And still it gets worse for poor Mooron...thanks to the C&C people at Sailnet!

The mast wedges are used to precisely locate your mast within the "partners"
(the hole in your deck where the mast goes through). They must hold the mast
firmly in that position, so that in a seaway, the mast will not pump
(fore/aft or laterally) or twist in the partners. The mast wedges can also be
used to a limited extent to introduce prebend into the mast by forcing the
mast slightly forward of center in the partners. On some boats it is also a
good idea to have a set of wedges for the mast step as well to prevent the
foot of the mast from wandering.

Robert, your friend is correct. best to change them if there's doubt. After
ten years I'd change them. Sorry you'll have have to redo the boot. Why not
look into the plastic/rubber types?