Yup, here it is, another mast leak question. I have searched the forum for the other general mast leak questions, but this one is more specific.

After realizing that my mast was leaking, I thoroughly (or so I thought) sealed all rivets and mast cap with the heavy, white sealer/silicone recommended in previous posts.

But mast is still filling with water quickly following capsize. I've narrowed the leak to just below the mast cap at the top of the mast just behind the top halyard wheel (sorry, don't know what that wheel is called).

It's an alluminum mast on an '86 Nacra 5.0 and before drilling off the cap to see what's going on under there, I was wondering if anybody has any ideas where I'm leaking and whether the leak can be fixed without removing the cap. Is a cap a comp tip? Not sure what that is?

One other question if I may, evidently the keels on the 5.0 are a different compartment from the rest of the hull? I have to use 20 foot wooden ramps to slide my cat in the water off a 3 foot bank. The wood has worn the keel and has resulted in a small hole on the bottom, but I'm not taking on any water in the hulls while sailing.

Two quick questions, is there a quick, strong patch product for the keel until I can give it more attention at the end of the season? 2, I orginally had plastic latice on the ramps, but it was so slippery I could not control the cat up and down the ramp. Any suggestions about what I can add to the wooden ramps to reduce friction but at the same time not make it as slick as the plastice latice (plastic gutters nailed to the ramps?)

Dannno