PocketShip's tabernacle is one of my favorite features of the design. With practice, you can be sailing in less than 15 minutes after you get to the launch ramp. And that's almost entirely thanks to the tabernacle, which allows the boom to stay rigged. The tabernacle also holds the stowed mast in the perfect orientation to form a ridgepole for a tarp while the boat's in storage, a minor feature which can nevertheless double the life of a disused PocketShip.
On the other hand, the tabernacle is really tall! You need 104 inches - over 8-1/2 feet - of overhead clearance to store the boat indoors. Ditch the tabernacle (and the boom gallows) and you'll need only about 77" of overhead clearance.
The weight, windage, and construction time are all reduced if the tabernacle is deleted. As much as I like it, I wouldn't feel much inconvenienced by stepping the mast right on the deck instead of pivoting it in a tabernacle. PocketShip's mast is short and not very heavy. Someone of just-below-average fitness is strong enough to hoist it upright without the aid of a tabernacle. If a racing class of PocketShips ever evolved, the top boats would all shift to deck-stepped masts.
The deck would need to be reinforced. Some months ago I did up a drawing of how I'd do it. This BBS is a little weird about displaying images, but here it is:
- Deck-Stepped Mast Option - Thumb.jpg (100.24 KiB) Viewed 14905 times
The mast length is increased 3-3/4" and the bowsprit reduced by 5". A sturdy section of 6-inch aluminum channel captures the butt of the mast and the bowsprit. To take the compression, a chunk of 2x4 spans Bulkheads 1 and 2 beneath the deck. This reinforcement would be entirely out of sight.