August 5, 2012-Replacing the Stem Fitting

wingssail images-judy jensen
Working in the hell hole.

It’s been a fun week replacing the stem fitting.

Well fun if you ignore sweating hours spent crammed in the forepeak taking out bolts, then putting them all back in.

If you ignore sitting in the dingy with an angle grinder cutting off bolts which could not be otherwise removed.

And if you ignore clothes-drenching rainstorms which seemed to hit just as we got all set up outside to do the next step, whatever that was going to be.

You see, we figured that after the backstay broke the forestay was next, or at least the forestay stem fitting
.
So we pulled it out; over the course of four days.

Then we put it back; another four days.

It was fine.

But at least now we know.

Finishing our racing season in Trinidad.

Oh, this photo?

That’s what we kept thinking about while we toiled.

To see the real event, click here.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Trinidad