This bulletin board, hosted by the CDSOA, Inc., is the on-line meeting place for all Cape Dory owners and groups. We welcome everyone's questions, answers and comments about Cape Dory sailboat
In this first photo the cover just came off the main. It shows the two lines that run from a reefing cringle to the topping lift.
Before raising the main I lift the lines up to make sure they don't snag on anything on their way up. If I didn't they would snag on the shackle at the end of the topping lift
When the main is up, the lines go limp and do not interfere with anything.
To drop the sail I release the clutch and go to the mast to pull the sail down. The lines become my crew member, keeping the sail on the boom. Just make the sail neat and ad ties!
The lines stop the reef cringles from dropping below the boom. This prevents most of the sail from dropping below the boom and makes lowering the main and tying it to the boom much easier for me.
Any body sitting in the cockpit when I lower the main is also happy I installed the lines because the sail doesn't fall on them.
I have considered lazy jacks and just never thought all the extra rigging was worth the advantage for me. I usually just drop the main, gather it up quick and put one sail tie on it. Then I go back and tidy it up afterwards. Sometimes it flops all over the boat and I have to grab it and roll it to get the tie on. These two lines look like they would be just the ticket for the way I handle things.
I also keep both reefs rigged and I don't see why that would interfere at all. The rings or some shackles would definitely make things work a bit more smoothly.
In all the books I have in my library, I have never seen this arrangement before, Steve.
Thanks for the pics, Gary. As they say, "Picture worth thousand words" and "KISS". I also like the suggestion I read on a link from the earlier, related thread of marking the luff folds with a red or green marker depending on which side of the boom they fall on.
Well, Gary, I am now convinced your clever system will work so my next step is to try it out on my CD28. Things may not go too smoothly since my original mainsail is 34 years old but I am going to install the lines the next time I visit my boat. Getting the sail onto the mast without its falling all over the place has been a real problem especially if I'm singlehanded.
Stay tuned!
Within the the unlocked homes of the Swedish villages on the shores of the Baltic around the rocks sings the sea.
That looks very interesting. I would like to try it on my future Cape Dory 25D that will probably not have any lazy jacks at time of purchase.
I know you have been answering a lot of questions about your set up. I have one more.
From the photo it seems like your system "collects" the lower leech section of the main where there is not a lot of sail cloth. What happens to the large area of sail cloth from the mast area to mid-boom I would think that sail cloth would fall onto the coach roof, deck, etc.
Is there a line system you have to collect this or hold it more in place
Thanks,
Fair winds,
Roberto
a/k/a Sea Hunt "The Tadpole Sailor"
CDSOA #1097
________________________________
"I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way." Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778, as quoted in Naval History and Heritage Command, http://www.history.navy.mil
The sail drops to the boom exactly the way it looks in the picture.
Before I took the picture, I dropped the main and stepped off the boat to take the picture. I did not touch the main sail in any way.
It does the exact same thing every time I drop the sail.
By the way, I spent a lot of time this weekend looking for the article in either Good Old Boat or Wooden Boat where I found this system so I could give credit to the person who gave it to me.
In the May/June 2010 issue of Good Old Boat, in the mail buoy section, There is a letter titled Lazy Jacks - something different by Henry Rodriguez, where Mr. Rodriguez says he "would like to share a method of mainsail control I've used for many years."
Mr. Rodriguez uses two reef cringles and two additional grommets in the leech of the sail, for a total of four lines compared to my two lines. Mr. Rodriguez also uses shock cords where I just used light line.
Mr. Rodriguez says that he got the idea form a product North Sails used to market called Lazy Mate that consisted of lines attached to the leech of the sail and to rings that ride up the topping lift.
Thanks for the idea North Sails and thanks for sharing Mr. Rodriguez.
I just got off Creme Brulee after a wonderful day of sailing.
The day started with no wind at all, so I fashioned myself a pair of "easy jacks" according to Gary's pictures and directions.
I wasted one piece of light line, because I underestimated how much line is taken up with a buntline hitch (at the cringle), and a bowline loop. But even I finally got it.
The jacks did not slide all the way to the boom when I lowered my sail. I did this twice, once at the mooring and once, in quite strong winds at the end of the day, when I dropped the sail before entering the harbor.
Perhaps I made the lines too tight, but I was not able to flake the sails the way I normally do -- I ended up rolling them more than folding them. But the system does work. These simple little pieces of light line made it much easier for me to drop the main while facing into a strong southwest wind, and while the boat was bucking in Buzzards Bay's famous "square waves."
Bravo! Simplicity triumphs again.
Thank you, Gary M.
--Joe
Former Commodore, CDSOA
Former Captain, Northeast Fleet
S/V Crème Brûlée, CD 25D, Hull # 80
"What a greate matter it is to saile a shyppe or goe to sea."
--Capt. John Smith, 1627
I would think that sail cloth would fall onto the coach roof, deck, etc.