Deck stepped mast leak.

[JWBenson]

I have a deck stepped mast. The mast wiring comes through the deck via a hole that is on the mast step and inside the mast. The problem with this is that any water that gets inside the mast comes through that hole. I have had to do major repairs on my compression post and want to permanently fix this problem. Iím thinking about leading the wires out of the mast about six inches above the deck and sealing the existing hole. I would then run the wires through the deck outside of the mast, inside a PVC or ? conduit. Questions:

ï I donít like the idea of drilling holes in my mast. How big of a hole is OK?
ï What type of conduit should I use?
ï Is there a good way to seal the new hole in the deck?
ï Is a drain hole needed at the bottom of the mast, how big?
ï Any other tips?
ï Is there a better solution?