ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE

For the past several years I have been using the top of a five gallon bucket to cover the opening of the mast partner opening after I have unstepped the mast.

Unfortuntely, the cover I usually used which resided on the bucket I used a quick rinse after a swim got blown away this season during Hurricane Earl. What to do? I'm a "use what you got and you won't need what you've not" kind of fellow. So I took some used heat shrink I had on board and placed it over the mast partner hole. Then I took one of the straps that hold mast seal cover and placed  it over the heat shrink material and tightened around the mast partner collar.

Seems to work pretty well and has stood up to 60 MPH winds in a recent blizzard. Problem solved and through the use of recylcled material to boot. Another win win situation.