Peter ...for short handed sailing I would not be without them.
If you have a team of "amazons " , then dont worry.
You didn't say if you were cruising or racing .
briaanj
I would not be without them! I usually sail my Centaur single-handed and this year I incorporated lazy-jacks into a new sail cover that I made up myself. The sheer convenience of simply unzipping the top of the cover and hoisting away - while head to wind - has to be experienced once and you're sure to be converted! Coming back to the mooring or the marina is even better. Realeasing the main halyard drops the sail neatly into the cover and keeps it away from the deck. You are then free to make your ship secure without having to stow sails away or to watch where you step. Having done that you simply zip up the cover and pour yourself a drink!
Go for it.
Great stuff, i'd always go for it but to save repeating everyone, the only negatives are that they battens can catch on them and on a broad reach, they can push against the back of the main unless you loosen them after hauling up.
I fitted a fully battoned main and lazy jacks to my UFO 31 this year. I sail the boat single handed most of the time and they're great. Makes reefing so easy as well.
Good for big boats with large mains. But don't fit one of those awful looking bag systems. They may be convenient but they do nothing for the appearance of your boat.
Without lazyjacks and shorthanded, lowering sail on a 40 footer meant acres of canvas spilling all over the deck and an absolute need to tie it up before entering the river/marina/anchoring or whatever you plan to do next. And in a bumby sea it can be miserable. Now with full battens, cars and lazyjacks it's a dream. Only disadvantage is in hoisting and the need to get that first batten through the 'jacks but its not much of a problem really. Wouldn't do without those 'jacks now.
Agree with most that's been said. But watch for chafe, particularly on the batten pockets. Best to have the facility to stow them at the mast on longer passages.
I haven't decided whether they are a help or a hinderence. I've tried with and without on a couple of different boats and I think it is more to do with the convenience of handling sail on a particular type of boat rather than the size of boat or sail. On my present 41' ketch the main is easy to stow single handed because the boom is a little under chest height when you stand on the cabin top. The mizzen, however, being over the cockpit area, is awkward to get to, and therefore benefits from lazyjacks. If you do go for lazyjacks, make sure they are properly designed or they will drive you to distraction!
I would speaking in general terms fit lazyjacks,but I am doing away with cloth sails and fitting asymmetric foils on my 30ft.cat. a coy called boatek in uk are the people to contact.
You can always find out if it is to suit by ......
Rigging a 'net-like' triangle around the boom, hoisted to 1/2 mast height, the apex of the triangle lashed out at boom end. Of course the net passes UNDER the boom ...... believe me Garden net is good enough.
You will then find if the sail is dropped - it falls or if lucky 'flakes' into the net and lets you motor on.
You do not need strong unsightly net - cheap 'strawberry' netting is good enough to see if it suits you. Once you see if it does the job, then go for the serious stuff ....... Barten do a kit, as well as most good Rigging manufacturers.
A cheap solution to see if it works for YOU ......
BEFORE ANYONE CRIES ME DOWN ...... Yes it DOES not include 'reefing' - that is something else that plagues all Slab boats untill set-up properly ! Especially if you go for single line slab job !