David,

I was halfway through your post when I started thinking that I needed to reply recommending _against_ toothpicks and/or wood shavings.  Having finished the post, I'll just vote in favor of doing what the West Systems guys suggested.  I've never known a project that went far off track by following a manufacturer's recommendations.

That said, I'm curious as to what the expectation is about the possibility of non-destructively removing the mast step at some point in the future.

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)