Fastening stemhead fittings

[Ryan]

What is everyone's opinion on stemhead fittings that only bolt to the foredeck as opposed to having fixture that runs down the bow of the boat and bolts into the hull itself (ala the breasthook on the Daysailor, uh Windsong)? I am going to have to fabricate a new stemhead fitting, and while the original piece only bolted to the deck itself, I'm not very comfortable with that setup, especially since I'm equally suspicious of the hull/deck joint in that area. Maybe strengthening the bow/foredeck junction with some plywood/fiberglass reinforcements would make this more secure. Is the deck bolted stemhead fitting a popular way to do things?

[Tim]

No, it's pretty rare to find a stem/headstay fitting that doesn't run over the bow and along the stem for additional strength. Deck-only fittings just aren't that strong when the force is pulling directly up on the fitting, as opposed to a shear load.

I think you're smart to reconfigure the fitting. It doesn't need to be overcomplicated; many boats just have a basic chainplate that is bent to conform over the stem, with an appropriate angle at the top end to match that of the headstay.