PocketShip.net

Hello all! Brand new here. I was wondering if anyone had drawings or plans for the removable tabernacles. I believe I will have to go this way once I start building. Thoughts?

The tabernacle design is the same whether it's removable or not. However, the removable one requires a backing plate behind the bulkhead as a sort of doubler. John put a drawing for the backing board on this forum along with a brief description of it. You'll have to search a bit to find it though. Sorry, I don't remember the name of the thread it's on.

That's good enough for me. I'm reading through everything I can on this forum. I'm sure I will run across it. Thanks!

Hi Aturbeville,

Here's a link to John Harris' post on a removable tabernacle in the PS forum. <http://www.pocketship.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=450>

Good luck and keep us posted.

Mark

I did mine removable because if I didn't like it I could always make it unremovable. Glad I went removable. My backing plate is a piece of carbon fiber. Originally I just had big washers but it didn't look real nice for the interior. The carbon I think kinda adds something.

Hi all folks using removable tabernacles,

What are you all doing to protect the base of the tabernacle (where it rides on the foredeck) from abrasion and subsequent water penetration?

The butt-ends of permanently attached tabernacles are sealed with epoxy, and then further protected with the fillets around the base when gluing to the hull - which also prevents any movement or "working" at the tabernacle base. Removable tabernacles have no such protection from water (even with suitably placed and sized drain holes), and I expect that the base will need some kind of armour. Perhaps a couple layers of fiberglass wrapped around the base and extending up the sides for a few inches?

Thoughts, suggestions, and / or experience all welcome, and thanks.
Mark Nunlist

The base of the tabernacle shouldn't move,* so there isn't any abrasion or other damage that would occur with it. Make sure it's sealed with epoxy, as you do with all the other wood on the boat. I rounded the corners so it would fit securely into the fillet along the bulkhead 2/anchor well floor junction. I also have the two drainage holes in the sides of the tabernacle so water will drain out. Since there isn't a tight seal between the tabernacle and the floor, water should be able to seep out anyway even without the drainage hole.


*If your tabernacle is moving, get out of the way quickly.

Hi Craig,

Thanks for your response. I totally agree the tabernacle can't move in any significant way. I am concerned though that abrasion alone on the butt-ends of the tabernacle base would - over time - compromise the integrity of the epoxy and lead to problems. I plan to follow John Harris' design for the removable tabernacle with four bolts and a backing plate.

Mark

Hi Forum readers,

Anybody else have any thoughts regarding wrapping the butt-ends of the tabernacle with a bit of fiberglass / epoxy as protection from abrasion and eventual water penetration to the end-grain of the wood?

Thanks,
Mark Nunlist

Hi Mark,

It certainly won't do any harm to add fiberglass to the tabernacle ends.
The beauty of a removable tabernacle is that it is pretty easy to make mods as you go; After swinging the mast up and down a number of times now I realize there can be significant lateral loading on the tabernacle fulcrum if the swinging mast is allowed to go off center and I imagine a split tabernacle back board is not unlikely.
As a means of strengthening the tabernacle structure I plan to wrap the outside, including the butt ends, with fiberglass. The inside clearance is tight so I don't think it will accommodate the extra fiberglass, but will probably fiberglass the inside back.