There's no need to take the mast down. The aft lower shrouds will hold the mast up while you work on the chain plates. This would be a good time to check the balsa core in the deck around the chain plates. Dig out any wet or rotten balsa core; let the hole in the deck dry out; tape the hole under the deck: fill the hole with epoxy and silica filler; re-drill the slot for the chain plate; check for rot in the chainplate bolt holes in the bulkhead; repair any damage with epoxy; re-drill the holes; replace the bolts if they are corroded; re-bolt the chainplates to the bulkhead; and re-caulk the chainplate holes in the deck.

::
:: Andy, thanks for the reminder. I have not done a thing
:: to mine except visually inspect them. I want to reseal
:: them this winter and am wondering if you took down your
:: rig to do it. I can see where I may be able to keep the
:: rig up, but since you have recently done it, did you
:: drop your mast?