Lazyjacs or no lazyjacks

noswellplease

noswellplease

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I'm thinking of installing Lazyjacks on a 31 foot boat which has a boom 12.5 feet. As I am singlhanded a lot of the time this seems a convenient way of managing the sail. I have heard some experienced folk say "NO WAY" they can cause trouble and all sorts of nasty things. I know Lazyjacks have been around since the days of Robin Hood so surely they can't be all that bad. Does anyone use them who is often single-handed, and what do they think of them? Russ
 
Had a new set fitted last year with a stack-pack sail cover, Replaced and old one that was looking the worse for wear.

Wouldn't be without it as I sail single handed all the time, a 23 footer.

Yes there are the odd hitches. The battens sometimes catch the lazyjacks when hoisting the sail, usually if the wind catches the sail and blows it sideways at the wrong moment. As I'm aware of it I now manage to time my hoist so that the batten (the top one usually) goes past the 'point of snag' easily.

Dropping the sail is easy, basically, just release the halyard, and let it come down in a rush. Sail more or less flakes itself.
 
I have used lazy jacks for about 10 years on two different boats. Sometimes have slight problems when hoisting (need to be dead to wind). I have never had a problem when lowering.
 
I'd agree with both of the posters above. We have had ljs for 12 years and a stakpak for 3. The two minor probs that we have encountered are on hoist as described above and remembering to slacken the ljs off once the sail is hoisted to let the sail fill properly and then rembering to tighten them up prior to drop /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

These, however, are nothing compared to the sail taming qualities of the lj and with a stakpak as well you really have a simple sail handling system.
 
We have lazyjacks as the boom is quite high. I found hoisting the sail very frustrating when battens get caught etc. To get round this when the sail has been droopped and stowed, we release the lazyjacks and hook them round the reefing hooks at the front of the boom and pull taught again. Only when the sail is set or when we want to drop it do we re set the lazyjacks.

It also means that a conventional sail cover fits fine with no extra holes or slots for them to run through.

Of course I understand the attraction of a packaway cover if all of your sail work is done from the cocpkpit, but as we hoist and drop from the mast it woks for us.

Cheers
 
On a gaff rig lazyjacks are a boon to singlehanded sailing. It doesn't need to be an elaborate system - merely having a divided topping lift each side of the sail is enough to catch the gaff and sail when you let go the haliards. You can lower the sail on virtually any point of sailing.
Combined with leading the haliards back to the cockpit they make hoisting and lowering sail dead easy singlehanded.
 
I fitted my last boat with stack pack and lazy jacks and was really pleased with it. Changed boat last winter and went back to the old way of dropping and packing. I was soon calling on the sail maker for a new sail cover and lazy jacks. Benefits far outway the few snags you might get. You can pack the sail away so quickly, no going back in harbour to tidy up later.
 
I found with ours that the secret was getting them set into the right position.... too far aft and they fouled the battens on the hoist, too far forward and they didn't hold the sail well enough on the drop.... once i'd got them set up well, i'd not be without them for short handed sailing.....
 
I had lazy jacks on our 33' fractional. Took them off as they were hardly ever used. They were only used to contain the double reefed mainsail. Otherwise they were a right PIA, getting caught round battens, flapping, one more thing to tidy up, chafe on the mainsail, etc, etc.

As far as those stackpack things are concerned, I think they look awful. Like sailing with a washing line rigged.

If you must fit them, at least make them light. So many are made of very thick line, which adds to their lack of visual appeal.
 
Absolutely! This is precisely my experience on our 32 foot frractional rigged boat. I singlehand a lot but found my, albeit 'experimental', LJ's much more of a hindrance than a help. Having said that, I've fitted four or five sets on friends boats and they seem to love 'em, so I guess it's horses ......
 
Near essential with a fully battened main. I made a set, just a pair of lines from spreaders to the boom end with four lines going under the boom and up to the diagonals. It means I can still use the roller reefing system as well as slab reefing.
Trying to wrestle with a 13 foot long batten (and my bottom one is that length) is no joke when single handed.
 
Another vote against.I sail single handed 90% of the time Didn't have them on my last boat, a 32 footer. Bought a 27 footer with LJs and stakpak fitted and find it no help at all, problems far outweigh the benefits.
Andy
 
I have a very cheap system of line and elastic which I copied from a thread on here about 3 years ago. Cost a tenner.When hoisting I unclip inglefield clips and refasten at gooseneck and hoist sail. No Problems and no effect on sail shape.
Dropping is easy and I don't need three or four arms to collect and hold and tie sail to boom as it thrashes around coachroof and cockpit. (28', handled at mast)
I saw pictures of an Irish RMLI rescue recently - the stackpac was one of their major problems - it was acting like a spinnaker in the force 8. Don't like them.
Ken
 
Don't like stack packs but lazy jacks are excellent when singlehanded. 39' boat, masthead rig with, 15' boom, 45'luff length, full length battens & sliders in the mast track.
Don't put the LJ's too far aft on the boom or have enough slack so that you can bring them forward when hoisting.
Once up, they control the loose sail when reefed and dropping the main is just a case of letting go the halyard.
What could be simpler.
 
I've tried lazy jacks several times over the years and have always found them more trouble than they are worth. I've tried different configurations to try to get them to work reliably because handing sail can be a chore for one person and I can see the benefit of a simple reliable system. Maybe I'll try again!
Slightly off-subject, I find it interesting that there is a strong trend towards trying to operate a sailing boat entirely from the cockpit. Headsail furling was the obvious first step but we now see all sail hoisting, setting and reefing being conducted from the cockpit. Apart from the matter of the huge amount of line lying around in the cockpit and the abandonment of the Keep it Simple philosophy that has served cruising sailors for so long, I wonder if we are not losing the ability to comfortably and confidently move around the deck of a small boat. Just a thought.
 
I have a 27 foot yacht with a smallish main and I find that I can handle the mainsail fine without lazy Jacks. At 64 i am not in the first flush of youth but I still find that the best way to handle the main, sailing solo as well, is to do it all from the mast, Lower and grab a bunch of sail and whip on a shock cord clip. I then tidy it up later with proper sail ties. I also slab reef from the Mast, easy and simple nothing to get stuck and because you have to go on deck you do not leave reefing to late.
 
I wouldn't be without them on my 26 footer which I sail with one crew. As already said, raising can be a bit tricky with the top batten. What I like is the ability to drop the sail quickly with the wind not directly on the nose and not to have to tie up the sail when single or double reefed.
 
[ QUOTE ]
... What I like is the ability to drop the sail quickly with the wind not directly on the nose and not to have to tie up the sail when single or double reefed.

[/ QUOTE ] Same here. I can drop the main with the boom right out, without the sail going everywhere.
 
I have a stackaway, lazy jacks and lower from the mast. Need to be into the wind for raising and lowering but makes sure that sails does not hinder the view of the helm. Can look untidy with sail up, all those bits flapping around but I would not be without it.
 
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