Challenger stemhead, any experiences?

[TomY]

Iain mentioned in an email doing some work on the stemhead of his Caravelle. My stemhead shows a bit of corrosion around the edges which I clean up with a small bronze brush. And I have glanced at the fastenings inside the forepeak. Iains letter makes me think I should take a closer look sometime. Maybe pull a few fasteners next winter, etc.

Anyone remove theirs? What options do you have for a plated casting like this? Can they be replated?

 

[southport]

We just have a solid bronze stem head with no plating- where the enclosed chock is on the port side it is thin and, at the top edge, appears to be developing a crack- not structural at all but something that needs attention eventually. Havn't crawled up underneath but it looks to be something possibly hard to remove without damage to the hull and toe rails.

 

[TomY]

I crawled inside the forepeak

and checked mine out. The corrosion I see seems to be just the edge of the outer plating. No rust or signs inside. You're right, it appears the whole boat was built around this piece. The bolting through the nose must just go through the built up glass in this area.

I'll just keep cleaning the corroision when it shows and let this sleeping dog lie.

 

[Quetzalsailor]

Tom,

I've read several writeups on various sites about how to get one of these things off. Simply awful! Lots of force will destroy more boat than you wish to fix. Some Morgan sailboats used to have cast aluminum noses and they'd be corroded enough to prompt removal. A NE 38's is welded up out of stainless steel plate. I recall Hinkley's are cast stainless. I understand yours are bronze. I don't like the sound of the crack; at the least, drill the end to try to stop its propagation.

Anyway, I think adequate force plus heat would do it. There's a huge area of sealant and the direction of pull will not be convenient. The Morgan folks used to talk about solvents but I can't see how they'd get enough into the join.

Interestingly, and horrifyingly, I've always thought that my anchor roller was welded on without removing the nosepiece. Hard to imagine, the more I think about it.

 

[Tia Maria]

I had mine welded. It had cracks were were very minute but they were cracks in a resonably important piece.(one "were" preceeding another "were" should heretofore be interpretted as a "which", thank you ) Mine came off without toooo much fuss (compared to removing a rudder blade? ) To me, It was well worth the piece of mind...which is funny because I will sail a boat in pretty rough condition if I know it...well, Being poor, I haven't many options .
I am pretty shure I am going to switch Tia Maria over to having outboard chainplates as I will feel more comfortable after I build up the area appropreately SP ! Plus, I think they look hip. I also will add the mizzen and probable a bow pulpit/ anchor roller out of nice wood....or some cheep wood which, once stained and varnished, looks just as good. I will keep the forestay where it is as I want a nice seat in that pulpit and I will make a much more robust forward attatchment for the stay. The factory design always seemed a tad thin to me for a 38 ft boat. ....and I have been going to therapy for forestay obsession disorder... and next week, I shall do everything else! Cheers, Terry