Eagle 525/Skipper 17 Tabernacle bolts.

[DesperateDan95]

While raising the mast on a new to me Eagle 525 the tabernacle began to lift away from the coach roof with lots of butyl in evidence. On investigation none of the tabernacle bolts were tight and seemed to have stripped whatever they were seated into I managed to get out three bolts easily (too easy for them to have been correctly secured) the final bolt took a lot of effort. I suspect that the bolts were originally connected to nuts that were somehow imbedded in a small raised block in the coach roof below the tabernacle and that they nuts have broken free from whatever they were imbedded in.

The tabernacle sits on a wooden block about and inch thick the bolts go through the wooden block but are not fixed to the block, then the bolts disappear into a raised area a little bigger than the wooden block and about the same thickness. Judging by the length of the bolts they are long enough to pass through the steel plate of the tabernacle, the wooden block and the raised area that looks like it is fiberglassed onto the coach roof . It doesn't look like the bolts are long enough to penetrate the coach roof so I am guessing that they are not accessible from inside the cabin (the cabin roof currently has a liner that I would rather not remove if everything is on the outside).

I think that 4 nuts are either imbedded in the material of the raised area and have been over stress and have broken free of the surrounding material, or there is steel plate imbedded in the raised area and the 4 threaded holes tapped into the plate have been stripped.

If anyone has definitive information on how the tabernacle bolts are secured that would be most helpful. Additionally does anyone have experience of this type of tabernacle configuration and advice in how to approach a repair?

 

[Daverw]

It may be trying to speak to Paul at Morton Boats in Lincolnshire as they used to build the Eagle boats

I’m not sure if they are still trading as not been there for the last 3 years

 

[DesperateDan95]

Thanks for that advice. Morton Boats still trades. I called 01522 868689. Got a very helpful individual who is going to connect me to Paul. Waiting for a call back now.

 

[NickEagle]

Apologies for reviving an old post. Is the original poster still part of this forum (although, I'm guessing not). Does anyone know if this ever got resolved?

 

[Supertramp]

When I had an Eagle the tabernacle was secured to the deck with 4 bolts accessed under the mast foot (lower and remove mast to access). The ply pad in the cabin on top of the mast step was replaced with a teak block and the nuts recessed into it. It is very vulnerable to twisting if lowering without an A frame, especially on the Eagle which has a tall mast.

 

[NickEagle]

When I had an Eagle the tabernacle was secured to the deck with 4 bolts accessed under the mast foot (lower and remove mast to access). The ply pad in the cabin on top of the mast step was replaced with a teak block and the nuts recessed into it. It is very vulnerable to twisting if lowering without an A frame, especially on the Eagle which has a tall mast.

Do the 4 mast bracket/tabernacle fixing bolts go through the cabin roof and secure with nuts from the inside? What Eagle sail number did you have? Mine is 142, although the manufacturers plate is missing, so can't be 100% sure of the year it was made.

 

[Supertramp]

Yes. You remove the mast compression post (mast down!) and the bolt nuts are recessed in a ply pad above it. On deck there was a teak block under the tabernacle which I had to replace. With hindsight I would have replaced the internal ply pad with something tougher like polythene or teak but it has to be the right thickness for the mast step to slide in.

I don't recall my sail number but I think it was 122. It was the later version with the much taller mast and extra ballast vs the Skipper 17. I also made a plug to seal the outboard well when sailing which helped a lot although more of a faff to set the engine up. A great fun boat considering its the same size as a Wayfarer.

 

[NickEagle]

Thanks for the information. I'm planning to lower the mast and I'll probably check that piece of ply above the mast compression post. Are the nuts screwed up to that piece of ply or are they screwed/tightened up to the inside of the cabin roof? Or is that piece of plywood just a spacer between the compression post and the mast?(via the cabin roof). I've seen a picture of that piece of ply with 4 decent sized holes in it, but couldnt quite understand how it is designed to function. Are the holes just clearance for the Tabernacle/mast bracket nut?