Our mast is stepped to a heavy frame that is level with the cabin sole. There is a fitting and drain so the rainwater that comes in through the mast fittings would end up in the bilge. I ran a drain line from the mast base to the shower sump system. With a dripless seal the only water we get in the bilge are plumbing leaks or "something else" so a wet bilge signals a need for attention. We put in the dripless seal about 10 years ago. If I were to do it over again I would go with the dripless packing that Greg Delezynski mentions. It was either not available when we made the change or more likely, I hadn't heard of it. The seal works fine but I would prefer the simplicity of the packing.