Thank you guys for the advice. I separated the two parts today after several attempts. Once I found a rope that would hold the load, I got them separated. I will polish the comp tip now prior to any new mast being installed.
Unfortunately, I did bend the "luff track" a little bit at the top of the mast.
I don't know if I need to do anything to fix this but... I put a spacer (two carpenter chisels) in the track and set it out in the sun. I hope this will help get the track straight again. Any thoughts would be appreciated. "One step forward..."