EZ-Jax installation

[David Morton]

Does anyone have any experience installing or using these retractable lazy jacks? Satisfied customers? Any installation hints or tips?
Talking about these guys:http://www.ezjax.com/index.html

[Russell]

Looks overpiced to me. I havnt seen it in person, but looking at their website and the claim that its the "only retractable lazy jack system" is absurd, nearly every lazy jack setup I have ever seen is easily retractable and redeployable, mine included. Really the cost of lazy jacks is basicly the cost of small boom padeyes, mast padeyes and a couple cleats plus whatever length of line you need, none of which needs to be heavy duty expensive stuff.

[bottomscraper]

Russell is right, price seems high. I just did a quick calculation on what it would take for my CD36 and the bits and pieces add up to less than half what they are asking and I could probably do a bit better shopping around. You can buy everything you need at Hamilton.

[Jim Cornwell]

As mentioned this morning in response to another post, I've installed E-Z Jax on Yankee (2 yrs ago) and am very happy with them. The system is very simple, easy to install and easy to deploy. No mainsail cover modification needed. I do agree that one could easily do a DIY version with a bit of design effort and with components from any chandlery. But I still have trouble with eye splices in small diameter double braid, so decided to let E-Z Jax do that for me - and they made a nice, neat job of it. No regrets. Jim.

[bottomscraper]

Splicing small double braid is not much fun but a seizing is easy, satisfying and would work just fine for this.

http://www.ropeworks.biz/reader/seizing.pdf

Seizing yet another word that violates the I before E "rule".

[Russell]

My lazy jacks all have bowlines in them, this is small diameter line typically high enough above your head that you wouldnt notice the difference between that and splices. A splice is total overkill, if you must have neat and pretty, then I second Richs recommendation of seizing. Even the pros dont eye splice the small diameter line, from the photos it looks like EZJax is using much larger then needed line. I dont remember the diameter of my line, but its only like 1/8th or 3/16th or so, you dont need bigger.

[M. R. Bober]

I have installed them on two CDs, a 330 and a 36. The product works well and is well made. No doubt you could assemble the parts and do the math rather than buying the kit. On the other hand, it was a single day job to install when the package arrived. The company was decent to deal with and I would do so again. That's my $0.02 worth.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster, (Normally it is, but not today.) VA

[David Morton]

So, I had my rigging and sail guy make some lazy jacks for me as long as he was making new sails. He charged me a ton, but saved me a trip up the mast to place the blocks on the spreader. His design was wanting. The vertical legs were spliced to the control line and hung down on the deck when the thing was lowered. Not good. I redesigned the whole thing according to the Good Ol' Boat article, even did my own splicing in of the thimbles! Used the existing padeyes on the boom and pulled the new control line thru the spreader block with a temporary end to end tape job to the old control line. Result is great, with the exception of the additional cost of modifying an already overpriced system! Oh, well. Lesson learned. DIY from the start.

David

[Tom Keevil]

We've had these for quite a few years, and are pleased with them. They were a bit pricey, but we were both working back then and had more money than time. You could easily DIY. The eye splices may not be necessary, but they make for a very neat installation. The one downside to retractable lazy jacks, is that when retracted they produce a lot of extra lines on the boom, so you need to be careful not to create a tangle with things such your reefing lines.

[tjr818]

Now that Sláinte has a brand new, crisp (read: SLIPPERY), 2+2 mainsail, we have decided to try a lazy jack system. Trying to secure the sail when it comes down is like herding cats and it is worse if I single hand.
Any recommendations? Sketches? I have heard that it is better to use one of the new slippery lines like dyneema to minimize chaffing? The mast is coming down for the winter, it will be a good time to install any fittings that would be needed.

[Steve Laume]

I have an old main that is far from slippery so I manage without lazy jacks.

If I was going to add them, I would seriously consider some of the new lines. The slipperiness might be to some advantage. I think the real advantage would be the reduced windage. You could go with some very small diameter stuff.

I used Amsteel for my topping lift. You can use a tiny line and it is stringer than the much heavier and larger traditional lines.

It doesn't like to be tied but the splices are easier than double braid, which I have given up on splicing altogether, Steve.

[ronkberg]

Hi Folks, here are a couple of older articles I saved and could be of interest. The first DYI one is simple enough even for us Typhoon guys, but I do not have one. The second one from Good Old Boat has considerable reading but lacks the simple photos. It also discusses DIY and has a shopping list that estimated about $175 back in 2001.

Good luck and hope it helps.

Ron

http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourse ... yjack1.htm

http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_servi ... tamers.php

[tjr818]

Has anyone added Lazy Jacks to a 27 I can't decide between the 3 part method or the 4 part. I would also like to take the lazy jacks up to the spreaders to help minimize the "halyard slap" noise at the harbor, but I am not sure if the spreaders are high enough.

[Carter Brey]

Folks, there is no need to spend a lot of money for retractable lazy jacks. I copied this system very closely years ago and it works wonderfully well:

http://skipmeisch.com/slowflight/upgrad ... ow-to.html

Here is a shot of Delphine showing the lazies in the up position:

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Sabr ... 1151043206

It cost me 80 bucks in materials and about four hours of labor.

One variation I made was to lead the lines free-running under the boom, through nylon fairleads. That way the two sides are self-adjusting. I also run both the deployment and retraction lines all the way to the cockpit. I used 3/16" Sta-Set to save weight and used compact buntline hitches to the SS rings.

Sail on,

Carter

[tjr818]

Here is a shot of Delphine showing the lazies in the up position:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Sabr ... 1151043206

Thanks Carter I like the idea of the buntline hitch on the SS rings. I could not get the link to work. Is the photo still on line?