masts in tabernacles

[tyce]

my mast (parker 27) is in a tabernacle, the only support this has is the hinge pin, there is no foot on the mast (looks like foot has been butchered at some time) so it is not possible to put a wedge in.
does this sound correct or should it have a wedge as well.
if so i need to make a foot for the mast, is the only suitable material to make this from aluminium.

 

[tyce]

forgot to mention please, please, please, don't give me a link to the parker site, i know its there.

 

[Cascader]

My understanding of masts in tabernacles is that when they are fully raised their foot must take all the downward force.

 

[tonyg]

the masts or the tabernacles?

 

[srp]

You should be able to make something in Tufnol. Depends on the clearance you've got under the mast at the moment. I would have thought that the mast needs some sort of plug in it at the bottom. If you measure it up carefully you should be able to make a matching plug and pad which are slightly tapered (when looked at from the side), so when the mast goes up there's no contact until the very last few degrees, and being tapered, the mast just end up just being lifted a tad as it goes into position.
I wish there was a drawing tool on this forum, I don't think I've explained this very well at all......

 

[Talbot]

The foot of my mast has an aluminium forging that is at an angle to the bottom of the tabernacle. I then have a wedge of hardwood (beech I think) that is at the same angle as the ali foot, so when both are mated they fit together. I have a good sized pivot bolt through the tabernacle from side to side, but have seen the mast drop downwards and fwd at the base of the tabernacle in bad weather, so I also have a bolt through the bottom of the mast fore to aft. Once these two bolts are connected, the mast is held without need for stays.

 

[srp]

I've just done a drawing of what I mean, but from what I can see in the help section I can't post it. Is it this forum, or have I missed something in the Help section?

 

[paulburton44]

My Parker 235 has no mast foot....the mast is open at the bottom...
It does not sit on anything.....

The tabernacle has a 16mm bolt that goes through the mast...the mast has some plates on the sides that the bolt goes through...

My Parker is 12 months old....and thats how it came out of the factory...

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I have a Parker 275S with the mast in a tabernacle. The whole weight of the mast is held by the bolt, the base of the mast has no heel and does no make contact with the base of the tabenacle. I've had the boat from new, 10 seasons, and we been through some very rough weather, I sail from Stonehaven in the north East of Scotland ... straight out in the North Sea! Great boat, fast, well built and really tough. The lower edge of the mast has some minor bends in it caused by "things" getting in the way as the mast goes up. I've had no serious problems with the set up, but the bolts holding the tabernacle to the deck became loose, I guess because of the compression loads squeezing the mastic out over time and the mast pumps when I drive the boat hard into a steep sea .. can look alarming, but as I've said no problems in over 15k seamiles.

Hope this helps, cheers Ian

 

[KellysEye]

Our boat's masts are in tabernacles. The mast is open at the bottom and there is no wedge or other support - just the pin. She's a Dutch built boat, the masters of tabernacles, and they were obviously designed that way, since the masts have been up for 25 years.

 

[tyce]

super replys, thanks everyone, nice to get answers of parker owners as well.
another question for the parker owners -
is the rudder stock made of aluminium or have they changed to stainless.
if it is made of ali do you have corrosion around the bottom support

 

[paulburton44]

Mine is stainless......

 

[thalassa]

And mine is aluminium, with no corrosion after 16 yrs, but I know of at least two Parker owners who do.

 

[Signed Out]

Likewise, mine's in a huge tabernacle (I promise you'll never have seen one this big!) but the mast only has the pin to rest on. Actually I think there 2 pins come to think of it, one in a horizontal slot, if I remember rightly. Not a Parker, but the beast is supposed to be based around an enlarged Seal 28- even has a Seal on the sail.
But no way am I going to try dropping the mast in it, give me crane every time.
Jem.

 

[Bergman]

Hi

My Parker 31 had an ali rudder stock.

There was some small amount of corrosion at the very bottom of the stock

Not enough for me - or a surveyor - to worry about

BTB the 31 had a keel stepped mast - never realised that Parker did any other type. I wouldn't be over keen on a tabernacle for such a long thin mast as the 31 and presumably the bigger replacements.

 

[tyce]

mine has the corrosion in just the small bit that is under the water but it is very bad, so i am going to tackle it this winter

 

[Bergman]

Just as a thought

Do you think a small anode connected to the aluminium and dangling in the water might help?

 

[tyce]

yes i was thinking the same i think i will try it.
i have rung round for a new sheet of aluminium, and prices are about 150 quid for the material i need, not sure what grade of ali i need though

 

[Lakesailor]

Your mast should be a standard section from the mast supplier and there will be feet available. A call to the mast supplier will tell you if the mast is built to take the compression loads on the pin or the foot. It depends very much on how the sleeve for the pin is fixed into the mast section.
Can't see Bergman's point as a thin mast would be more prone to creasing if relying on being keel stepped. The loads should all be taken through the shrouds with only vertical compression loads through the mast.
If it's tabernacle stepped the issue will be how robust the deckhead is. A compression post is the best solution.