On my smaller boat, lazy Jacks was the 3rd best thing I ever did on the boat. I sail alone, and I find lazy jacks to be a life saver. I made my own. They do not raise up or down. They attach on the mast as high as I can reach. They normally are slack. When I drop the main, the boom drops and they pull tight. They are adjusted so the boom just clears the top of the cabin. Because they attach low on the mast, it is not problem raising the sail and not having it catch. Even if it does, I can easily reach the sail and center it. I would say that is the main trick on a small boat. Don't go crazy and make them mount too high. Just make it catch the sail, so you have a basket to prevent the sail from falling all over the boat and into the water.