Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian McColgin
To clarify terminology, partners refers to the whole structure of bracing around the deck or coachroof hole the mast goes through, collar, wedges and all. The hole needs to be large enough to get the mast in and out easily. The mast is then wedged nice and snug. As Brion explained, a keel stepped mast can be of lighter sections because it's held in two places.
On the boot, there are overpriced rubber boots that are nice for plastic boats with tin sticks. It's acutally easier to make a boot for a square or rectangular section mast - just four pieces - than for a round section that really works best with a six piece boot. That's the basic pieces, not counting a top and bottom bands.
G'luck
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OK, I found a nice picture showing what you said.
As for the boot, I agree that it is easy to make a boot for a square mast but I still assert it is more difficult to make one that keeps the rain out just because there is not a natural tension holding the sides tight against the mast. With a round mast, there is equal force all around the mast. With a square one, there is only tension at the corners. In other words, you can easily pinch the center edge of a square boot and pull it away from the mast. My bronze ring is rectangular as well, which doesn't help. The picture below still used some of that fancy self adhering silicon tape which I used before turning to duct tape in desperation. It leaked.
