In article , Bart Senior
wrote:

The best thing about steel and aluminum, is you don't have
to penetrate the deck to attach something. That keeps the
water out of the boat, deck, etc. All you need to worry
about are the mast partners and hatches.

If you use masts in tabernacles you get the benefit of a fixed/pinned
mast structure (more rigid than pure deck stepped) plus no deck
penetration.

PDW