Stack Pack vs Cover

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yachtorion

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Last time I bought new sails I bought a stack pack to help look after them. For sail handling it was amazing... but once the sail was up it was a pain in the neck.

So this time I'm wondering - shall I just get Lazy Jacks and an overboom cover that I can remove when I set off, thus spending less money, avoiding as much time on deck, and not having to worry about stack pack flapping around the foot of my sail?
 
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We have some sewn on ties with press studs that hold the stack pack neatly when it is not in use. Might be worth considering?
 
adwuk said:
We have some sewn on ties with press studs that hold the stack pack neatly when it is not in use. Might be worth considering?
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I have similar, straps with fastex buckles. I don't usually bother, but for a long leg, especially a reach where I've let the outhaul off and want a nice curve in the sail, I let off the lazy jacks, roll up the stackpack sides, and strap them down to the top of the boom. Looks a lot nicer.

Pete
 
yachtailsa said:
Last time I bought new sails I bought a stack pack to help look after them. For sail handling it was amazing... but once the sail was up it was a pain in the neck.

So this time I'm wondering - shall I just get Lazy Jacks and an overboom cover that I can remove when I set off, thus spending less money, avoiding as much time on deck, and not having to worry about stack pack flapping around the foot of my sail?
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After getting dirty or mildewed black 'stripes' on a stackpak main from rain water leaking through the zipper even with a velcroed flap covering it, on the next boat we had the lazy jacks again but a separate over boom cover. The LJs were rigged to be pulled forward and lay along the boom once some sail ties had been put on the tidied up sail. Neater and no more mildew stripes as the loose fit over boom cover was open underneath to allow some air flow circulation. looked better with the hoisted main too with no flapping canvas. The over boom cover was easy to fit and remove simply by rolling it in slabs from boom end to tack end and reversing that procedure to refit it.
 
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Latest designs of stack pack covers are much better weatherproofed with good flaps over the top closure and mesh bottoms for drainage. No reason to have them flapping about as always a way of securing them as already described. Much more elegant solution than a separate cover.
 
Putting the main cover on is part f the ritual of winding down after a long sail. Mine is easy to do, and even if the sail is wet, it will dry out under the cover. Actually, I am completely biased because I think that stack-packs look odd when under sail. Purely a matter of personal choice.
 
I think I'm sold on not having the stack pack. Don't mind taking a cover off and putting it back on after sailing, and I won't have the annoying fabric flapping round interfering with the foot of the sale. Easier to rig the Lazy Jacks to stay out of the way from the cockpit than a stack pack. Combined with fully battened sails I shouldn't need to leave the cockpit to raise and lower which is a bonus. Plus it will save a few hundred quid across the two sails...
 
Stack pack is great for ease of use but not so efficient aerodynamically. It depends upon what kind of sailer you are. On my Mirage 28 (ft not m). I just had lazy jacks which were great and could easily be hooked round the reefing horns to stop them interfering with the sail when underway.
 
I think it is all down to design of stackpack. I dont recognise the issues that some of you guys mention. Combined with a loose foot mainsail it is very easy to roll then tie the stackpack to the boom whilst sailing. We do this on long passages.
Since we sail in the tropics UV damage is a major issue. The stackpack allows us to cover the sail quickly and easily when we arrive at an anchorage. Yachts that dont have stackpacks just dont seem to do that due to the hassle of fitting a cover. If you have just sailed all day it might not be the first thing on your mind. In addition, since we are a ketch, if we are sailing in strong winds we often drop the main. We always zip up the stackpack rather than add ties around the sail. Just as easy to do but keeps the sail well controlled and put of the sun
 
I wouldn't dream of not having a stackpack. My main fully battened main when dropped is left in a much neater way, and is consequently still feeling like "new" six years on. Think of all the drinking time folding the sail and putting the cover on takes up...

As for impacting "performance" 90% of performance is due to the prat on the stick... :o
 
Gladys said:
I wouldn't dream of not having a stackpack. My main fully battened main when dropped is left in a much neater way, and is consequently still feeling like "new" six years on. Think of all the drinking time folding the sail and putting the cover on takes up...

As for impacting "performance" 90% of performance is due to the prat on the stick... :o
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+1
 
dunedin said:
If the sum of boat length in feet plus age of skipper in years is over 50 then answer equals stack pack. ;-)
Below 50 perhaps separate cover
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30 year old on a 21 footer needs a stackpack? Sure...


As for the things themselves, can't stand them. They look bad when sailing, and make trimming the main a right sod. The marketing spiel of 'drop the halyard and it'll sort itself' is nonsense: to get a neat flake you've still got to have someone at the mast and someone else at the leech or creases will form where you don't want them, and then when you come to zip up it'll start bringing the leech forward, creasing the sail more, and at the worst place.
The lazyjacks make hoisting a pain too.
All in all, a good way to reduce the life of your sail, all for a saving of 5 mins per drop. Not worth it IMO.
 
Mine is a proper mans setup, none of these nancy boy stac packs and single line reefing widgets. It was good enough 35 years ago when the boat was built, perhaps they don't build men like they used to ?



































:):):)
 
DFL1010 said:
30 year old on a 21 footer needs a stackpack? Sure...


As for the things themselves, can't stand them. They look bad when sailing, and make trimming the main a right sod. The marketing spiel of 'drop the halyard and it'll sort itself' is nonsense: to get a neat flake you've still got to have someone at the mast and someone else at the leech or creases will form where you don't want them, and then when you come to zip up it'll start bringing the leech forward, creasing the sail more, and at the worst place.
The lazyjacks make hoisting a pain too.
All in all, a good way to reduce the life of your sail, all for a saving of 5 mins per drop. Not worth it IMO.
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You are in a very small minority. Quite easy to avoid all the things you see as problems by good design and proper use.

If they were so awful, why do you think they are so popular?
 
Tranona said:
..... Much more elegant solution than a separate cover.
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I don't disagree on the utility of a stack pack and lazy jacks, but more elegant than a main sail drawing without lazy jacks, or a neatly flaked sail under a fitted boom cover, I don't think so. I would concede elegance in function for a correctly designed and installed stackpack compared with flaking and fitting the boom cover.
 
yachtailsa said:
Last time I bought new sails I bought a stack pack to help look after them. For sail handling it was amazing... but once the sail was up it was a pain in the neck.

So this time I'm wondering - shall I just get Lazy Jacks and an overboom cover that I can remove when I set off, thus spending less money, avoiding as much time on deck, and not having to worry about stack pack flapping around the foot of my sail?
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Sounds like you answered your own question, you are not keen. I hate putting on sail covers so made a stack pack, fiddled about with it and then decided I did not like it.

I think it is a different story if you have a large boat, rig biased towards the main, high boom, or just like the easy life above all else.
 
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