before I had the chance to do it.

By the way, I had carefully cleared the two drains (yes, two. the one that the wires run through and another one behind that; very difficult to see or access. What were they thinking...) in the pan at the base of the mast and water that came in down the inside of mast from wind driven rain, ran out nicely. That was never a problem. It was the water on the OUTSIDE of the mast that couldn't be accounted for.

Hope this gives you another angle to consider...

James