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In rebuilding my boat I had access to two riggers, one guy, a young French Canadian, looked at the old
cast aluminum fitting and said it was fine. The hole for the pin was eggshaped and there were some cracks around the edges.  The other rigger who was busy selling me many other upgrades to the rig insisted on rebuilding the nose of my boat, including making a stemhead fitting. Now that I have the benefit of hindsight, he was correct.  The main things  he wanted were to beef up the stem using a good fiberglass man which included modifying the stem itself with a groove to place a tang, which is part of the new stainless fitting, down the front to bolt through. The old aluminum casting was probably the source for some leaks as well.

He gave me an anchor roller too. The fitting is all one piece and has to be much stronger than what was there to begin with. At the time I felt it was overkill but after reading all of the trepidations by others on this site about the original build quality for this area of  the boats I feel he was the best choice. He has had the benefit of seeing many dismastings and was highly recommended by the surveyor I used. Both the surveyor and the rigger were in general very positive about the boat and her quality.  I know myself well enough to know that had I left the old fitting as was, I would have spent way too much time worrying about it, and so consider the money well spent. I used the old pulpit
even though he was very insistent about that too.  You gotta stop somewhere.

Having the attachment point for the headstay inside the extreme front has a slightly protective quality and is prettier too.  Keeping the lines of the boat  completely original is important to our classics,  but way out in the gulf those things don't really mean too much.  I bet you could get that kind of a fix for less money than a one off casting.
Fiberglass is much easier to cast than silicon bronze. I finally got the pictures to post on the site.  Good Luck!

yes I have the crank I think.  It has brand new rebuild on the waterpump and alternator.

The bullet was bigger than I thought. But the boat has been back in the water for 2 weeks now and I'm still fixing things that weren't done right, but I guess it has all been worth it. I know for sure I could have bought a much nicer copy of this boat for what I now have in mine, but I got to use it for two years and I pretty much knew what the issues with it were, and even a much nicer one would have things that need attention or change.
Now if I can just get the gumption to paint the cabin I'll be through, for the time being.

I am answering my own question, it is called Coelan and according to the Europeans I've read that have used it, (made in Germany) it is great stuff. Anyway I'll be trying it, have some on order. It does'nt have to be that good to be better than Cetol, and I'm scared of the work involved with varnish.

My lazy jacks work well for me as long as I dont try to raise the main when downwind.  I guess I would have the same trouble with the spreadersif the jacks were not there. Also I have been known to rig the halyard outside of the jacks which again causes a problem, but...where they shine is when I don't want to go to the trouble of tying the sail when it is down, for that reason I think they are worth the trouble.
Last night was a good example, I undertook a 15 mile sail against the tide in light wind at too late in the afternoon and went aground outside the channel at dusk.  The jacks helped in that they catch the sail when too many things need my attention all at the same time, like when frantically going over to push to make sure the tide doesn't keep you out in the bay all night on a school night.

I sent in some pictures to the photogallery but they are hard to see.  The jacks are just some plastic covered cable that runs from about 2 feet over the spreaders that terminate in a small turning block about three feet above the boom.  The "catcher" lines are just small diameter braded line that run from a point on the boom over the block down again to the boom through a small eye, under the boom through another eye, back up to the block on the other side , down through the block and then back to the boom one last time to a small cleat which I never seem to need to adjust.

I hope this makes sense, its seems to be a  long description to something so simple in the execution.   
Mine came with the boat when I bought it and I decided to keep them knowing I could easily remove them if I did not like them.  So far,  for me they stay.

Sorry Shannon, she is a very beautiful boat, now in the care of another. Remember when Mrs. Yonker left a little blood on her?  She too sends her condolences.