lazy jacks with loose footed main

[chal]

I was on holiday in Sweden last year and saw a number of old gaffers with lazy jacks that passed under the foot of the mainsail, not under the boom.

I have a gaffer and am thinking of attempting to fit these, and I wondered if anyone has any experience of rigging lazy jacks this way? I'm wondering, for example, whether to attach them to the foot of the sail or leave them loose and gather them up to the mast once the sail is up (this might reduce chaffe but then I would expect that to be relatively minimal as the lazy jacks could move with the sail, and leaving them in place might be easier).

Thanks!

Paul

 

[Poignard]

As the owner of a boat with a loose-footed mainsail and lazyjacks I would be interested to know what advantage there would be in passing them between the sail and the boom instead of under the boom.

Offhand I can't think of any benefit.

I always pull the lazyjacks forward to the mast after the sail is furled because the battens tend to get snagged by them when the sail is hoisted again

 

[chal]

My main is gaff so doesn't have battens anyway.

Advantages of lazy jacks not under boom that a Danish chap I spoke to mentioned were:

- you can easily rig a boom tent
- the lazy jacks can secure the sail to the gaff so no need to bother with sail ties for short stops

and it also seems to me that, as I said in first posting, if the lazy jacks were left in place, which lots of people do, there would be less chaffe as the lines would be free to move with the sail more than they would be if they passed under the boom.

 

[FWB]

My boat is a Gaffer and it does have battens.
The sail is not loose footed though. I have twin topping lifts and the lazyjacks go from one to the other under the boom. With correct positioning the battens do not get caught.
I agree that with a loose footed main, lazyjacks under the sail only would make it easy for a boom tent but that's the only advantage that I can see.

 

[prr]

If by lazy jacks you mean somthing to stop the gaff from thrashing about when putting the sail up & down. You can rig the topping lift to do this. without adding any extra ropes.

 

[chal]

I want something to catch the sail as it comes down as well as stop the gaff thrashing about too much.

I'm single handed and last year I managed as best I could but decided that this year I would make my life easier by rigging up lazy jacks.

I only have a single topping lift so was thinking of something completely separate.

As I said, I saw quite a number of gaff-rigged boats around southern Sweden and all seemed to use a system of lazy jacks were they were separate from topping lifts and passed under the sail rather than the boom. To me, this seemed a fairly good idea.

 

[knuterikt]

I want something to catch the sail as it comes down as well as stop the gaff thrashing about too much.

I'm single handed and last year I managed as best I could but decided that this year I would make my life easier by rigging up lazy jacks.

I only have a single topping lift so was thinking of something completely separate.

As I said, I saw quite a number of gaff-rigged boats around southern Sweden and all seemed to use a system of lazy jacks were they were separate from topping lifts and passed under the sail rather than the boom. To me, this seemed a fairly good idea.

We had a gaff rigged boat 48 feet LOA sloop rigged boat with bowsprit.

I found that using the top sail sheet worked fine for taming gaff, the gaff was relatively long so the topping lift crossed the gaff at mid length.

Had lazy jacks rigged from the topping lift, single topping lift going from the mast on one side through a block at the boom end up to a block on the other side and down to a 1:2 tackle.

The lazy jacks where fastened to the topping lift with an eye splice and lashing, this way it could be adjusted w/o undoing the splices.
At the boom port and starboard lazy jack where joined with an eye splice and a sheet bend, this give room for some adjustment and you could try out above or under the boom

We had the lazy jacks above the boom.

If you are going to keep the single topping lift you need to rig a rope going from the mast on one side attached to the boom at or close to the end.
I would make this adjustable, there are several ways to rig his depending on your rig.

If you post some pic's it would be better to see what you have now.

 

[chal]

I don't have much right now! Photo of mast head shows blocks: top is currently topping lift, next 2 gaff halyard, next throat halyard. Eyes just below hounds not used and I thought of using these for lazy jacks but maybe better to use these for double-sided topping lift as that would be stronger for gaff control, then attach lazy jacks to topping lift?

 

[FWB]

I don't have much right now! Photo of mast head shows blocks: top is currently topping lift, next 2 gaff halyard, next throat halyard. Eyes just below hounds not used and I thought of using these for lazy jacks but maybe better to use these for double-sided topping lift as that would be stronger for gaff control, then attach lazy jacks to topping lift?

Yes that's what I have, hopefully you can make it out in this photo

 

[Rossynant]

There are two ways for lazy-jacks.
You may fit them same way as Knuterict above - from one topping lift to the other, under the sail foot (or under boom as well). Under sail you put thimbles, add-on eyes or such under foot - anything will do, for example rope grommet sewn on below the foot; just so the line keeps position, then jacks will neatly collect the sail.
Usual way is to have two jacks coming from above (one from each topping lift) ended with eye somewhere about half height, then another line is rove in continuous loop through them and two thimbles on foot - simple way, adjustable from below. This idea may be made more complicated, with dividing top lines in two, more lines, loops and such. I'll try to find you exact sketches on the web to illustrate.

Another way is as brailing lines (not sure if proper english term) - those are independent of topping lifts, and hang from mast about the gaff throat, bit below (or wherever you prefer). Various systems of rigging them there were, but they also go through thimbles in the foot, and are hauled down on the mast, so you can brail the sail up - quite a good method to have. For this one line must collect the clew also They also will collect the sail going down, if rigged from high above (as there were also systems for brailing horizontally).
Was common times ago, as brailing the sail left the boom free for use as loading lift or for fishing. Loose-footed main was originally meant for this kind of use.

 

[chal]

Many thanks to all for very helpful information!

Dylan, is that a hint of a Cornish flag I can see? We are on the Tamar - doesn't look too different where you are. Lovely boat btw.

 

[FWB]

Yes Based in Cornwall, the pic is at Turnaware with Trellisick House beyond. Boat is a Heard28.

 

[Zagato]

Trelissicks quite impressive until you put that in front of it. Kind of steals the scene always worth another look