DaySailer.org Forum

Hi,

There is a fair amount of wiggle in my tabernacle (1980 DS2). Area is circled in the attached image. Not my photo, just something I found. I'm guessing this should be a firm connection? I'm also thinking that this is why it feels like the mast is going to fall left or right while lowering.

Thanks for any guidance.

MRT

If the mast has been swaying to one side as you lower it, the lower aluminum casting portion of the hinge unit may have been damaged.

I would recommend taking the lower aluminum casting out of the mast and checking the threads to see if they're stripped. If they are, you can buy a new casting at D&R Marine, on this page:

http://www.drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=123

You can also buy a complete hinge on the same page.

I replaced one of these this week, having had the old one come down unexpectedly and without permission. Sideways. I bought a new one, riveted it to the mast through the old screw holes, and the difference is significant. I phoned the good people at Dwyer, had a nice chat and learned that they call this thing a hinge, not a tabernacle. They helped me get the right one based on the shape of my mast. My new one has no 'play' at all and goes up and down in the right direction and at a sub-gravity rate. Good luck.

Thanks. I'll look up Dwyer.

They will need to know what shape mast you have. When you identify it (the clue for me was the shape of the piece inside the mast track), then you can click through and select the hinge you need. Good luck

Looks like DR Marine does sell that part, you can always call Rudy and hel'll help you make sure.

I had a similar issue. What I did 1.Removed old screws. they were nasty corroded and rusty. 2. Drill and tap existing holes to larger diameter. 3. Replaced with Stainless Steel Machine screws.

Anytime you connect stainless steel to aluminum, you need to do something about mixed-metal corrosion. The goto solution is called TefGel and is sold in very small tubes. Works like a charm and I'm still on my first tube.

If you order from Dwyer, you'll want to confirm which mast you have. I almost ordered the wrong thing when I was solving my too-short mast problem by ordering a longer piece for the section below the mast hinge. I looked at the measurements, on this page:

https://www.dwyermast.com/families.asp? ... Name=Masts

and decided I must have a DM-3. The person who took my order pointed out that the DM-284 was commonly used on Daysailers, so that might be what I actually had.

I rechecked, and sure enough, he was right. As EnglishmaninCNY points out, the internal shape of the mast track is different (curved in the case of the DM-284; flat in the DM-3). The outside measurements are extremely close, so it's an easy mistake to make.

Thanks Greenlake. I will look into that.