Question: Tabernacle

[ChattOday]

I over tightened my rigging and bent my hinge on tabernacle.

O'Day 22. What should I get to replace it?

Tabernacle Hinge Large: http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DR2150

Mast step complete with hinge: http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DR2121H

Thoughts? Is it OK, as is or should I replace it? 1977 O'Day 22

 

[Indysailor]

Have you tried bending it back to the way it belongs?

 

[ChattOday]

Not yet. To be fair, this is a bit of winter research before I move on it. I know it is a hefty piece of aluminum, but not looked at it. The issue in my mind d is that while steel can bend, aluminum is less friendly and tends to fracture or crack.

 

[AWalker]

It should be a SS piece, not aluminum. Take it off and hammer it back into shape.

 

[Indysailor]

Agreed. When my mast came down a couple years ago, I just put mine in a vice and torqued it back to the way it was supposed to be. If the boat's properly rigged, the tabernacle isn't really doing a lot that a little bend and re-bend in the plates would affect.

 

[ChattOday]

Excellent. Thank you both!

Any tips for rigging? I am new to sailing and learning. Is there a rule of thumb for it?

 

[Indysailor]

While the mast is down check all the chainplates, tangs, the swage fittings, turnbuckles and the shrouds/stays. You want them to be clean of cracks and signs of excessive wear or stress. Shrouds on trailerable boats can be easily bent by a careless mast raising; look for kinks.

Once you raise the mast, make sure it is straight and that the shrouds are tightened equally on port and starboard. On my boat, there is a laughable guide that came with the boat in it's original packet of documents; upper shoruds should be a few turns past hand tight and lowers should be hand tight, but not taught. Backstay should be taught. That's actually what it says.
Others with a 22 may have better advice, but if your rigging is set up correctly, the tabernacle is just connecting the mast to the cabin top, which doesn't really mean that hinge needs to be perfect. It seems to me that as long as it's in the right location, it should be fine. Others may have more expert opinions on this.

 

[ChattOday]

That sounds great, thank you.

I am getting so excited for the warm weather to show up.