Wooden Bayraider 20 mizzen mast step; drainage question

[MarkDarley]

I am posting this on the Boatbuilders page as well as Technical as I think more wooden Bayraider owners may see it here:

A question for those of you with wooden Bayraider 20s:

My mizzen mast well is closed at the bottom. Consequently it does not drain and it collects both rain and salt water.  So far there is no problem but it looks like a classic rot opportunity.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Have you drilled through to provide a drain?

If so, what were you drilling through....a solid timber or just the bottom of a plywood box? (which happens to also be a buoyancy tank).

It would make me much more comfortable if someone else had already solved this problem and I knew what we were getting into!

Thanks
Mark
"Pippin"

[MarkDarley]

Here is the solution designed by Dave Sharp of Baltic Wharf Repairs in Totnes...a thinking man. 

He discovered that he could build a drain through the floor of the buoyancy tank with no real loss of strength with this solution. 

Clearly it will work best when the mizzen is unstepped simply because the drainage will be improved.oat

Warning:  Be aware that "Pippin", with her updated transom, may not be configured the same as your Bayraider 20.