Lazyjacks are hard work

solent clown

solent clown

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this is our first yacht with lazyjacks, what a great asset they are, but we had a few problems this time with battens catching. We were in a part of the river where we had not enough room to get dead in to the wind, so I went forward, and just dropped the lazyjacks. Problem solved but not very elegant.
Is there an easier solution. I could always extend and make this do able from the cockpit I suppose
 
You can set them up so that they curve towards the mast quite quickly rather than take a straight line from near the end of the boom. Start with the outer one in from the boom by about 25% & take it up & down & back to the boom at a point 25% from the gooseneck. keep it short. take a line from its apex to the mid point where there will be a plastic or SS ring. Then take a line up to the spreader.This means that the sail clears the lazyjacks really quickly. It is not the right way to do it but by playing about with the loops & not going too high will solve much of the problem. If you have 4 attachment points play about but never take them more than 75% along the boom as there is not much sail past that point to collect. You need to form triangles with the apex near to the mast as you only need to gather the sail in when it gets to the bottom of the drop
 
You just have to have a main that drops really quickly and then hold on winch, undo jammer ,point up and drop in a boat length and resume track. Clearly if you are dropping just need to think about the drop space required depending on wind direction though but generally even if stooging around outside say Ocean village you can drop if required but ideally you would be doing this in main channel but this all really turns on mobo traffic about to be honest and wind strength . Personally don't appreciate those spinning around to drop in rivers such as the Medina or running up to Lymington but have seen it done . Clearly if sailing at this time of year quite possible though given absence of traffic.
 
ashtead said:
You just have to have a main that drops really quickly and then hold on winch, undo jammer ,point up and drop in a boat length and resume track. Clearly if you are dropping just need to think about the drop space required depending on wind direction though but generally even if stooging around outside say Ocean village you can drop if required but ideally you would be doing this in main channel but this all really turns on mobo traffic about to be honest and wind strength . Personally don't appreciate those spinning around to drop in rivers such as the Medina or running up to Lymington but have seen it done . Clearly if sailing at this time of year quite possible though given absence of traffic.
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yes, we were a way upriver of the itchen bridge, very little room to get it done.
 
Daydream believer said:
You can set them up so that they curve towards the mast quite quickly rather than take a straight line from near the end of the boom. Start with the outer one in from the boom by about 25% & take it up & down & back to the boom at a point 25% from the gooseneck. keep it short. take a line from its apex to the mid point where there will be a plastic or SS ring. Then take a line up to the spreader.This means that the sail clears the lazyjacks really quickly. It is not the right way to do it but by playing about with the loops & not going too high will solve much of the problem. If you have 4 attachment points play about but never take them more than 75% along the boom as there is not much sail past that point to collect. You need to form triangles with the apex near to the mast as you only need to gather the sail in when it gets to the bottom of the drop
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sounds like a plan, i will give it a try, to my uneducated eye the lazyjack isnt just "tight" but seems very tall. I will post pics.
All part of the learning curve, thanks chaps for your input, and hopefully it will serve someone else well later too.
 
solent clown said:
yes, we were a way upriver of the itchen bridge, very little room to get it done.
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When I have lowered the mainsail and secured it to the boom I slacken the lazy jacks and pull them down and forward, hook them under cleats on the mast, then retighten them. I keep them there until after the sail is hoisted again, then deploy them ready for the next lowering.
 
Twisterowner said:
When I have lowered the mainsail and secured it to the boom I slacken the lazy jacks and pull them down and forward, hook them under cleats on the mast, then retighten them. I keep them there until after the sail is hoisted again, then deploy them ready for the next lowering.
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that is so bloody obvious I am embarrassed I even asked the question now, :D thank you for putting me right:encouragement:
 
duncan99210 said:
No idea how yours are rigged, but ours are rigged to blocks on the spreaders, so that the blocks are about a metre apart. That helps to keep them out of the way of the battens as the sail is hoisted. If they are proving to be a pain, then simply loosening them usually sorts the problem.
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ours are tight all the way up 12" between them.
 
If you really have trouble at the moment, by all means set off with the lazyjacks lowered, but it's just one more thing to do as you go and I prefer to set off with the jacks deployed, especially as I have to seek permission to go on deck. With your lines at the mast you may feel this is less critical, but it's not that hard. If you can't get head to wind, you could let the boom hang out until the main is head to wind.
 
Twisterowner said:
When I have lowered the mainsail and secured it to the boom I slacken the lazy jacks and pull them down and forward, hook them under cleats on the mast, then retighten them. I keep them there until after the sail is hoisted again, then deploy them ready for the next lowering.
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+1, but some are not easily adjustable so try and rig them so they are.
 
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My lazyjacks stay rigged all the time as they also support the sail cover. Properly set at the start of the season they never need adjusting again. No point in faffing about with them. Just get it right & forget
 
ashtead said:
Plus 1 to Daydream believer , ours only get changed when the yard cranes us out annually .
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I take it that you have a stacking arrangement. I have a 'proper' sailcover, which means that it is necessary to stow the lazyjack at the mast, though I have seen covers with grooves which obviate this need. Since we all have different arrangements, this often gives rise to a variety of suggestions, all mutually contradictory, which if nothing else provides entertainment.
 
Daydream believer said:
My lazyjacks stay rigged all the time as they also support the sail cover. Properly set at the start of the season they never need adjusting again. No point in faffing about with them. Just get it right & forget
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Ok, lucky you. you obviously have a superior set up to ours, or more room to juggle into the wind.? ours support he sailcover too, but it is very easy to just haul it back up. What length is your boat, maybe our little minnow is more troublesome, or maybe yoyu dont have sail battens? it is the battens that are the problem
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?496394-Lazyjacks-are-hard-work/page2#QCjUMX6MAxfWjBPi.99
 
Getting the tension right seems to be the issue, too loose or tight can catch the top batten, also hoisting quick past the top batten. We took a little while to get this set and now don’t touch them, very occasionally they catch but just drop the main slightly and wait for the batten to centre then quick pull and ok
 
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