Lazy jacks re-fitting

[stevd]

Hello,

The boat I purchased came with a lazy jack system, which was taken off whilst the boat was in storage. Are these easy to re-fit? I have no idea whatsoever how they go back on. I guess I am going to have to go up the mast to check it all out and refit, but any advice on how to put these back on? Any advice will be apreciated as I really have no idea with these. Are they usually rivitted on?

Cheers

 

[westhinder]

Hello,

The boat I purchased came with a lazy jack system, which was taken off whilst the boat was in storage. Are these easy to re-fit? I have no idea whatsoever how they go back on. I guess I am going to have to go up the mast to check it all out and refit, but any advice on how to put these back on? Any advice will be apreciated as I really have no idea with these. Are they usually rivitted on?

Cheers

Depends on your mast. If the mast was fitted out for lazyjacks, they will run internally. If retrofitted, the top blocks may well have been riveted to the outside of the mast.

 

[Daydream believer]

Mine hang the top block off the spreaders about 200 mm out from the mast
When i remove for storage i run a couple of light lines up to avoid the mast trip
I prefer this as it leaves a greater gap between port & stbd for mainsail hoisting

 

[Quandary]

My running rigging came as a package from Selden so this is the way they do it.
Piece of line with wee block on it hanging from the eyes 9bowline) under the upper spreaders, second line in an inverted vee from aft on the boom through the wee block and back down through a forward eye on the boom and then to a clamcleat on the boom near the mast. (I replaced the blocks with plastic eyes and added another triangle at the rear to gather the sail better) This is deployed just before the sail is dropped, the rest of the time it is routed along tight under the boom and close to the mast by the mast hooks so almost out of site. The system is designed for tidiness so we use a conventional sail cover.

 

[john_morris_uk]

My lazy jacks go through cheek blocks riveted to the side of the mast.

Any or all of the combinations are possible. Just look for the blocks on the spreaders or on the mast just above or below spreader height?

 

[stevd]

Thanks for your help. There are two blocks spare coming from the spreaders. I have sorted out the lazy jacks, but I have two different ways of setting them up as shown in the pictures. Is it going to be a case of trial and error to see which way will work the best, or is one of them clearly the better way to rig the lazy jacks?

Many thanks

Opt 1


Opt 2

 

[john_morris_uk]

IMHO none of those look quite right. All the lazy jacks I've seen have a cascading system of blocks with only the aft most line having no block at all. I think I've got a picture of ours somewhere and I will try and post it.

Option 1 but with the forward end repeated twice if that makes sense.

 

[vyv_cox]

We bought a Kemp stack pack this year, complete with lazyjacks, replacing a previous system. Full instructions are at http://www.kempsails.com/technical-data/15-packaway-mainsail-stacking-systems/file.html. It has been a very worthwhile investment, making mainsail handling far more convenient.

 

[john_morris_uk]

We bought a Kemp stack pack this year, complete with lazyjacks, replacing a previous system. Full instructions are at http://www.kempsails.com/technical-data/15-packaway-mainsail-stacking-systems/file.html. It has been a very worthwhile investment, making mainsail handling far more convenient.

That's exactly what I meant by 'cascading system'. Thanks for the link; I couldn't find a suitable picture to show what I meant. (Ours has blocks instead of rings.)

 

[Modulation]

IMHO none of those look quite right. All the lazy jacks I've seen have a cascading system of blocks with only the aft most line having no block at all. I think I've got a picture of ours somewhere and I will try and post it.

Option 1 but with the forward end repeated twice if that makes sense.

I agree - I've tried different systems but the only one which works is where the aft line has no blocks ie you have a line with both ends attached to the stackpack and a block supporting it along its lenght

 

[KevO]

Mine are set up thus:

A (cockpit) - B (small block at mast base) - C (small Block attached to mast side) - D (thimble spliced into end of line)
E (plastic hook attached to loop on stackpack) - through thimble at D - F (another thimble spliced in on the end)
G (plastic hook attached to loop on stackpack) - through thimble at F - H (plastic hook attached to loop on stackpack)

So by pulling on the line from the cockpit the whole shebang can be tensioned or eased as required.

I felt that by using thimbles rather than blocks at points D and F I would probably get less chafe on the sides of the main.

 

[vyv_cox]

Both Modulation and Kev0 describe the Kemp system that we have fitted. Even with the aft two points on the pack connected by a single length of line, it does droop below the boom when sailing. If the whole lot was tight enough to pull the aft end higher the shape of the sail would be compromised by tight lines on the leeward side.

 

[KevO]

Both Modulation and Kev0 describe the Kemp system that we have fitted. Even with the aft two points on the pack connected by a single length of line, it does droop below the boom when sailing. If the whole lot was tight enough to pull the aft end higher the shape of the sail would be compromised by tight lines on the leeward side.

That's why being able to adjust the tension individually from the cockpit is a billy bonus I've not found it to be a problem to be honest.

 

[john_morris_uk]

That's why being able to adjust the tension individually from the cockpit is a billy bonus I've not found it to be a problem to be honest.

We have a centre cockpit and the lines are adjusted at the foot of the mast. Mostly I don't bother as they didn't interfere with sail shape, but it will be interesting to see what happens with the new mainsail when I bend it on and try it for the first time next week. The boat is big enough for us not to worry about wondering up to the mast to tweak the lines, although nearly all halyards and reefing lines are brought back to either side of the companionway. I can see that having the lazy jack adjustment lead back to the cockpit would be an advantage if you need to adjust them regularly. I might have to reconsider...

 

[john_morris_uk]

Mine are set up thus:

A (cockpit) - B (small block at mast base) - C (small Block attached to mast side) - D (thimble spliced into end of line)
E (plastic hook attached to loop on stackpack) - through thimble at D - F (another thimble spliced in on the end)
G (plastic hook attached to loop on stackpack) - through thimble at F - H (plastic hook attached to loop on stackpack)

So by pulling on the line from the cockpit the whole shebang can be tensioned or eased as required.

I felt that by using thimbles rather than blocks at points D and F I would probably get less chafe on the sides of the main.

Ours has GFH repeated with H at the apex of the aft most set of lines. In other words, four points of attachment to the stack pack.

 

[KevO]

Ours has GFH repeated with H at the apex of the aft most set of lines. In other words, four points of attachment to the stack pack.

Size isn't everything Johnny...

 

[john_morris_uk]

Size isn't everything Johnny...

How true that is (said the small man)

Actually I was trying to be helpful as the OP showed four points of attachment in his diagrams of how he thought it could go.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Size isn't everything Johnny...

How true that is (said the small man)

Actually I was trying to be helpful as the OP showed four points of attachment in his diagrams of how he thought it could go.

 

[scottie]

We have four rings on the stack pack A B C D each side
We then have 2 > AEB and CFD each wth a ring at apex
On top of this a further< EGF again a ring at the apex
We then have a hoist from G to a block on the spreader and down to cleat on mast
One triangle on top of two triangles
Tighten to drop slacken to sail roll the lazy jacks up which leaves the sail undisturbed and clear airflow

 

[Daydream believer]

IMHO none of those look quite right. All the lazy jacks I've seen have a cascading system of blocks with only the aft most line having no block at all. I think I've got a picture of ours somewhere and I will try and post it.

Option 1 but with the forward end repeated twice if that makes sense.

You need the cascade on all lines to allow the loads to equalise
If the outer one is fixed when the boom drops ( boom outhaul slips etc of for a poorly set reef ) it will put strain on the stitching of the cover.
With a cascade it will give a bit
You do not need blocks on the lines . Mine had plastic rings for 13 years & i only replaced for stainless ones this year when i replaced the lines
Correctly set one only needs to adjust at the start pf each season,