Cheap Lazy Jacks

[timb]

I would like to fit Lazy Jacks to my Sadler 26 but do not want to pay the kind of prices that manufactured kits cost. Also I do not want to drill any holes in the boom or mast. I intend to go over the spreaders and around the mast and back down to the back of the boom with a fairly loose line and then attach lines to this which will go down and around the Boom. I want to retain my existing sail cover.

Can anyone give me any advice on this sort of arrangement?

 

[Swagman]

Forget it. The money you save will mean nothing to you when you try to raise or drop your mainsail into the arrangement you describe especially in any sort of breeze. Doing it once with drama may then lead you to spend wasted money on a shop bought kit - and doing it properly need not cost the earth.

I'd suggest your boom profile will have an inset track on the lower side which could take plastic slugs. Do not drill the boom to hold thes ein place, but drill the slugs and use self tappers which will push the slugs away from the boom and therefore stop them in that track. Boom integrity maintained.

Heres what you may not wish to hear - put two D's on base of spreaders. IMHO you should drill and rivet them underside of each spreader (assume single spreader rig) about 30% of distance out from mast.

I could then go on and try and explain how to rig the cord from the leach end slug to the D's etc - all using a couple of stainless rings or very small blocks - but thinking about this now - I am sure there are many sites which show you this in diagram form which may be a lot easier to comprehend than my written word.

But total cost should only be cord, the two D's, a few stainless rings or small blocks, and three plastic slugs.

Worth doing it right - so check out those sites. If you can't find sites then PM me and I could`draw and fax a suggested arrangement to you.

Cheers
JOHN

 

[fireball]

I agree with your sentiments about the price of "shop made" lazy jacks ....
all it is a few bits of string, a couple of fittings each end, maybe a bit of bungee ..

Not sure quite why the ones that came with our stakpack have a wirerope to the mast before terminating on a block with soft line threaded through...

 

[capt_courageous]

There was a post on this subject a couple of months ago. It described a system which seems just what you want. When I find the reference to it I will get back to you. Cheers

 

[capt_courageous]

Hello again
The site is www.ne-ts.com It is in the General Articles section. Cheers

 

[3reefs]

Hi TimB. Swagman's method to avoid drilling the boom is great.

Making use of the topping lift serves to avoid holes in the mast stops the lazyjacks slapping against the mast. If you take 3 lines VERTICALLY from topping lift, under boom (through Swagman eyes) and back up to the topping lift these will catch the sail effectively. It will require a bit of adjustment to get it right, but easy enough to remove if you want to return to the original format.

The only downside is that you may have to cut three slots in your sail cover.

 

[timb]

Thanks for all the help.
Does anybody know where I can get the "Slugs" that Swagman refers to that will fit in the channel on the underside of the boom?

 

[gaz]

Hi - I've got a good arrangment on my Hustler 25 which has worked well for years, and is cheap. A cord runs over the spreaders and down to a saddle on each side of the boom about one third back from the mast. This cord is slack. attached to this cord about 1.5m above the boom is a stainless ring, and from this ring to another saddle two thirds of the way to the rear of the boom is some shock cord ending in a hook on each side. When the lazy jack is not in use, the hooks are taken forwards to the base of the mast, and then returned when needed.
Good luck

 

[kds]

I have sent you a pm.
Ken

 

[Gordonmc]

I have just replaced the lazyjacks on my 30 footer for the cost of half the 6mm line needed. The problems with the previous set-up were; a, the system of twin loops rising to blocks resulted in the sail chaffing on said blocks and; b, the full length battens were too much for the diagonals and ended up in the cockpit.
With careful measurement I worked out the length lines to the end of the boom to the spreaders and down to mast cleats. It was easy to work out the total length of verticals to the main lines. The verticals were long-spliced at the intersection.
The verticals simply go round the bottom of the boom and up the other side. No hardware is used.
I have to say the boom/sail cover was already cut for four verticals.