Pipe wrap
 

I made my boot like yours, Allen, only with 2" vinyl pipe wrap tape rather than duct. Being plain black, I didn't need to cover it for looks, and it held up well to two years of tropical sun. And it never leaked a drop. But my boat has the advantage of a small, special-built coaming around the partners, which the boot goes to the outside of, which helps a lot. It would be easy enough to fabricate one with G-10 and epoxy.
Ben

Same deal I think. I have that bronze ring that I assume is similar in application to the coaming. I assume the vinyl and the duct tape act the same but perhaps the vinyl tape is not as sensitive as duct tape to the sun. I use very expensive duct tape, best I could fine. It is marked all over the surface with all the standards that it meets.

I also use the duct tape on my whisker pole and there it doesn't hold up as well as where it is covered by the sumbrella. I will go get some of the vinyl tape and try that on my pole.

As far as shoe goo, I have used that on shoes but didn't think to try that on my mast boot. So now I have two new tricks to add to my quiver. Very cool.

Thanks to both Ian and Benz.

Close....
 

Hi Allen.

The bronze ring is different from my deal in that mine is a little glassed-on vertical coaming, and the boot goes OVER it, covering it completely, and is made fast to it by a hose clamp (or in my case, heading twine), so that I don't have screws going down into my deck. If I was good at this I'd post a pic.
With what does Ian clean up excess shoe goo, I wonder?

That sounds like a good idea. When I put my bronze ring back on after rebuilding the cabin top it leaked at first because I didn't get a good seal under the ring. I had to pull it off and do it again with a lot more Silkaflex.

The way I came to use duct tape was the realization that anyting I used under the sumbrella was going to pull the paint off the mast when it was removed so I might as well use tape over plastic sheet, which I know will work, than what has not worked in the past.

Maybe the shoe goo will come off without removing the paint and maybe something will remove the shoe goo. It is probably a great idea but as my tape is working, I am not changing it out.

I start with the boot inverted, pointed up and lay a bead of goo under the raw edge before I start frapping it with twine from above the goo line down. So the squeeze out just pushes down. Once the boot is flipped in place the frapping and any squeezed out goo is hidden under the boot.

Of course you need some sort of raised ring or collar at the deck level for the boot to be frapped tightly to at its bottom.

Takes a little dry fitting to be sure you've got everything aimed right.

Shoe goo does not adhere all that well to the paint I use on my mast and I don't move the boot unless it's gotten old and tatty anyway. I've not had a proper boot last less than ten years. No problem painting above the boot or below when needed, and just leave the boot attached to the mast all the time.