I stored mast up for the first time this season, and I ran into a bit of a problem.

Mast boot leak. Lots of water, standing above the floorboards. I left the boat alone alone all fall, and I didn't discover this until winter when it had frozen and couldn't be pumped out until spring.

Now, damage to the varnish that I painstakingly applied just last season aside (I'm not bitter, really I'm not ;-) the floorboards are stuck and I can't get into the bilge. I've let the boat dry for a month, and I still can't get them out, even by inserting a metal hook into each hole and having two people haul up on it.

Any advice?

Thanks,
Ryan Pierce, #337

Ryan Pierce, #337