Re: tabernacle... I *think* I have it figured out at last. I will cut the 2 nubs off of the mast foot (the nubs which sat in the plywood slot) so that I have a nice, flat bearing surface when the stick is up. I do not want the thru-bolt pivot to bear any of the weight of the mast. Thing is, when the mast rotates into position (I am planning on having it lay down aft), if it were to wind up where it was then sitting on the tabernacle base, is that the after portion of the mast and foot would have to be shaved off so that it will clear the base portion as it rotates into place. The after corner at the bottom of the mast would have to be rounded off. Rounding that corner will take away from the bearing surface I want. This is the Catch 22, that has stymied me for a couple of months...

One idea of many considered (and then rejected) was to make an oblong hole in the mast for the thru-bolt that the mast would rotate on, large enough to accommodate the corner clearance needed. Then, the mast would have to be pulled aft and up, for the last couple of inches of raising, to get the corner past, before it settled down on the foot. Doesn't sound like an easy thing to do, with a 35' long pole that weighs in excess of 100#'s.

What I've settled on is to use 2 shims. The mast will rotate up into place, 'hovering' on the pivot bolt, just far enough off of the tabernacle base so that that after corner has clearance when it rotates into place. Now, imagine a rectangle, the base plate, which is as wide as the space between the tabernacle legs, a bit longer than the mast in the fore-n-aft dimension, and just a smidge taller, maybe as much as 1/4", than the space between the mast foot bearing surface, and the tabernacle base below.

Take that rectangle, looking at the edge, and slice it on a slope into 2 pieces. Slice it so that if it is sitting on deck, the slice slopes from the upper aft corner, down to the front lower corner. Result: 2 wedges.

Once the mast is up, slide the lower piece, which will slope down and forward on top, into place on the tabernacle base. Then insert the top piece, wedging it back and up-slope on the bottom piece, until it takes up the weight of the mast. Secure it into place, and problem solved (I think...).

Re: mast raising... I've seen an idea where a fellow took a piece of chain on each side of the mast at deck edge, attached it to the deck at the ends, with enough slack so that when it was picked up in line with the tabernacle pivot, a particular link lined right up with that pivot point. From there, on each side of the mast, you lead a line up to the spreader bases, and make it off. Voila - legs. Then you can use tackle and a gin pole on the front of the mast, and hoist away. The legs will keep the mast centered until it is up and you can attach shrouds. I will probably also make a line off to the tabernacle base, aft, to take some of the kick-out load that will be there early on in the raise.