with stackpack? Hoisting the large main on my Hunter Vision is like threading a needle during hoist as we try to "thread" our way through, under power, the lazy jack lines. Short of raising it at the dock, which is not always feasible/doable, what's the best way to go about it?
- Status
Mainsail Hoisting
Jim, Your jazy jack lines might be too tight. If you loosen them a bit they will spread out more when you unzip the StackPack cover. Other than that, make sure the boat is pointed into the wind whenever you hoist. The driving is critical and the helmsman needs to keep looking up at the leech as the sail goes up. This is true on any boat with lazy jacks. Thanks, Bill Colombo Doyle Sails
Jim, Your jazy jack lines might be too tight. If you loosen them a bit they will spread out more when you unzip the StackPack cover. Other than that, make sure the boat is pointed into the wind whenever you hoist. The driving is critical and the helmsman needs to keep looking up at the leech as the sail goes up. This is true on any boat with lazy jacks. Thanks, Bill Colombo Doyle Sails
My Set Up
Jim, I built my own sail coat and lazy jack system. Having become fed up with the Dutchman I already had a topping lift so simply took the lazy jacks up to this, ensuring all the jacks were vertical. I positioned the jacks on the sail coat to be about 18" inside each batten end so now the batten ends do not catch on the way up or on the way down. Also, as the topping lift is controlled from the cockpit, when I slack it off after the main is set, it also slacks the lazy jacks too, and when we take the sail down we tighten the topping lift and then the slot for the sail narrows also so it doesn't fall off the boom - neat?
Jim, I built my own sail coat and lazy jack system. Having become fed up with the Dutchman I already had a topping lift so simply took the lazy jacks up to this, ensuring all the jacks were vertical. I positioned the jacks on the sail coat to be about 18" inside each batten end so now the batten ends do not catch on the way up or on the way down. Also, as the topping lift is controlled from the cockpit, when I slack it off after the main is set, it also slacks the lazy jacks too, and when we take the sail down we tighten the topping lift and then the slot for the sail narrows also so it doesn't fall off the boom - neat?
Lengthen Line
Jim, Same problem with my Vision 36, the Admiral goes nuts with the "Port", "Starboard" commands. I did try lengthening the line on the lazy Jack and, before leaving the slip, as part of uncovering the mainsail, I draw the lazy jack forward and tie off on the mast. This works, but the drawbacks are a long line on the lazyjack and making sure to remember to tighten the lazyjack before lowering the mainsail. While that resolved the big sail and its battens catching the lines on the way up, I got bored not making the Admiral earn her keep on the way out of port
If you lengthen the line, make sure to put a stop knot in the middle so it doesn't run all the way to the end or you will have even a better problem thang hanging up on the way up. Take care,
Jim, Same problem with my Vision 36, the Admiral goes nuts with the "Port", "Starboard" commands. I did try lengthening the line on the lazy Jack and, before leaving the slip, as part of uncovering the mainsail, I draw the lazy jack forward and tie off on the mast. This works, but the drawbacks are a long line on the lazyjack and making sure to remember to tighten the lazyjack before lowering the mainsail. While that resolved the big sail and its battens catching the lines on the way up, I got bored not making the Admiral earn her keep on the way out of port
If you lengthen the line, make sure to put a stop knot in the middle so it doesn't run all the way to the end or you will have even a better problem thang hanging up on the way up. Take care,
Just One Side
Jim We sail out of Alameda and understand your "startup" conditions. What we do with our lazy jacks is to pull only one side (starboard) forward, and they easily slip behind a cleat on the forward end of the boom. When we raise the mainsail, we just head the boat to starboard a bit to have the wind coming over the port side. The port side lazy jacks are still tight, but the sail is blowing over the starboard side of the boom. With no lazy jacks there, it goes up easily. We sail with the lazy jacks in place (I just release the starboard jacks from the cleat horn as the last step in raising the main). We have cleats to pull both of the lazy jacks forward all the way, and enough line to do so. I did it twice and found it not worth the extra effort. One other idea is to slow down when raising the mainsail. Many people keep motoring at hull speed, which is unnecessary. Yes, so you have some extra line in the cockpit or on the cabintop. Well, by now, we're all pretty good at flaking line. Or is it faking? Stu
Jim We sail out of Alameda and understand your "startup" conditions. What we do with our lazy jacks is to pull only one side (starboard) forward, and they easily slip behind a cleat on the forward end of the boom. When we raise the mainsail, we just head the boat to starboard a bit to have the wind coming over the port side. The port side lazy jacks are still tight, but the sail is blowing over the starboard side of the boom. With no lazy jacks there, it goes up easily. We sail with the lazy jacks in place (I just release the starboard jacks from the cleat horn as the last step in raising the main). We have cleats to pull both of the lazy jacks forward all the way, and enough line to do so. I did it twice and found it not worth the extra effort. One other idea is to slow down when raising the mainsail. Many people keep motoring at hull speed, which is unnecessary. Yes, so you have some extra line in the cockpit or on the cabintop. Well, by now, we're all pretty good at flaking line. Or is it faking?
StuThanks, I'll give it a try
Seems kind of obvious now that you described it. I sometimes literally run out of room if I "hook" a batten and have to circle back to try again. I'll definitely try your technique.
Seems kind of obvious now that you described it
. I sometimes literally run out of room if I "hook" a batten and have to circle back to try again. I'll definitely try your technique.- Status