tabernacle replacement

[retsina]

I need to replace my rusty tabernacle with a new stainless steel. Has anyone tried to remove a tabernacle without removing or lowering the mast? Perhaps by shifting the mast a few inches away from the tabernacle, leaving enough space to remove the mabernacle. My tabernacle has two bolts, one to pivot and the other to secure in place. Tha mast is approx 37 ft

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Strikes me you'd be taking a helluva risk of everything coming down around your ears.
If you move the mast forward you need to be certain the deck, or coachroof, can withstand the compression, otherwise you could punch a hole through.
If you move the mast foot and fail to secure it properly it could slide forward, or sideways, and cause untold damage to you, your boat, and neighbouring boats.

All-in-all a very risky procedure. Why not just lower your mast to do the job?

 

[machurley22]

You might also be underestimating the difficulty of removing the tabernacle. I have done this on my own, more modest, vessel and it was only accomplished with extreme persuasion. I wouldn't have wanted my mast poorly supported while I was knocking seven bells out of the rusty bolts securing the tabernacle to the coachroof.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Underestimating effort required to do a job isn't the only thing you'll underestimate with your boat. Time required and costs incurred always seem to exceed time and funds available.

PS. If you intend to proceed with your original plan check your 3rd party insurance!

 

[oldharry]

Having replaced or reseated several tabernacles over the years I cannot begin to imagine how you could do it safely with the mast still up - and survive! As tabernacles are normally bedded on some form of sealant it can be the devils own job to shift the - usually rusted - bolts, and then break the seal - even if it has been leaking!

A 37 foot mast is a lethal weapon - if you lose control even for an instant it will come down quite probably killing you, certainly writing itself off, and doing untold damage to your boat and anything else that it hits.

I once dropped a 20 foot mast: it did a huge amount of damage to the boat, and would certainly have killed anyone had they been in the way.

 

[William_H]

You havn't described the construction of the tabernacle . Does it extend down to the keel or does it sit on top of the coach roof with a support post underneath?

Yes it would be possible to do the job with the mast moved. Just how far you need the mast to move is the question. The place it sits on needs to be strong enough to take the weight and you need to positively lash the mast in situ stopping movement of the base fore and aft and sideways. I suspect you biggest problem will be lifting the mast up to move it sideways. It will be heavy even with stays slackened.

My first thought was, could you not refurbish the surface of the steel tabernacle without removal. Or even with the mast moved out of the tabernacle to clean up the inside faces. Anyway that is your decision.

good luck and be careful olewill

 

[sarabande]

It's not just the mass ("weight") of the mast which will make the job difficult, it's the tension in the stays and shrouds which all contributes to the downthrust onto the base of the tabernacle.

The mass of the mast is not taken on the pivot bolt or the securing one; runs down to the foot fitting.

Shifting the mast will induce additional loading on some if not all parts of the rigging, and you could be facing a mechanical problem of lifting and shifting a couple of tonnes with a CofG about 6 m above the deck. If that goes off-line, you are in the custard.

If you are sure that the old tabernacle will come off without any difficulty, and the new one will install precisely also, then you could get a crane to list the mast up a few cms, swap the tabernacle and lower it again. BUT, but have you ever known a job goes perfectly OK without some snag ?

Much quicker and safer to remove the mast completely, to give you a free working space, and no time pressure.

 

[Talbot]

I took my old tabernacle of and had it grit blasted (I needed to weld on some reinforcing flanges to cope with a new cut out for behind mast reefing system) and then took it to a trailer company to add to their stuff when they took it to the galvanisers (cheapest way to get small amount of galvanising done).

Result a very smart replacement tabernacle that cost relatively little and should last another 15-20 years before needing the same thing doing again.

I did not even consider trying to leave the mast up. I shudder to even think about it!

 

[paulburton44]

Am I missing something but isn't a tabernacle there to raise and lower the mast....???

"Tabernacle:
A large bracket attached firmly to the deck, to which the foot of the mast is fixed. It has two sides or cheeks and a bolt forming the pivot around which the mast is raised and lowered."

If you have a tabernacle why not lower your mast first. ??????