What Velera said. Strip it of all hardware, sheaves, everything, clean it, fill it with thickened epoxy in the holes you won't need. Do the epoxy from underneath and try to avoid blobs inside the mast to the extent possible. I stripped a Pearson 10M mast years ago, sanded with 100 grit, then a finer grit (not aggressively, just cleaning), "peened" it by carefully flooding and wiping everything with white vinegar just before priming, then prime with that funky green aluminum oxide primer, and single part polyurethane white rolled on in multiple coats. 10 years after I did it I saw the boat on a dock (pre-hurricane Irma) and the mast still looked good. No chalking. I was surprised, because 1 part always seems to chalk out after awhile. If I did it again, I'd use 2 part linear polyurethane. Petit has made that pretty easy. Spraying it yourself w/2 part can turn you into a rutabaga. Rolling or brushing works just as well, and it lays itself down nicely.
Getting your hardware off is going to be a pain. Stainless and aluminum shouldn't touch. Whenever I put stainless screws in, I'd coat them with an appropriate sealant to separate the two. When painting, i'd make sure the holes got hit with both primer and finish paint as well. You never get absolute complete separation, but it sure helps. Oh, and run you some messengers before you get too carried away. Good opportunity to rewire as well. Remember sound deadening like foam pipe insulation as well. You'll sleep better if the wires aren't clanging all night. Believe me.
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