Tabernacle Success

[whitejw1967]

For those interested in tabernacles: I installed one (from the good folks at D & R) this afternoon. It was far easier than I had thought it would be--even though making that cut with my chop saw went against every instinct!

The directions that come with the tabernacle are excellent and the tabernacle itself is of excellent quality. I quickly found that the tabernacle makes stepping the mast a ton easier.

A word to those installing one: when raising the mast, always remember to hook up the shrouds first and have some means of keeping the forestay taunt as you walk the mast up and down.

[algonquin]

I put a tabernacle on my DSI a few years ago. Like you mentioned, it is really not hard to do and the benefits are well worth it. I use the jib halyard with one end attached to the bow deck plate and the other through the jib pulley and then held in my hand to keep the mast taught as a I raise it. Brad

[Peterw11]

I use a cheap hardware store pulley, attached to the forward chain plate with a c- shaped Quiklink (a small carabiner will do as well). I run a 1/4" line with a loop tied on the mast end, through the temporary pulley on the deck and into the forestay clevis (pinned with the regular pin, but using a small, jubilee style, cotter pin so I don't have to deal with that circle clip).

The rope is long enough so I can start at the stern when walking the mast to vertical, hauling the rope in as I go. Once I get the mast upright, I cleat the rope off at the cuddy cleat to hold the mast in position, then insert the forward pin into the tabernacle. After that, just secure the forestay into the chain plate as usual and you're all done.

It's a one man job that only takes a minute. Piece o' cake.

[whitejw1967]

Thanks for the response! I concur and was thinking of something akin to that. I was thinking of a small block attached to the forestay chainplate with a line coming from the forward part of the mast about mid-mast (maybe even from the jib halyard) and then back to me in the cockpit. I could take up slack as I go and then attach the forestay? Could I also connect a small line via a snap shackle to the forestay tabernacle (thereby lengthening it) as I lift and having the tabernacle right at the chainplate as I get it there?

Have you noticed any differences in performance with the tabernacle?

Now if our weather would just start to warm up so that I could get out on the water some more (it's in the mid sixties here in N. Florida but our water temps are still in the low 50s).


John

[John McGrath]

I installed a tabernacle a couple of years ago, and it's made all the difference. Though purists will say the (formerly monolithic) mast is ruined because its bending properties are now altered, I don't agree. There never was much bending to be had right down there where the mast passes through the partners anyway. Plus, if you installed it on an older mast, it was unlikely to be that bendy to begin with. At first I was reluctant simply because tabernacles are ugly, but I really, really couldn't step the original mast by myself without feeling I was risking all the parked cars around me. Now, with the tabernacle I can go singlehanding very easily. I just use a single pin--the aft one--while sailing. This may be debatable, but works fine. Seems like asking too much of the tabernacle to ask it to transmit bending loads instead of serving as just a pin joint. I have an older DS1 with the bronze tensioning ring + post type of step. I think later DS's may not have this. I drilled a hole through the mast and mast step post with the tensioning ring screwed all the way down. Whenever you raise or lower the mast, you've got to have a pin passing through the step (or some other arrangement) to keep the bottom mast section secured in place. Otherwise when you got to raise it, it will lift up and off of the step. Makes a hash of things. After the mast is up, remove the lower pin, then tension the rig with the tensioning ring on the step. The shrouds and forestay tension simultaneously. Don't forget to reverse the process when unstepping. If you don't, that lower section comes flying up as you lower the mast. It's a CG thing. Surprise! The nice thing is that the side-stays (shrouds?) can stay permanently attached. No need to disconnect them at all while trailering.

Love my tabernacle.

[whitejw1967]

John,

I agree. Stepping the mast now is infinitely easier than before. Like you, I was really worried on a few occasions that I'd lose the mast while raising or lowering it and it'd land on nearby trucks, trailers, etc. or on my own car. My wife, having seen me take the mast down on one occasion recently was justifiably freaked out with the weight and flex at the top making it unstable (especially on a trailer, thus making the cuddy top 5+ feet off of the ground). The tabernacle idea pleased her as much (or more) than it did me!

I really can't imagine much in the way of integrity loss as the shrouds and forestay carry most of the forward load/lift. I'll probably use the pin in the front as well though it really doesn't do much of anything when it comes to mast integrity.

I drilled a hole through the base of mast and through the step inside the cuddy. I used a cleavis pin to hold it in place somewhat permanently. I'm using scissors in the back of the cockpit to hold the mast up when stepping.

John W.

[K.C. Walker]

I find that it's easy to step the mast by myself without any extra tackle. I have the mast in a cradle on the transom while I put in the rear pin of the tabernacle. I then just walk from the transom forward while hand over handing the mast and it goes up without too much effort. I leave the front pin on the top of the cuddy to insert when the mast is vertical. As long as I'm not stepping the mast up hill or into a head wind the mast stays vertical while I go hook up the jib stay. It's a little wobbly but I think it's safe enough.

What you lose with a tabernacle is the ability to pre-bend the lower mast to the configuration that you might want for higher wind sailing conditions. However, I've been thinking about this and wondering if one still might get some pre-bend by chalking the mast base back before tensioning the rig. I'll have to experiment with this.

It sure would be nice to have one of those mast base tensioners.

KC

[algonquin]

Have you noticed any differences in performance with the tabernacle?

John

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is that you can run into a problem with the jib sheets fouling on the forward tabernacle hinge. I put a hand towel over the hinge and around the mast and secure it with a small bungee. That pretty much eliminates the sheets from fouling on the tabernacle. Brad