Lazy Jacks?

[Joe Myerson]

OK, I'm getting bored while I wait for launch day, which the yard will only say should be "in the first 10 days in June." This means I keep coming up with extra projects--a very dangerous preoccupation.

One such project, since I usually sail singlehanded, would be the installation of lazy jacks. These wouldn't have to be the fancy Harken or other brand-name jacks, since I could make a perfectly useable set with 1/4-inch line.

So here's my question for the august Members of the Board--especially those who singlehand on 25Ds: Do you use lazy jacks?

Lowering the main, especially in the usually strong afternoon southwest breeze that comes up on Buzzards Bay, hasn't been much of a problem, but I find myself rolling the main sloppily and throwing a few ties around the boom until I can get into the harbor.

This means I don't really flake my sail; when I get onto the mooring, I re-roll the sail neatly before putting on the cover. Is this damaging my nice, new mainsail? Based on my experience as a former catboat sailor, I'm sure that lazy jacks would make it easier to drop the sail--but are they necessary?

Any thoughts?

Waiting impatiently for launch date,

--Joe

[Ed Haley]

This means I don't really flake my sail; when I get onto the mooring, I re-roll the sail neatly before putting on the cover. Is this damaging my nice, new mainsail? Based on my experience as a former catboat sailor, I'm sure that lazy jacks would make it easier to drop the sail--but are they necessary?

If you ask any sailmaker he'll tell you it's better for the sail to do what you're doing rather than flaking the sail. Random folds or rolls place less stress on the sail material but doesn't look as neat as flaking. But flaking puts stress on the sail in the same place every time its done including long periods of time on the boom.

Using lazy jacks allows the sail to be cradled and then tied without spilling over the boom. It's especially good for sails with full battens. But it comes at a small price of having to adjust the lazy jacks before and after striking the mailsail.

[Chris Reinke]

Joe - Like you, I started my sailing life in a beetlecat on Buzzards Bay and enjoyed the convenience of lazy jacks and a gaff rig. I installed lazy jacks on my CD330 several years ago and have found them to be very helpful. My father and I often sail solo, or with my little kids. Every once in a while we shoot the mooring in Onset harbor under sail...just to keep it interesting....and the lazy jacks certainly help. They keep the sail from dropping onto the heads of folks sitting in the cockpit and keep the coach roof clear. We do not bother to adjust them while we set the sail. They are left slightly looser than the topping lift and do not interfere with the sail while underway. It is true that you will still need to repack the sail slightly, but the lazy jacks keep everything neat. I have the harken set, which were purchased used from a fellow CD'er off this site. The Harken site offers a pretty good set of installation instructions and diagrams you could use to fabricate your own.

[Boyd]

Hi All:

I single hand even when I have crew. So simple is important to me.

After a lot of thought I got a Dutchman system. I like it because its simpler than Lazy jacks and I love the way the sail falls in place. Just heave to, ease out the main sheet so the boom weather cocks behind the jib, and drop the main. Tighten up the main sheet and you are mostly done. Its usually so well behaved that you can even wait to tie it down if need be. Often I just take the main halyard and loop it around the sail to hold it. Raising is just as easy. I have to mess with the topping lift only bacause my Bimini is a few inches too high.

Having good sail cars or a nice smooth track is very important.

Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

[Carter Brey]

I'm adapting and installing this design on my Sabre 28. They're simple, they're inexpensive, and they're a singlehander's dream because they deploy and retract from the cockpit.

http://slowflight.net/upgrades/lazyjacks_how-to.html

Best regards,
Carter

[John Danicic]

We installed a lazy jack system on Mariah using the following Good Old Boat article as a guide. http://www.boatus.com/goodoldboat/tamers.htm

To date, lazy jacks on the mainsail was one of the best and cheapest updates we did to the rig. It eases the transition between sailing and not sailing. I highly recommend it.

Sail on

John Danicic
CD36 Mariah #124
Lake Superior

[Peter Kozup]

If you'd like a look at a system that is very different but does the same thing with what looks like less hassle (possibly!!) try this -- www.flake-it.com. I'm not certain how successful the business is since I haven't seen the product advertised anywhere, but will try them out as soon as I find out whether or not the system is still being produced. The system is cheaper, and appears to be less obtrusive and easier to use than lazy jacks.
I installed lazy jacks on my CD 26 and found them to be in the way for just about everything I needed to do on the mast, and in the end I removed them.
Have been meaning to try the Flake-It system, but just haven't done it yet.
Whatever you do, have fun.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Katy Too
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42

[ricks]

Hi Joe,

I have a 25D that came with Lazy Jacks so have nothing to directly compare it to, but I have often wondered if the hassles outweigh the benefits. I find that raising/lowering the main is often complicated by the battens hanging on the Lazy Jacks. I have also found that I invariably need to adjust them from their normal functional tension in order to reduce distortion of my main when sailing.

I probably spend more time up front dealing with these issues than I've benefitted by having the Lazy Jacks.

Rick

[Dick Kobayashi]

Joe,

I sail the same waters out of Mattapoisett. I had LJs the first year as they came with the boat. But they were more bother than a help. On the 25D I have found that the sail isn't that big and is easily handled. When the main comes down two sail ties will hold the unflaked sail in place until I am at the mooring or otherwise free to attend to it. Remember that there isn't much sail up there in a 25D, our bigger brothers have a lot more to deal with in terms of square feet of canvas. I have found it best to be very careful about adding gizmos of anykind, there is always a cost to complexity - sometimes only obvious after instalation.

[Joe Myerson]

Thanks for the responses.

Based on Herb's and Rick's comments, it sounds like lazy jacks aren't really needed on a boat with this small a mainsail. (I remember that Bob Dugan suggested in an earlier post that you can always pull in on your reefing lines if you need to control the sail as she comes down--that's what I do now, occasionally.)

And Peter, I tried the Flake-It website, but it's out of service. Doesn't look good for the product.

--Joe

[Bob Condon]

Mine were completely warn out so replaced them with 1/4" line .

I find it very easy to send a novice up to release the main sail
and to pull it down and have the sail collected... If it is windy, we can simply put a sail tie around everything and clean it up once on the mooring.

The only thing with a full batten that you need to be careful is that you so not catch a batter on the jackline..

Other than that, they are great!

Bob Condon

[Ray Garcia]

Here is the fixed link for "Flake-It" seems like a good product.

http://www.flake-it.com

I have LJ's installed and I think I am going to try next season without them.