by GreenLake » Sat Sep 17, 2016 2:47 pm
Well, if you consult the literature, you find that "spreaders...are put in to diminish the free length of the mast tube." Reducing this free length, dramatically reduces the required stiffness of the mast section. Or, to translate this to your case, leaving out the spreaders does not support the mast as well, and it therefore should be stiffer.
If you think that the mast on a DS is overdimensioned for the loads that you can out on it, then you could see whether you can get away without spreaders.
The limit for the load that you design a mast (including shrouds and spreaders) is independent of actual wind strength or sail size, because at some point, the boat will simply capsize. That's why heavy crew will place higher loads - when the hike out on your boat, you'll need higher forces from wind and sail to capsize it.
Having a mast keel stepped, also allows it to be thinner, compared to a deck stepped mast. So, if you first cut down the mast to add a tabernacle and then remove the spreaders, at some point you are beginning to chip away at the safety factors that the designer took into account when selecting the kind of mast extrusion (and dimensions) to use.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~