Sail question

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

What is the purpose of the rope that the lower hanks of my staysail are attached to? My old main is the same way.

[David van den Burgh]

They're called jacklines and they allow a mainsail to be lowered and reefed without the sail stacking up at the mast. On a boomed sail with a fixed clew, they allow the sail to be lowered without drawing up tight at the stay.

[Klem]

The laceline is there because the distance between the clew and the tack is greater than the distance between the clew and the closest point of the luff. If you didn't have this, the bottom hanks would not slide down the stay all the way because it would require stretching the sail. They are only necessary on sails where the clew is not adjusted to drop them.

[Steve Laume]

I had them on my old main and staysail.

There are none on the newer main and staysail I have now. While I don't miss them all that much on the main, it is a PIA not to have them on the staysail.

With the jack line you could leave the outhaul tight while raising and lowering the sail. Without the jack line, you need the release the outhaul every time you lower the sail to relieve the tension along the foot. This may not seem like much of an inconvienince but it was sure nice to be able to leave it alone.

I suppose they are just old fashioned and most sailmakers don't see the need anymore, Steve.