Lazy jack / stack pack

Boeingdr

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Does anybody have a rough idea how much it would cost to retrofit Lazy jack and stack pack to a 32ft boat (vindo40)
 

Santana379

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I think the canvas bit would be about £300-£330.

There's then the string/bungee and small blocks to add.

Presumably you already have a fully battened mainsail? If not, and you want to do so, that would be circa £60-£70ish per batten (probably 4 off) at the sailmakers.

Not gospel, but based on recent discussions/experience.

I have a fully battened main, attached to sliders not clever ball bearing cars, and it's very stiff indeed to hoist.

Bear in mind that with lazyjacks lowering the main is a doddle, and "putting the mainsail cover on" is simply a case of doing a zip up. However hoisting can be quite difficult in terms of getting the main dead central between the lazyjacks to avoid the battens hooking up under them. Very awkward singlehanded.

Little Knot
 

Boeingdr

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Ok thanks, that sounds reasonable, didnt realise that hoisting the sail could be tricky and as I do a fair amount of single handing this will be a consideration.
 

fireball

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It isn't that tricky if you get the tension of the lines loose enough. Just have to remember to motor into wind - it helps if the main halyard comes back in to the cockpit .. you don't need fully battened main either! Going Stackpack actually makes the drop easier as it is all held within the confines of the boom - just flip any remaining bits inside the bag and zip up. Quick and Simple ...
3-400 should see you a complete system from someone like Arun Sails ... they include the jacks as well - although it may be cheaper to purchase normal rope and blocks.
 

Cloven

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Prices for 32 ft boat as of 2004 from Crusader Sails

Stackpack £286

Blocks for lazyjack system about £10
Cordage for lazyjack system about £2 or £3

That's it. As Fireball says, no need for full length battens - I don't have them and no problem. However, yes you do need to be head to wind to hoist the main but that's not specific to a stackpack but any lazy jack system.

Hope this helps.
 

fireball

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Ah - you can hoist without being direct into wind - just slacken the mainsheet so the boom is inline with the wind ... oh - and mind your head!
 

MoodySabre

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The only problem I have hoisting the sail is that if you are not fairly close to wind the sail flaps around and the short battens can catch in the lazyjacks.

Sailing towards the marina entrance I often drop the sail whilst remaining close hauled on the jib and put off starting the engine until the last minute. Wouldn't be without lazyjacks and a stackpack.
 

DeeGee

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If the lazy jacks are suitably run, as are mine, you hop up to the mast and pull them back to keep them out of the way, then hoist without any hooking of battens into the jacks. Mind you have to be smart about it, as the sail is now free to go haywire! Not as tricky as I make it sound and can be done s/h as long as reefing lines carefully tucked away each time sail dropped and bagged.
 

CliveG

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I have made up a lazy-jack system on our 25' Evo.
There was a pair of cheek blocks already on the mast above the spreaders.
I made up some fixing under the boom and whipped some hard eyes into the end of some 4mm line.
I have a halyard fixed to the top section of the lazy-jack and can bring the system down and hook it through the reefing horns at the mast end of the boom.
This allows hoisting without snagging the top batten and allows a conventional sail cover to be used.
The lazy jacks are set up once the sail has been hoisted for the 1st time in the day.
As others have said if the lazy jacks are set you do need care when hoisting the sail.
We made a cover up from some breathable material from e-bay.
The total cost was £50.00 at most.
 

knewboater

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Just fitted a new one to my boat from "Hydes. All necessary equipment and canvas supplied £450.00 very helpful too.
Always had a stack pack for ease of stowing and dropping sail.When dropping sail always put boat exactly into irons and let the halyard go do not expect it to drop fully if you hesitate and let a bit go at a time.
Hope that was useful I`m no expert don`t know any either.
RGH
 

CliveG

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I bought a reel of 100m from my local ironmongers for about £25.00
A lot cheaper than the swindlery.
I got the hard eyes from the same place.
 

celandine

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[ QUOTE ]
didnt realise that hoisting the sail could be tricky and as I do a fair amount of single handing this will be a consideration.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had trouble hoisting single-handed when I first fitted my lazyjacks attached direct to the mast. I then tried re-attaching them about 4ins out on each spreader, thus widening the slot by 8 ins. This made things a lot easier. I don't know why people tend to attach them direct to the mast - so long as your spreaders can take the down loads, there should'nt be a problem.

.
 

Birdseye

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[ QUOTE ]
Ok thanks, that sounds reasonable, didnt realise that hoisting the sail could be tricky and as I do a fair amount of single handing this will be a consideration.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got the Kemp system on my boat and I'm not sure I would bother buying it for a new boat. Without a fully battened sail, the body of the sail can still fall out of the side of the lazyjacks - certainly forget any dreams of it flaking itself into the cover. Hoisting can be an issue when the sail flaps and a batten gets hooked under the lazyjack itself. Changing the mainsail is that much more difficult if you need to do it.
 

gandy

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I have the Kemp stack-pack as well, but I found it worked well with the old short-battened sail last year. I'm sure I never had sail falling out between the lazy jacks. Hoisting wasn't a problem as long as the lazy jacks were slacked off a bit and the boom allowed trail downwind, we usually set the genoa first then hoisted the main while sailing on a close reach.

The big advantage for me is that we can drop the sail with the boom right out, so don't need to turn the boat head to wind. Then as soon as the main's down we can turn onto whatever course suits, without having to secure the sail to the boom.
 
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