These pictures are from Bob Hawk's KP44 Escape Velocity. Bob found some serious corrosion in the threaded rod that takes the forestay load. This rod goes diagonally down through the bow to a notch, which is plugged with putty. The new bolt is 316 stainless. Tom on KP44 Canopus replaced this fitting with a machined bronze rod. Several other boats have reported corrosion in the bolt and one had the bolt fail and the forestay was saved only by the throughdeck bolts to the deck plate.

In these photos of  Canopus's bow you can see the new deck plate and the top end of the machined bronze rod.

On KP44 Beatrix, Jeff has put an eyebolt at the top end of the rod, instead of a hex bolt, and this is where the asymmetric spinnaker tack is set. If you are making up a new rod, keep this in mind, as you will want to leave enough thread showing for the eye nut.  The photo at lower right shows Escape Velocity's new bolt. The bottom end is fine thread, the top end is coarse thread. The fine thread allows the use of a thinner "jam bolt" on the bottom end of the bolt. A regular bolt won't fit. Dimensions are 11" x 1/2". Thread depth is 1" on the bottom and 1.5" on the top. Note lower washer is ground to a triangular shape to fit the bow cutout.