Lazy Jacks--Your recommendations, please.

[M. R. Bober]

I intend to install lazy jacks on RESPITE during this layup. I am curious about problems and recommendations.

Opinions please. Thanks
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

[Warren Stringer]

I intend to install lazy jacks on RESPITE during this layup. I am curious about problems and recommendations.

Opinions please. Thanks
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

On Eendracht, Robinhood installed all spliced lazyjacks using soft light line, 3/16 or 1/4 inch, I think. There are a total of five falls to the boom each side, which are adjustable through small eyes attached to the underside of the boom. Instead of being fixed to the mast, the line from which all five falls lead is run over a small block on each side and down to a small cleat on the mast, with about 10 feet of extra line coiled on the cleat. This whose system would be easy and inexpensive to build for yourself.

Advantages: no hardware to chafe the sails or make noise; the whole system can be lowered to make room for an awning over the boom; the system can be lowered to facilitate raising the main (never actually had to do this, however). And of course the primary advantage of lazyjacks - keeping the folds of the main under control on the boom.

Disadvantages: lazyjacks tend to catch the ends of battens as the sail is being raised - you have to have the sail absolutely head to wind, and hoist carefully; long loose lines hanging down from the boom and needing to be secured when the lazyjacks are lowered.

If you want to look at a commercially available system which can be lowered, without having lines hanging down, check out the EZ-Jacks system. I have always been intrigued by this.

Warren
s/v Eendracht,
CD36 #54, 1981



wstringer@aristotle.net

[Joe Sankey]

I installed lazy jacks on Slow Dance when I had the rig down this summer. I used 1/4" dacron 3-strand. I used thimbles on the mast attached to padeyes; small Scheafer blocks about 6' or so above the boom, then to a block and cleat on either side of the boom. On a previous 28, there was an arrangement similar to the one Warren used. In retrospect, this is better. With the main down it is difficult to get to the blocks/cleats. However, one other aspect of this is do you have a main cover built to accomodate the lazy jacks, or do you release them and raise them each time? This is what I opted for, and if you do so the arrangement of having the cleats on the mast is better.

I intend to install lazy jacks on RESPITE during this layup. I am curious about problems and recommendations.

Opinions please. Thanks
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

sankey@gulftel.com

[Warren Kaplan]

I intend to install lazy jacks on RESPITE during this layup. I am curious about problems and recommendations.

Opinions please. Thanks
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

Mitch,

I had Doyle Sails install lazy jacks on my CD27 this year. From the looks of them, they are, or are quite similar to EZ Jacks! They're great! The EZ Jack system has no hardware (blocks etc) to chafe the sail. Its just very thin flexible line (probably 3/16) attached to some tangs on the mast and the boom with a cleat on each side of the boom. They actually made use of one of my reefing line cleats. You can use them as any other lazy jack system i.e they can stay deployed all the time after some adjusting. The problem, as with all lazy jacks, is that you must be dead into the wind when raising the sail. I don't do that. The EZ Jack system retracts very easily. I keep them around the halyard winches on the mast (both jib and main) when not in use. They are totally out of the way when raising the sail and when sailing. When I'm ready to douse the main, I have to go to the mast anyway. So, all I do is pull one line on the port side of the boom and one on the starboard side to raise the jacks, takes all of maybe 30-60 seconds, and then down comes the main. When the boat is back in the slip and everything shipshape, I relower the jacks and retract them around the mast halyard winches, and I'm already to go out the next time. As I say, that's my preference. You certainly can leave them deployed all the time.
Hope this helps!

Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27 #166 (1980)



Setsail728@aol.com

[Warren Stringer]

I installed lazy jacks on Slow Dance when I had the rig down this summer. I used 1/4" dacron 3-strand. I used thimbles on the mast attached to padeyes; small Scheafer blocks about 6' or so above the boom, then to a block and cleat on either side of the boom. On a previous 28, there was an arrangement similar to the one Warren used. In retrospect, this is better. With the main down it is difficult to get to the blocks/cleats. However, one other aspect of this is do you have a main cover built to accomodate the lazy jacks, or do you release them and raise them each time? This is what I opted for, and if you do so the arrangement of having the cleats on the mast is better.

I intend to install lazy jacks on RESPITE during this layup. I am curious about problems and recommendations.

Opinions please. Thanks
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

The lazyjacks on Eendracht are kept loose enough so that there is no problem with furling and covering the sail. The sail cover was not modified. The only hardware on the boom are five small eyes on the undersurface of the boom; the lazyjack from each side runs through the eye and is knotted to both retain it and provide fine adjustment.

The only time we lower the lazyjacks is to rig an awning over the boom. We have not found it necessary to adjust or lower them when raising the sail, but we do have to be a little more careful - we have to watch the ends of the battens, and sometimes hold the sail about 1/4 way up until the sail has luffed away from the lazyjacks, then hoist quickly. Once the sail is about 1/3 up, there is no more problem.

Warren



wstringer@aristotle.net

[Larry DeMers]

Warren,

We also use our lazyjacks full time, and have had to take care to keep the head to wind. I fine tune this heading by moving the tail end of the boom until the sails leech is centered in the slot between lazy jacks..or close. It allows the crew to get to raising the sail, with out stopping while the batten end is cleared of the lazy jack.
Otherwise, the lazyjacks stay up and are no trouble ever. Ours consist of a "fuzzy finished" Yale 1/4 in. braid, small nylon thimbles in the main falls, and 2 small cheek blocks mounted on the mast, about 6 ft. shy of the mast head. The bitter ends are tied off at the mast base, on small cleats for that purpose.

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~~~On the hard, Apostle Islands of Lake Superior~~

I installed lazy jacks on Slow Dance when I had the rig down this summer. I used 1/4" dacron 3-strand. I used thimbles on the mast attached to padeyes; small Scheafer blocks about 6' or so above the boom, then to a block and cleat on either side of the boom. On a previous 28, there was an arrangement similar to the one Warren used. In retrospect, this is better. With the main down it is difficult to get to the blocks/cleats. However, one other aspect of this is do you have a main cover built to accomodate the lazy jacks, or do you release them and raise them each time? This is what I opted for, and if you do so the arrangement of having the cleats on the mast is better.

I intend to install lazy jacks on RESPITE during this layup. I am curious about problems and recommendations.

Opinions please. Thanks
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

The lazyjacks on Eendracht are kept loose enough so that there is no problem with furling and covering the sail. The sail cover was not modified. The only hardware on the boom are five small eyes on the undersurface of the boom; the lazyjack from each side runs through the eye and is knotted to both retain it and provide fine adjustment.

The only time we lower the lazyjacks is to rig an awning over the boom. We have not found it necessary to adjust or lower them when raising the sail, but we do have to be a little more careful - we have to watch the ends of the battens, and sometimes hold the sail about 1/4 way up until the sail has luffed away from the lazyjacks, then hoist quickly. Once the sail is about 1/3 up, there is no more problem.

Warren

demers@sgi.com

[Bob Ohler]

Mitch,
The July / August 2001 issue of Good Old Boat Magazine has an article titled "Mainsail Tamers." There is quite a bit of discussion in this article dealing with lazy jacks, and their installation and possible system options. If you do not have access to this article, I will be happy to copy it and fax it you, or I can bring it with me to the Annual CDSOA meeting in Clark, NJ on November 10.
Fair winds,
Bob Ohler



bobohler@chesapeake.net

[Rich Reynolds]

We went for a new main two years ago, from North Sails, and had
them install a Dutchman system, which I think is superior to
lazy jacks. It simply consists of a pair of heavy duty (3/16")
monofilament lines that are attached to the topping lift, and are threaded downward through nylon guides that are sewn into the main
and are tied off in two small pockets right along the top edge of
the boom. It works very well, especially after the new main gets
a 'memory' on how it should flake across the boom. The sail cover
was modified to allow for the two monofilament lines by providing
zippered slots. All in all, a very neat system and hardly noticeable
from 10 feet away! The nylon guides allow you to raise sail when
close-hauled, also.

Rich Reynolds
Tanqueray
CD30K



rjreynol@usgs.gov

[Chris Schnell]

Mitchell....I too recenetly installed a Dutchman in a 19 year old sail, and though it doesn't flake like a brand new sail that's been "trained", it does fall to the boom when the halyard is released and you don't have to be dead into the wind. Personally, I bought it purely as a safety device for when Dale and I are cruising....if anything happens she'll be able to release the halyard from the cockpit, luff the staysail w/the sheet, furl in the head, start the motor and get total control of the boat w/o having to leave the cockpit. The sail falls off the boom only as far as the space between the line spacers, or about 2-3 feet, and it's still gives good clear forward vision. When you're under sail you mearly loosen your topping lift and there's no incumberance. 3 bungees to neaten her for the sail cover and you're done. And leaving the slip w/no bungees to remove and ready to raise your man is wonderful. Since I was having new sail covers made, I had them include a small hole for each line in place w/a velcro flap. And they tell me w/ a brand new sail you can train it to flake to each side in relatively short order and you won't even need sail ties....just put on your sail cover. I had lazy jacks on my last boat and there's no comparison. Good Luck

Full Sails & Calm Seas

Chris Schnell
s/v MADNESS III, CD30 #235
Southport, NC



swabbie@compaq.net