Lazy Jacks ???

[retsina]

I would like to be able to drop the sail from the cockpit, but the sail naturally flaps about in the wind; i therefore have to leave the helm so to tie down the sail. I am thinking of installing lazy jacks; I have a roller boom, although i do not use it very often. Would you make up your own lazy jacks or buy a set? any better suggestions?

 

[FullCircle]

I replaced mine and enhanced them with little harken rollers, and enough to allow me to bring them forward to the mast.
On a 35 footer, I used 70m of 4mm and 6 rollers.

Cost about 50 quid, but of course i already had a stack pack sailbag on the boom to tie it all off to.

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Depends on the size of boat and weight of sail. I only have a 26 footer and have made my own primitive lazyjacks using a bit of thin string, a couple of little blocks and a few bowlines. I attached most of the ends to existing fittings on the boom, added a few little saddles where there were no fittings.

Works fine on my little boat, but you'd need something more substantial for a bigger boat.

 

[jmh2929]

I made mine as buying was out of the question. I have a 26 ft. I kept it simple, no pullies and as the boom is within easy reach I've got the adjustment above my head, works fine. It's on the hard at Lawrenny "ZEBADEE" Snapdragon, I'm there most days.

 

[simonfraser]

make them yourself. the hardest bit is tying them spreader height, preferably just away from the mast.
mine are on a block which has a short strop tied to the top of the fractional rigging. if no strop they get tangled up with the luff of the sail.
i have two sail slides in the top of the boom, the bottom of the lazy jacks are tied to that.

 

[michael_w]

I'm inclined to the view that they're more trouble than their worth. The ones on my boat are on borrowed time.

They get in the way if you're trying to flake the sail.
They add a bit of windage and chafe.
They make fitting the sail coat bit of a pain, unless you have a hideously ugly stack pack.
They invariably get hooked up with the battens when you're trying to hoist the sail, unless lead out of the way.

OK they keep the bunt of the sail out of the way when reefed and stop full length battens falling off the boom when stowed.

 

[[10753]]

I have fully battened main which drops nicely into my lazy jacks.

I have two pulleys on the mast (spreader height) and three fixing points under the Boom. I used only string (4mm multi) as pulleys can chafe the sail.

Well worth fitting IMO

 

[Gordonmc]

I will go with osp's solution.
I too need LJ's as the bottom batten on my mainsail is just short the length of the boom.
I have pulleys under the spreaders with lines each side going to the end of the boom. I simply spliced on three vertical lines each side. The verticals tie onto webbing which goes under the boom, webbing being kinder to the sailcloth than 6mm line.
This arrangement has the advantage of being able to tension the whole caboodle from the mast, or individually at each vertical. Another plus is that there is no hardware aloft to chaff the sail.
And its cheap

 

[kds]

I made up my own, following a sugested plan on this forum.
One end tied (splice) at spreader, down to eyesplice with line through it; one end to forward end boom, aft end to spice with elastic line through it, tied to half and 3/4 way along boom.
Inglefield clip on aft lines undoes after sail is hoisted and is taken to clew. elastic tensions it when sail is dropped. No hard pulleys to rub sail. Boat is 29' with large main.
I am pleased with it.
ken

 

[Abigail]

Hi, we have a 40' ketch and absolutely love having lazy jacks on the main. They come down to stak apak (also v useful, even if not to everyone's taste), but you could connect to the boom.

They run through blocks (one each side of the mast of course!), set above spreader height, and back down again (essential for tensioning). We have had three points but our new pak has four points for attachment. We have set them up with shackles on the end of the lines, and it makes them very easy to take off for setting cockpit cover etc. Yes they can be a pain when hoisting the main sometimes, but more than make up for that when getting it down.

We would not now be without them, and certainly I'd have them if single handing.

 

[NealB]

My views exactly (especially your comment about stackpacks!), but we seem to be in a minority.

I fitted lazy jacks to a Moody 33 years ago, then regretted it.

I've since removed them from several other boats.

 

[DownWest]

On our two small gaffers, they make life a lot easier. Yes, stack packs ARE ugly. Still they are not out of place on a lot of modern plastic boats.........
Andrew

 

[retsina]

Thanks "Zebadee" see you at Lawrenny