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Leak in my H16 mast at the comptip/aluminum joint
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Author:  MVD [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Leak in my H16 mast at the comptip/aluminum joint
I've searched the forum for answers to this question and couldn't find anything right on point, so please excuse me if I appear to be beating a dead horse.

I found a lot of water in the lower aluminum section of my H16 mast this weekend. I submerged it in the lake and found air bubbles coming out of the joint where the comptip and aluminum sections meet, on the back side of the mast. Draining the water was no problem, but now I need to fix this mast so that no more water leaks in. The mast was built in 2011. It was stored mast up over the winter (yes, I know that's wrong and I won't do it again) so my guess is that rainwater dripped down the mast and entered through the joint. Anybody got any good ideas?Perhaps it's as simple as putting a silicon bead around the joint. But I thought that some of you old salts might have some better suggestions.

Thanks,
Author:  ronholm [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Leak in my H16 mast at the comptip/aluminum joint
There is going to be some amount of air coming out of where the comp tip and the real mast :twisted: meet no matter what. there is going to be some gap between the plug in the mast and the plug in the comptip.. and it is going to have to be under for some time before all the bubbles attached to the luff track will clear themselves out.

From what I have seen taking these things apart I would be surprised if one of those plugs were leaking (though not impossible) It is far more likely a rivet in the mast tang or wherever is leaking..

If it is really leaking at the plug below the comptip I would think the only 'proper' way to seal it would be to remove the comptip and then fix/re silcone the plug. (which is doable.. but not fun) I don't think there would be any way to really properly seal it up without doing just that. Just gooping on something between the tip and the mast is not likely to hold up IMO...y


Can you use a shop vac to apply some pressure to the mast where you drained it from and soap and bubble check it?
Author:  MVD [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Leak in my H16 mast at the comptip/aluminum joint
That's a good point about an air gap between the plugs. I may have bought off on some bubbles that weren't really the problem. Since I didn't see any other bubbles, maybe the water in my mast was due to condensation. During this past winter and spring in Tennessee, we had a lot of warming and cooling cycles, which I think would be conducive to that. But for that to happen, I would think that there must be a way for humid air to enter the mast, drop it's moisture when the temperature cooled, then the air would have to exit as the temperature warmed up, and then more moist air would have entered the mast, over and over again. Over the winter, I estimate about a gallon of water accumulated in the mast. For this scenario to play out, there must be a place for moist air to enter the mast, which should show itself during the bubble check. Any thoughts?
Author:  Fxloop [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 8:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Leak in my H16 mast at the comptip/aluminum joint
A gallon of water in a mast simply from storage i've never seen, even on older boats that we all have around here. Perhaps drill a small 1/8" hole near the mast base to let it all drain out? then use a small plug? that area of the mast would always be out of water unless you were turtled. I imagine a nice silicone bead forced into every crevice of every attachment to the mast would seal it very well.
Anyone try expanding foam in the joint between mast and comp tip?
Author:  mmiller [ Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Leak in my H16 mast at the comptip/aluminum joint
Fxloop wrote:
Anyone try expanding foam in the joint between mast and comp tip?


That is how they are done here. You need to use A/B Flotation Foam.

It is possible the plug has shrunk and detached from the inside and allowed water to pass.
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