Are there ways to improve a Lazy Jack system

[LoveTwoSail]

Last year was our first using a standard lazy jack system. It was a love - hate relationship.

The system was fine when dropping the sail just prior to anchoring, or heading back to the dock.

However, it behaved poorly while sailing. It lifted the boom, and pressed into the sail, changing it's shape. In other words, it ruined the shape of the sail for sailing.

By the end of season, we were moving the lazy jacks back to mast while sailing, and then moving the lines back out on the boom prior to dropping the sail.

Is there a smart way to leave the lazy jacks in place while sailing, without the resulting negative effects?

Are they installed correctly? Probably, as they look like pictures of a standard installation.

I thought of rigging a line so I could tighten or loosen them like a topping lift, but I don't know if this would work.

Update (1/27/14): The previous owner installed the lazy jacks. I don't have a instructions or a photo. The boat does have a topping lift. The bottom lines of the lazy jacks are shock cords; I never checked the upper part.

It appears that they are too tight. I should be able to get a copy of general installation instruction from the internet; with that, and some of the tips from the forum, I should be able to improve the lazy jack performance.

 

[azguy]

A picture would help, but it almost sounds like they are strung to tight. I can't imagine lazy-jack lines changing the sail shape...

 

[Jackdaw]

attach a length of shock cord from mid way down your spreaders to the top block in the lazyjacks. Make it snug but not tight. This will keep the jacks away from the sail, and also make it easier to raise.

 

[weinie]

I always slacken the LJs (about 1 foot of line) before I leave the dock and tighten them up again before I drop the sail. I depend on the topping lift, not the LJs to support the boom when the sail is not up. I don't think the hardware was designed to support the boom. While sailing, the LJs and topping lift should be completely slack.

If you have a long enough line on the LJs you can pull them completely forward to cleats on the mast to keep them out of the way when raising the main sail. This avoids snagging the battens if you are not pointed 100% directly into the wind. However, I find I can blast the halyard up within a second or two before I'm off the wind, so I just leave the slackened LJs in place when hoisting.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Good advice.

Here's what we do:

Lazy Jack Trick [FONT=&quot][/FONT]

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Many folks complain about full battens getting caught up when raising the mainsail. They then spend a lot of time moving BOTH sides of the lazy jacks to the mast.

We developed an easier way with our lazy jacks.

We have a small cleat on the forward starboard side of the boom. When we put the halyard on the headboard, we move ONLY the starboard side of the lazy jacks forward and snug them under the forward side of the horn of this cleat.

Then, when we raise the mainsail, instead of going exactly head to wind, we bear off a tad to starboard so the wind is coming from the port side of the bow.

We then raise the mainsail and it doesn't get hooked on the lazy jacks even though the port side jacks are still there.

Been working for 15 years.

Yes, we have to go forward again to unhook the starboard lazy jack for dousing the sail if I forget to do it right when the main is raised, but there's never any hurry. The drill is: after the main is raised, I unhook that starboard lazy jack, so they're both ready to go when we drop the sails at the end of the day.

So, for those of you with lazy jacks, consider doing only one side.

Your boat, your choice.



C:\Users\Stu\Stu\Boat\Lazy Jack Trick.doc