Is a tabernacle for mast possible for my Scamp?

[Doug SC]

I would like to make a tabernacle for my "thirdhand" Scamp but have no experience with one. So, I thought I would ask the fine sailors here for any suggestion and advice. I would be interested with your experience if you have used one before both good and bad.

The mast became two pieces when the original owner trailered it with the mast up and hit a tree limb. The second owner used a heavy gauge SS pipe attached to the top piece which goes halfway into the pipe. To put it together the bottom piece is set in place then the top piece is lifted, and the pipe is slide over the bottom piece. To do this I stand on the cabana roof. The mast is solid wood so with the pipe it is fairly heavy. As I age this will become more difficult than it already is. Therefore, a tabernacle would eliminate the need to lift, and I can just leave the mast in place.

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[Charles Brennan]

Doug SC, It is indeed, possible.
I can point you to two examples:
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https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2672562499583074&set=pcb.9166915643365529

And:
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https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2483833291789330&set=gm.7784794068244367&idorvanity=160617757328741

Both were engineered by Lonnie Black, a member of the WCTSS (West Coast Trailer Sailing Squadron).
You can reach him on numerous FaceBook forums such as: WCTSS, SCAMP Sailboat Builders, Sailors and Dreamers, John Welsford Small Craft Design and probably others, of which I am unaware.
Perhaps you could contact him for any advice or insights, into the project.

So far, I am hewing to the standard SCAMP build, but keeping an eye out to the benefits to this arrangement to a (rapidly!) aging "Sailor of A Certain Age".

Hope this helps,
Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

Thankyou Charles, that is excellent information! I will see if I can contact Mr. Black for more input. I am a bit worried about the strength of the tabernacle and have been considering how to make it as strong as possible. However, it is encouraging to see two boats already sailing with them. I have been thinking about joining the WCTSS as I think it would be fun to join in on one of their group sails.

At the moment my tow car has been totaled after hitting a deer after dark near Edisto Island after coming back to the rented beach house from hunting for fossils on Morris Island. So that matter has to be dealt with before any long distance pulling of a boat. I am lucky in that no one was hurt, and I can still launch from the sail club ramp as my boats stay on the hard there.

[Captain Kidd]

That tabernacle on the blue Scamp looks pretty sturdy. Especially important since the mast on the Scamp is unstayed.

Doug, your vehicle was totaled?! That must have been one big deer or one big hit! Were the airbags deployed?

[Doug SC]

Hi Captain, I was surprised since the damage was the right fender, the bumper, headlight and a dent to the right side of the hood. The car is a 2013 Ford Edge with towing package and has close to !70.000 miles on it but runs fine. It is also still drivable. It seems that the cost of repair is over 75% of the value of the car so the insurance wants to total it. They will give us $4,000 and we can keep the title which we may do and pay to fix it. We haven't decided which way we will go yet.

We hit the deer doing about 50-55 mph, the air bags didn't deploy and all five of us in the car were wearing seat belts. We stopped and checked to see if anything was touching the tire and that was clear, so we were able to drive it home at the end of our beach week. The extended family all 25 of us with another on the way stayed in 3 rental houses next to each other so we didn't need to drive it anymore during the stay.

[Captain Kidd]

Sounds about like my one and only run-in with a deer. Doing about 45-50 mph, hit driver's side of front, damaged grill, hood, light, fender and the deer's hind legs hit the driver's door leaving their imprint. It was dark. I stopped to look for the deer and couldn't find her. Passed that way later in the day and I had knocked her a considerable distance. She was lying in a ditch on the opposite side of the road. Vehicle was still drivable. Total repair was about $2200. This was 5 or 6 years ago. No talk of totalling.