I spent the month removing the compression post and eventually the rotted pad. This is a documented issue with 43 deck salons built around the timeframe of my boat. I had helped my friend Rik do his in the winter and he helped me with mine as well. After 3 days to remove the old, rotted wood and a few more letting it dry I made a new pad with a combination of G 10 and epoxy. This took 5 days to complete as I had to be careful as to how much epoxy I mixed due to heat concerns. I raised the post about 5/8”, which is now back at the original height. I cleaned up the effected bilge area and painted everything a nice white. Other major jobs completed while the mast was missing was re-bedding the main chainplates and cleanup of the mast plate. Also, I made storage drawers under the galley table. During this time, I was working with Walden Rigging on the new standing rigging as well as new wires to be installed in the mast. I ordered a new VHF antenna along with other items that would be easier to install while the mast was down. It was a challenging month but at least I was able to run the AC.
Days: 10 Days to date: 51
Miles: 0 Miles to date: 598.7