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Headstay Stem Fitting Upgrade Install

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Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/19/2007 : 14:46:00

I just wrote up my installation of the upgraded headstay stem fitting. You may recall a couple months ago I asked your opinions on my original fitting which was partially raised and I took the advice of many of you and installed the new fitting.

The weekend before last Dave (Bubba on the forum) and I started my new headstay stem fitting project. We took the main and jib halyards and tied them off on the bow cleats. We loosened the lower shrouds and the backstay to relieve some tension off the rig. We then winched the main halyard very tightly to pull the mast forward and to act as a temporary headstay. Now we could remove the original stem fitting. You can see how it was raised up about 1/8”:

We used a dremel to grind a crecent shape in the rub rail in order to remove the front bolt. Then we had to grind a slot through behind the rail for the tang of the new fitting to go down against the hull.

Once it was removed, we filled in the 4 original holes on the top with epoxy. Remember to place some tape on the inside to prevent it from seeping through. The forward bolt behind the rub rail matches up with the new fitting, so you don’t have to worry about that one.

We marked and drilled the holes through the deck for the new fitting. We bent the tang on the new fitting straight down in order for it to fit through the new slot behind the rub rail. Dave has a vice on his portable work bench which made this a breeze. We clamped it and I simply bent it by hand. Next we used a lot of 5200 sealant under the base of the fitting to provide a more even surface. It is probably hard to see in the photos, but the fiberglass is slightly raised to the shape of the old fitting. The bow roller extends off the starboard side, so we put plenty of 5200 sealant there to fill the gap. We then put in the bolts and hand tightened them. This is the toughest part of the project. It is difficult to reach and see in the forward point of the bow in that anchor locker. You can also only have one hand in there and you have to slide on a washer, lock washer and nut. Some of the bolts interfere with each other or are so close to the side they took many attempts to finally get the nuts on. You definitely need a helper to be on the outside to hold the bolts in place.

That was as far as we got that weekend. This past weekend we completed the project. During the week Dave and I were trying to think of ideas on how to bend the tang to fit against the hull. Dave always comes up with some excellent ideas. Here is his tool he created to give us plenty of leverage to easily make a nice bend. He cut a 2x4 in half, took two pipe nipples that were probably around 1” in diameter and maybe 12” long. Then using the same 3/8” threaded stock rods I have for my swing keel project, bolted the 2x4s and pipes together. Here are two photos to give you a better idea of this great contraption:

Note, we did place a piece of cardboard between the hull and the pipes to prevent scratching which is not in the photo, don’t forget that. We were able to bend it most of the way. Next I used a hammer and hammered away as Dave held the tang in place. After several minutes of hammering and checking the progress, the tang was just about perfectly bent and didn’t take much pressure to be pressed against the hull. I drilled holes through the hull into the anchor locker using the tang as a guide. Be careful in making sure you drill both holes as close to perpendicular as possible. Once the holes were drilled through, I went back up to the anchor locker and test fit the metal backing plate. It turned out one screw was slightly off and would not fit. Fortunately it was not off much and we drilled the hole a little more angled and then I was able to fit both bolts through the plate. Earlier I bought one 2 oz. piece of epoxy putty because I knew I would have to build up something behind the metal backing plate in the point of the bow. Well, 2 oz. was not enough, so we drove down to the hardware store and I bought two more packages. 6 oz. was perfect for my project, so keep that in mind. I applied the epoxy putty in between the bolts and hand tightened the metal plate down to give it a nice fit. Here it is completed inside and you can note how close some of the bolts are:

Here is the finished product after all the work:

Thank you so much Dave for your help and excellent ideas!

Justin
Previous Owner of Sapphire Breeze - 1982 Catalina 25 SK/SR
My sail blog site: https://reveriesailing.com/

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2007 : 15:14:10

Well done, I felt really good about doing that upgrade to my '82, I think it is a really important safety upgrade.

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esailor
Navigator

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USA
118 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2007 : 09:35:24

Excellent post Justin, as usuall the detail is great. That will really help when I get to do this project after this fall. Can this be put in the tech tips section? I believe this is a keeper posting. Just for the safety aspects alone.

Thanks,

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John Mason
Admiral

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USA
687 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2007 : 11:39:35

I also thought it was one of my most important upgrades. And the peace of mind it provided was immeasurable.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.