Wooden masts, Mariner refit

[shvanmatre]

Hello to all,

It has been a great summer for sailing with lots of sun and lots of wind.
I have a 1969 31' Mariner ketch that has a few issues.
1. I read that wood masts that have been painted may be suspect; My main was painted white many moons ago (before I got her) and the mizzen is still the nice varnish. The question is whether I should look into replacing with stainless or aluminum masts?

2. The main cabin sides are rotted pretty good. Someone started filling with epoxy but I want to do it a little better. I would like to fabricate the entire cabin side and then put it in place. Is this feasable? Before I start (if it is feasable) I need to know if the sides go under the roof (is that a nautical term?) and if this is the best and easiest way to go.

This boat sat for a long time at a moorage on the Oregon coast with very little maintenance. The previous owner (who only had the boat for about one year) sailed it on the Columbia river fairly often. This is a great classic sailer that I will make into a very solid ocean cruiser; any advise is very appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve