So my hollow aluminum mast fills with water. This is both annoying and adds weight to the rig unnecessarily. What is the best way to go about plugging the openings in the mast so that water doesn't get in?
Takuma plug theirs as well. With my Naish mast I cut and sanded foam strips to fill the void and plunged the ends with wax. Works fine in the not warm enough to melt the wax UK. Seems to be holding up, cost nowt, easily replaceable.
My only concern with plugging or filling the mast is saltwater ingress that cannot be seen just like a board with a minute split or crack. Corrosion will set in eventually if it does. So the best in my opinion is a solid mast. Or put up with loosening or undoing the bolts & rinsing with freshwater as I do. I just pour water into the mast cavity & tip it out. By the time I dry all the parts & wings everything is virtually dry & not leaking when I pack it away in a bag.
I tried plugging an aluminium mast with some foam plugs and marine grade sealant. When I used it in cold water the air inside contracted and sucked the silicone down into the mast.
I could easily hear that water was getting inside. I poked the silicone out and just drained the mast properly after each session before packing up.
I switched to a full carbon kit and have had zero maintenance issues since. (insert rant here about how great carbon is and how crap aluminium is)
