I have a '79 Oday 23 and I'd like to add an organizer plate under the mast. Problem is, one of the tabernacle bolts is behind a cabin bulkhead. Aside from removing the bulkhead, is there a way to get to that bolt?
Tabernacle bolts
- Thread starter whiskers
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The only other way to get at that nut and washer is to cut a small access in the bulkhead with a Dremel Tool. Then you can make up a special molding to hide it. My nuts and bolts were accessible when I replaced my junky tabernacle with a stainless steel hinge and utility plate. One day after a rain years later, I discovered that there was a leak coming in through the threads of one of the bolts. I was able to fix that very easy after I took my mast down. I would make that particular nut and bolt accessible. You shouldn't have to go through all the work of removing the bulkhead for one bolt. I don't know what this area looks like, so I'll let you be the judge of that. Two years ago, I removed all of my bulkheads in my boat, plus every piece of wood in the cabin, to stain and varnish them and it was a lot of work.
Thanks, Joe. If I put in one of the plates from Rudy, I will have to cut the back off to raise and lower the mast off the stern. I seem to remember you had to do the same? By doing that, will I need to add a block to the mast to lead the boom vang aft? Or can I put that block on the plate along side the mast? It would seem that the geometry of a block on the side would harden the line when the boom swings to the opposite side and ease when going to the side where the block is mounted. Is my thinking flawed here?
Thanks again,
Mike
Thanks again,
Mike
Mike,
Those are good questions that I really don't
have an answer to. Our boats are different and
our spars are probably different too, right? My
tabernacle and utility plate were made by Kenyon.
The one you're getting off Rudy is probably a
Dwyer Mfg. I don't think that it would look good
if you put a block between the mast and the
plate. I found out later that the block gave my
mast more clearance on the closed companionway
hatch which allowed it to be raised from a lower
position with the Gin Pole. It was later when I
built my Gin Pole that I discovered that the back
portion of the utility plate was preventing my
mast from sitting in the mast crotch on my stern
rail, after it was pinned in place at the
tabernacle. So I had my son cut the back of the
plate with a whizzer that he brought from home
one day. For the boom vang connection, you can
add some kind of a bale to the two back holes in
the utility plate. To this day I haven't gotten
around to doing that but if I think hard enough
without hurting myself, I can come up with a good
solution to that problem. I've been just tying
a small rope to the holes in the outside plate
for now, when I want to use my boom vang. If you have any pics of your old mast tabernacle and the surrounding deck that you can post here, I may be able to give you a better assessment of the situation.
On one older O'Day 23 I had, that bolt that looks like it has a hidden nut at bulkhead - was actually a long lag screw. The mast plate was held on with 3 bolts and one lag- all with matching heads that made it appear as 4 bolts. Not saying yours is like that, but you might take a ratchet and socket and see if it will back out from the top. Good luck.
Wow, Lance! Who'da thunk it? I'm glad that you spoke up on that one. I hope he didn't cut his bulkhead yet. That's really amazing. They had to have done that at the factory.
Lance, thanks much for that info. No, Joe, I haven't cut the bulkhead, nor have I tried to turn that bolt yet. I want to have everything ready, one way or the other, when I do. If I try to loosen it, and it isn't a lag bolt, then I'm going to have a loose tabernacle bolt until I get the bulkhead cut. I'll let you guys know what I find in a few days, when I get a chance to go to the boat again. We were out yesterday and the weather was great, so we went for the first sail of the season instead of working on TicToc. Selfish, I know, but it's been a long winter.
Mike
Mike
Hey, I don't blame you for wanting to get out there Mike. I went out on Tuesday and came back Wednesday afternoon myself. It was beautiful sleeping out there on my boat. The fishing was lousy, but I had two beautiful days out on the water. I still have a couple of minor things that I wanted to do on my boat, but ya know what? I want to get out there and use it too. So I'll get to it when I get to it I guess.
Joe
It's simple to walk the dog. I just ride her over to the shore in my 9' kayak.
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