Removing the plugs and resealing shouldn't take but a few minutes, IF you have a sharp 3/16" drill bit to drill out the rivets and the replacement rivets and rivet gun. (just drill to remove the heads and use a nail or center punch to punch the rivet into the tube)Remove the bottom plug first and then if the top cap is stuck, just drop a 1-2lb weighted object (a chisel works well) from the bottom and tilt/lift the section up - the weighted object will knock the top cap out.
IMHO, for sealing up the fittings, silicone is the way to go - 5200 is too strong of an adhesive and will make future removal a pia and/or cause you to destroy the caps when removing them.
Drilling a drain hole in the top section will run you afoul of the class rules..
26. REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE
(c)
Preventative maintenance shall include the
replacement of fastenings with alternatives and
the reversing of spars provided that the fittings
are replaced in accordance with the Measurement
Diagrams (tolerances shall not be used to alter
the position of fittings) and that any holes in the
top section of the mast are permanently sealed
with a rivet or similar to maintain the buoyancy of
the mast.
The 5200 part was more of a joke haha.
I realise that drilling a hole is against the rules, but if he's not competing, it shouldn't make a difference.
Humor is always good, but many times people read a post without realizing it's a joke and go off and use that advice. It's a good practice to let other readers know you're kidding in that same post.
As far as the hole drilling, ironically, that's the part of your post I thought was the joke.
Plug the hole when you go sailing.
I'd prefer not being told what to do, but I'll refrain from going down that route again.
Well done, Shatty. I'm not sure what Stick finds to be the problem. I felt that you were trying to give a creative solution that the poster could take or leave. (I'd leave it and do it right. It's not hard to drill out the rivets and replace them.)
Speaking personally, my question has been answered. The way to do it is to execute a proper repair. No shortcuts with duck tape etc have been mentioned, so I assume that would be either useless, or illegal, or both. Many thanks.
For the record, "5200 it" means absolutely nothing to a Brit!