replacing the stem head fitting

bcarli · **Joined:** 02 Oct 2011 20:39 **Posts:** 49

In the next few days I am going to replace the cracked stem head fitting on my Tartan 37...I thought I would run it by the group to see if anybody has any thoughts about how I THINK it will happen...
First I'm pulling into a marina and getting the boat tied up. Then I will secure the mast with the main halyard tied off to a forward cleat, I will also tie off the two lines for the whisker pole forward as well. That should support the mast. Then I will loosen the back-stay which should give me enough room for the head-stay to be lose enough to remove the pin from the roller furler there bye disconnecting the head-stay from the boat. I'll unbolt the stem head and hopefully they didn't use 5200 to bed it with and remove it. If it is bedded with 5200 I remember reading about using and old guitar string and a heat gun to cut through the 5200. The new piece was made by the company that made the original stem head fittings so hopefully the bolts line up and after bedding it with some 4200 I'll bolt it in place. Then re attach the head-stay, tighten the back-stay and all is well...something will happen to my perfect scenario because this is a boat I'm working on...
but that's my plan...any comments?

WayneH · **Posted:** 12 Nov 2012 09:07

Sounds like a great plan. But I always remember the saying about "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy."

I would be prepared to need a pry bar and a set of wedges to remove the fitting. And a liberal amount of verbal lubricant so make sure you're not near any kids. Especially for that top bolt forward.

Oh, yeah, you also left out the part about the beautiful Swiss masseuse. That and two aspirins will take out the kinks in your back from crawling in and out of the anchor locker. When I was working on my anchor roller, I found a Swiss masseuse but my wife took one look and said something about Lorena Bobbitt. Shocked

So I had to make do with just the aspirins.

steves · **Joined:** 01 Nov 2006 10:53 **Posts:** 35

Who made the new stem head fitting for you?

bcarli · **Joined:** 02 Oct 2011 20:39 **Posts:** 49

Wayne
you gave me a good laugh...I know about the best made plans of mice and men and boats...but got to get her done.
( down here it would be a three hundred pound West Indian doing the massages so probably will pass)...
The stem head was made by Whitewater Marine...A fellow Tartan 37 owner answered an earlier posting that I had about who could make one for me...They did a fabulous job...
blind luck and naive optimism has carried me far in life
bill

Tortuga's Lie · **Joined:** 27 Oct 2006 10:32 **Posts:** 827

Wouldn't be a bad idea to tie a length of string to the stem head and secure the other to the pulpit.....just in case it slips out of your hand!

bcarli · **Joined:** 02 Oct 2011 20:39 **Posts:** 49

Hi
Just to let you know that it took a full day but the new stem head was installed without any drama at all ( boat projects never go smooth for me but this one did)..The company that built it for me White Water Marine did an excellent job....It all lined up and bolted on without having to re-drill anything
and yes I had a line tied around it...to many things have gone overboard in the past...
thanks for your input on this
best to you all
bill
s/v Eden
St. Thomas V.I.

WayneH · **Posted:** 15 Nov 2012 10:23

Bill,

The part about loosing things overboard made me think of "Float checking" which lead to a google search which lead to:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix: ... Navy_slang

which used up a couple of hours to read and laugh at. Warning! Mostly Non-PC and somewhat NSFW. It's the Navy talking.

Congratulations on a successful swap out. I thought I had damaged mine in Morgan City, La when the tranny didn't go into reverse until after we hit the dock. Took me two hours to clean the creosote off the bow. Since then, I shift much earlier to give the tranny time to engage.

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 22 Nov 2012 14:13

^^^ Quite comprehensive. I did notice the absence of "Mk-1 MOD-0" and "India ball". But having "gedunk" and "gouge" made up for it.

i.e. "What do you mean you can't find it? Use your Mark One MOD zero india ball and you'll locate it!"

Tartan37.com

replacing the stem head fitting

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