tophatyachts.com

VIDEO.
If it's possible to drop a large mast so easily, you would think it would be a simple matter with a 10 metre mast.
Open up a lot more rivers to us.
https://youtu.be/_Fn1tL6jZv0

https://www.google.com/search?safe=acti ... Dz02CYytGM:

The Dutch have been doing this for centuries. They always have very strong tabernacles. In the video the winch is below deck and pulling the short end down. The classic Dutch system uses an A frame which normally sits on the fore-deck and pivots up with the mast going down. I use this system on my trailer-sailer, but it does still cause a higher air draught greater than 10ft!

I know of only one Top Hat with a tabernacle and she is in Perth.

Old Harry has a tabernacle. Heavy damn thing to get up and down and quite daunting going under the 3 bridges to get in and out of the swan river.
We had two HD poles made up and special stainless pivoting connections on the deck which accept the pole ends perfectly, with a ring and pulley system to connect to forestay.
Only done it 3 times. It takes alot of time to get the fwd lowers, loosen the aft lowers and slacken the two backstays. Then pull forward on the pulley to release the forestay pin.
It lowers and raises easily but with the amount of large power boat traffic it creates too much wake movement and stress so we stay in the river these days.
Too easy to lose a mast while getting it up and down. Even down in a cradle and lashed in place the wake creates alot of stress on the components.

I am not sure what Old harry was called previously. Two owners ago changed the name. but we don't know the previous history.
I have seen a Mk1 or 2 which races out of Nedlands Yacht Club but as we are racing at the same time on different courses, I have not been close enough to get it's name.