Reading that post from Laser41420 reminds me of using a flat rubber donut (or thick rubber washer) to "pad" the mast step where long-term rotation of the mast had begun to wear the glass of the step. This donut or washer may have been an automotive part, it had kicked around our tool cabinet for years... really tough rubber compound, barely flexible, and long-lasting too. One day---and I can't recall whether this was with the Laser or the Minifish---I grabbed that donut and tried it in the mast step, as I had noticed the glass in the step beginning to wear. The thing fit perfectly!
I used a Louisville Slugger to push it down into place, didn't even need any resin or glue or anything, and the hole in the center ensured drainage when the hull was flipped. Had that thing in there for years, I guess it was sold with whichever boat, but it was some tough rubber compound... didn't hinder mast rotation though, and it also worked almost like a shock absorber in the step, so the mast didn't slam the glass in the step while hammering through wicked chop, or soaring over a wake and having the hull come down a bit harder than I expected, LOL.
Good point though from Laser41420, using a freshly-cut glass disk & some resin to "install" a new step floor. I only tried the donut or washer because it was there, ya know? And it actually worked, LOL. Of course, it was NOT soft rubber, it was some tough compound that was practically bulletproof... I think it was some sort of automotive part. Meh, it worked great for a long time, and it didn't cost me anything either, just a few seconds with the Slugger to push the donut into place. I reckon one could find such a donut or thick flat rubber washer in an auto parts catalog or maybe an industrial warehouse.
THAT'S ALL I GOT, JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOOD TIP REGARDING THE MAST STEP... CHEERS!!!
Edit: Oh, yeah, on a different occasion I also recall simply pouring catalyzed resin into the step to add protection, but the rubber donut or washer actually worked better, go figure. Now that I think about it, this donut or thick flat washer was reinforced with some sort of tough material, which also leads me to believe it was some sort of automotive part. I just Googled "reinforced rubber washer or donut" and came up with some stuff that looked similar, including high-temp pipe gaskets, LOL. Hard to say exactly what that thing was after all these years, but it worked like gangbusters...
