lazy jack lines - whats the secret?

roam

roam

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following on from the thread about getting the bag and sail onto the boom, but changing the subject slightly...

what is the secret with setting the lines up, so that when you pull or release the line at the mast, the bag goes up and down evenly along the length of boom?

i'm having big problems where the mast end is tight, but the bag at the end of the boom is still sagging. i've tried lots of combinations of shortening one line, lengthening another, even turning the lines back to front!

your thoughts....
 
No simple answer. Depends on the length of the boom, the number and layout of the falls and the height of the sheave on the mast! Whoever designed your set up should have tried to work out how best to arrange the lines! Mine was done by the sailmaker who made the sail and stack pak and works perfectly.
 
I had to keep adjusting each line until I got some sort of balance - luckily I started with plenty of length on each string so I could tighten each up at the sailbag. I added small blocks (previously just a loop in string) so it all runs much more easily.
 
The clue is to have a pyramid of turning blocks which will redistribute the slack evenly.

My stackpack has 4 eyes to the sailcover each side.

I have 2 loops going from 1-2 & 3-4 which are evenly sized.

Then I have further loop with a turning block on each end to go to loops 1 & 2 above.

Then I have a turning block on the line up the mast, which goes through the top loop as above.

It all evens out.


DSCF0914.jpg
 
I like your setup but do the turning blocks chaff on the mainsail? or do you "retract" the lazylines when the sail is aloft?
 
The blocks are smooth plastic and in a day sail, I leave them be.

If I am going anywhere and I am not likely to tack, I go forward and pull the lazyjacks to the mast.

No noticeable wear on the main after 3 seasons with this setup. Its only 4mm para cord that I used, and the cheap all plastic blocks.

Unbelievably, there is 66m of cord in those Lazyjacks!
 
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"para cord" ; is that any old nylon stuff, Jim ? Got a tip for a cheap supplier ?

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Yep. I got a 200m drum off ebay for 10p/metre.

I have used the rest for halyard mouses.


And I still have 70m left over. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Last time I used lazy jacks on a 400 squ ft sail, some of the lines (aft ones) were shock cord instead of braid on braid. It worked fine. The position of the topping lift set the boom at the right angle for the pocket to be an even size along it's length. The only disadvantage was the the main could only be hoisted when the yacht was pointing dead into the wind. Even then care was needed to watch carefully to check the flogging sail did not foul the lazy jacks. For me the arrangement was well worth it because i usually sailed short handed with small children.
 
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