Lazyjacks are hard work

I’m not sure why they are so much trouble, are they set up right? Would be worth taking a photo and posting so you can get further comments. We found on our last smaller boat they were to far towards the end of the boom where actually the sail area was small when dropped.
 
Daverw said:
I’m not sure why they are so much trouble, are they set up right? Would be worth taking a photo and posting so you can get further comments. We found on our last smaller boat they were to far towards the end of the boom where actually the sail area was small when dropped.
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I tried taking a pic tonight, but it was too dark :rolleyes: On the upside we got to test all the lights and marvel at the view. it is going to be great fun sailing at night with more than just a torch to light the dinghy sails. First night sail, in this boat will be Sunday if it is not raining too hard
 
I have a 42 ft boat with fully battened main. To me, the big advantage of our lazy jacks system is that we can DROP the sail at nearly anytime very quickly. So coming into harbour short handed this is never a problem.
On the other hand, HOISTING does need a bit of care to ensure battens don't get hooked up. But in practice this just means we motor out and pick the right moment and location to be best able to go head to wind, and then two persons are needed, one to call the clearance and the other to winch up the halyard.
Pretty easy all in all.
 
Resolution said:
I have a 42 ft boat with fully battened main. To me, the big advantage of our lazy jacks system is that we can DROP the sail at nearly anytime very quickly. So coming into harbour short handed this is never a problem.
On the other hand, HOISTING does need a bit of care to ensure battens don't get hooked up. But in practice this just means we motor out and pick the right moment and location to be best able to go head to wind, and then two persons are needed, one to call the clearance and the other to winch up the halyard.
Pretty easy all in all.
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yes, maybe we could just leave hoisting until we have more searoom. Using an engine still feels like cheating ;) I am sure we will get over that
 
solent clown said:
yes, maybe we could just leave hoisting until we have more searoom. Using an engine still feels like cheating ;) I am sure we will get over that
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Being reliant on an engine for something as basic as setting sail doesn't seem a good idea to me. You ought to be able to sail off a buoy or from an anchorage without the need of an engine. Also, being able to do things under sail makes sailing more enjoyable and gives confidence.
 
Not always an option, we have a narrow winding creek, then directly out into the shipping channel and 4-5 knots of tide before we can set sails, sometimes possible to sail back in but more likely to run aground on the falling tide.
 
solent clown said:
thanks chap, the wanting the controls in the cockpit is for Karen's benefit. It is a PITA that the only limited bit of area is just after we leave the jetty, a combination of mudbanks, wrecks, and moored commercial vessels and pontoons make getting downriver to the Itchen bridge a pain if the wind isnt right. Great fun in a dinghy though

And yes, very much enjoying the learning curve
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Have a think about why we fit lazy jacks. The are used to control the sail when we are lowering the main sail so do not need them to be raised when leaving the dock or while we are sailing. It only when we get to our destination that we need to raise the lazy jacks.

In fact while we are sailing with the main sail up if the lazy jacks are raised then could/would chafe the sail and cause unnecessary wear on the sail.

So pull in the lazy jacks before you untie the boat from the dock and only raise the lazy jacks when you are getting ready to lower the main sail either when under motor entering the marina or after yoy are docked it you sail onto your mooring.
 
solent clown said:
I hear you Roger, the only bugbear is the lazyjacks hold up the sailbag. I will take some pics today once it stops raining
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Yes but you dont need the sail bag/statpack to be held up when sailing. In fact it would be better to wrap the statpack under the boom to allow the sail to set better.

Rain what rain
 
Rogershaw said:
Yes but you dont need the sail bag/statpack to be held up when sailing. In fact it would be better to wrap the statpack under the boom to allow the sail to set better.

Rain what rain
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I will post pics Roger, there are a couple of things that make wrapping it around the boom difficult.
 
solent clown said:
I will post pics Roger, there are a couple of things that make wrapping it around the boom difficult.
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This is a pic of my statspack in ist closed position.

35277777043_994749528f_b.jpg


What I do is to loosen the lazy jacks, including the support line and zip front cover at the mast allow it to cover to drop down and then tie sail ties between the lazy jack attachment point under the boom before I leave dock then its easy to raise the main sail either from the mast or cockpit.

My stat pack has battens along the top edge to the folded down edge does not flop around when sailing

My reefing line run on the outside of my boom so I dont tie the sail ties too tight to allow the reefing to run easy.
 
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this is making me think about this kind of thing on a 24ft boat makes a lot of clutter, as it is our boom JUST clears the sprayhood, and to lower it I have to raise the boom. So anything that hangs down from the boom is literally, in our faces, thus defeating the object of the lazyjacks in the first place. Looks like we are going to have to decide on which compromise suits us best

I hate the sprayhood, but it is essential for Karen's comfort so has to stay
 
solent clown said:
do your reefing lines run through gaps in the stack pack or outside?
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They go along the outside of the boom to a pulley block towards the end of the boom, through a slop the the statpack up to a pulley on the reefing point in the sail then back down to a running bowline around the end of the boom. I have 2 single line reefing lines one on each side of the boom.
 
solent clown said:
this is making me think about this kind of thing on a 24ft boat makes a lot of clutter, as it is our boom JUST clears the sprayhood, and to lower it I have to raise the boom. So anything that hangs down from the boom is literally, in our faces, thus defeating the object of the lazyjacks in the first place. Looks like we are going to have to decide on which compromise suits us best

I hate the sprayhood, but it is essential for Karen's comfort so has to stay
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There was a bot next to me last month that rolled up the sides of their stat pack and tied it to the side of the boom so it did not hang down below the boom.

I do something similar with my side screens for the cockpit cover.
 
solent clown said:
It has stopped raining, will go down soon to have a play.
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One idea. Which of course I haven't tried but singlehanded certainly thought about!

Incorporate some bungie in the lazy jacks somewhere so before leaving you can pull them (or just one) forward out of the way, then at some point underway a quick trip to the mast to release again ready to drop the sail.

Maybe :)
 
GHA said:
One idea. Which of course I haven't tried but singlehanded certainly thought about!

Incorporate some bungie in the lazy jacks somewhere so before leaving you can pull them (or just one) forward out of the way, then at some point underway a quick trip to the mast to release again ready to drop the sail.

Maybe :)
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I will try it today alongside
 
solent clown said:
this is making me think about this kind of thing on a 24ft boat makes a lot of clutter, as it is our boom JUST clears the sprayhood, and to lower it I have to raise the boom. So anything that hangs down from the boom is literally, in our faces, thus defeating the object of the lazyjacks in the first place. Looks like we are going to have to decide on which compromise suits us best
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I have a similar problem but it is quicker and easier to swing the boom to the side when raising or lowering the sprayhood.
 
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