Sealing the mast on both ends is a good idea. Alternatively, one can drill a hole in the bottom of the mast to let any water that gets in during a capsize drain out.
If you sail in salt water, it’s good to have the mast sealed. If there is salt water in the mast it will just sit there forever and eventually corrode the spars from the inside out.
I’ve got this “inside out” corrosion in the mast and the upper boom. I’ve since sealed the mast, the boom has an actual hole so sealing isn’t much of a option there.
I posted a thread on this site about how I did it. In short I used white pine for plugs at the top and bottom and the used sikaflex as a sealant for both the pine plugs and the end caps.
If you sail in salt water, it’s good to have the mast sealed. If there is salt water in the mast it will just sit there forever and eventually corrode the spars from the inside out.
I’ve got this “inside out” corrosion in the mast and the upper boom. I’ve since sealed the mast, the boom has an actual hole so sealing isn’t much of a option there.
I posted a thread on this site about how I did it. In short I used white pine for plugs at the top and bottom and the used sikaflex as a sealant for both the pine plugs and the end caps.