Mast Storage Issues

I am doing research towards building a Jarcat 5 in my garage in Japan. As many know, space is an issue here. I don't yet have the plans for a Jarcat 5 to know the exact mast length, but I've seen some builds online with masts of about 22 feet. I also hear of using Hobie 14/16 rigs for Jarcat builds.

My issue is that my garage is only slightly longer than the boat and the mast would not fit diagonally. Is there anything that can be done? I see that many boats have a tabernacle on their mast for stepping (usually to pass under bridges). Sometimes the tabernacle is quite high up. Would it be feasible on a 15 foot catamaran like this to put the tabernacle in a place that would make the mast the same length as the boat when folded (7 feet from the bottom or so) or is it simply not feasible to put a joint so close to the middle of a mast?

Are there any other solutions available?

 

What about different diameter tubes that lock together like these?

 

I found a site that shows a mast which separates, but the separation is located very low on the mast. This makes me wonder if there is some design reason that this can't be located further up the mast?

 

Also ran across this

 

What about switching to a gaff or gunter rig? I don't know which would be ideal for a catamaran such as this, but it seems that these masts are significantly shorter. I don't have much experience with these sorts of rigs so perhaps someone could offer some insight into doing this as an option. The standard rig for this boat is about 22 feet or so and I need it to be 15 feet. I should note that the Jarcat 5 is mast-aft.


http://www.wwpotterowners.com/Technical54.html

 

just make yourself a two piece mast. simplest would be a tent pole type of slip joint, easy to do with a round mast. a hobie mast is more teardrop shaped, so making an inner sleeve would be more difficult but can also be done.

that hinged plate is not very elegant, more necessary on a heavy mast. You do not need anything that complex, just an inner sleeve held in place with a few screws. The two piece mast can be the same strength as a solid one, but it would just add some weight to the mast, and also it would not flex the same way around your splice.

You might also use a different sailing rig, lug or even junk, with the mast at the height that will fit in your garage. if you intend to race in a class this rig would not be legal but a smaller simpler rig for recreational sailing will work just fine, you do not need a very large sail to enjoy sailing it.

 

Thanks Petros! I like the idea of being able to use a Hobie mast with an inner sleeve, but I can't find any pointers online for the construction of the sleeve. Don't suppose there are other similar projects floating around that I could use as a reference?

 

I found this on a forum regarding a Hobie 18 mast repair:

A German-made kit for a separating mast on a Hobie 16: http://www.catklein.de/product_info.php?info=p360_mastteilsatz-hc16.html

 

US hobie 16 mast has a composite top section upwards of mast tang that I believe has a moulded sleeve in it. Could it be made removable?