I have a 34 foot Hunter and want to install a xxjack system to hold the sails once they are dropped. I've seen a variety of systems and even have someone who will install his own version. What should i be looking for in a xxjack system?
Ezjack/lazyjack/diy what to look for?
- Thread starter Mike Oldak
- Start date
make sure you don't have to go forward and disengage or engage it, that it doesn't catch the battens going up nor interfere with the main when up and drawing and that it has enough lines to actually control the sail when fully lowered--you'll appreciate that in a blow when single handing!
The store on this site has a kit available. It is Harken's and it is quite pricey, but the "medium" kit should work for you. Alternatively, you can make it yourself.
For your size boat, you would need at least three "legs" for the lazy jacks. Measure the amount of line three times before you cut it. And consider that you need substantially more line than you initially think.
Many people would say that you don't need blocks in the system (a SS ring should do). My experience is that there is a lot of chafe on the rings and (very) small blocks (10-15 mm) work much better. A jam cleat is handy, especially if you are shorthanded.
For your size boat, you would need at least three "legs" for the lazy jacks. Measure the amount of line three times before you cut it. And consider that you need substantially more line than you initially think.
Many people would say that you don't need blocks in the system (a SS ring should do). My experience is that there is a lot of chafe on the rings and (very) small blocks (10-15 mm) work much better. A jam cleat is handy, especially if you are shorthanded.
Take a look at the Sailrite Stack Pack. It's lazy jacks and a sail cover combined. When you drop the sail it falls into the bag, then you just zip the top closed. The downside is the cover stays up all the time and looks funny if its a different color. Get it in white and it's not so obvious. I have one and love it. There are premade ones from other sail makers like Mack and Doyle too.
Hey,
Last year I installed this system:
http://www.downwindmarine.com/Sail-Care-Lazy-Jack-Kits-p-90891017.html
It's very similar to the one I had on my O'day 35 ,which worked great for years. On my O'day, I had the sailcover modified so the LJ's stayed deployed all the time. On my C&C I don't like to have the LJ's deployed while sailing so I go forward to retract them and then again to deploy them before dropping the sail. I should have done a better job of measuring and mounting the hardware. The sail on my C&C is much larger than the one on my O'day 35, so there is more sail to contain. Still, I'm happy with the way they work.
Good luck,
Barry
Last year I installed this system:
http://www.downwindmarine.com/Sail-Care-Lazy-Jack-Kits-p-90891017.html
It's very similar to the one I had on my O'day 35 ,which worked great for years. On my O'day, I had the sailcover modified so the LJ's stayed deployed all the time. On my C&C I don't like to have the LJ's deployed while sailing so I go forward to retract them and then again to deploy them before dropping the sail. I should have done a better job of measuring and mounting the hardware. The sail on my C&C is much larger than the one on my O'day 35, so there is more sail to contain. Still, I'm happy with the way they work.
Good luck,
Barry
I merely tied appropriate lengths of cord to the reef points on the leech, and shackled the ends to the topping lift where they slide up and down. Works great for keeping much of the sail on or near the boom, and I can flake the sail and tie it up easily without leaving the boom. And still can use the reef points if needed. Total cost: $0 -I had the small shackles in inventory.
A guy at our club bought these and loved them: http://www.ezjax.com
They custom build for each bost vs generic sizing.
He did mention that if he did it again he would use the 4 line version (he has a 32 foot boat). He felt it could control the sail better when he dropped it.
Chris
They custom build for each bost vs generic sizing.
He did mention that if he did it again he would use the 4 line version (he has a 32 foot boat). He felt it could control the sail better when he dropped it.
Chris
I would want 4 lines to the boom each side, looped through two separate rings each side, those two rings looped to a higher ring and that ring tied off and the line led to a block outboard on the spreader to open the "throat", down to a cleat on each side. 6 SS rings, two blocks, two cleats, and eight padeyes on the boom. 5 mm dacron line to make it work. Keeping the system wide at the top makes it a set-and-forget system for most sailing. Similar to what Barry posted.
That said, I still like a sail bag the best of all sail control systems.Contains a reefed sail very nicely.
That said, I still like a sail bag the best of all sail control systems.Contains a reefed sail very nicely.
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When you get one:
Lazy Jack Trick
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 16 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
Lazy Jack Trick
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 16 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
We have had ezjax for about 10 years now and are quite satisfied. As for avoiding snagging battens, we use shock cord with carabiners on each end and connect the shock cord from ezjax o-rings to the shrouds which pulls the ezjax to the side.
I made my own. I don't use pullies or any type of system to drop it out of the way, however I designed it so that the boom angles down some, once the sail is down. This way, when I raise the sail, the lines go slack, because the boom lifts up. I don't see it as chaffing the sails, as it is so slack when not in use, that it falls away from the sail.
Skipper your system is similar to what is called Lazy mate. It is on my list of things to do. It looks like simple enough system. I thought that I would just do the bottom 2/3rd's of the sail.
http://westsail.info/index.php?action=posts&thread_id=1491
Yep, my old boat had the lazy mate. That's where I got the idea, when I discovered this one had no system.
On the old one, there were grommets sewn into the sail. However, this boat has double reef points so I just used those without any modification. Unbelievably easy to set up. Took my like 9 minutes to install it.
Like you said it only grabs the lower half of the sail, as that's where the reef points are, but it is quite sufficient to keep the sail manageable and off the deck. I can't notice any difference in difficulty recovering the sail vs my old boat, and this sail is much larger.
Just have to make the lines to the topping lift the correct length. They tighten when I drop the sail, as the topping lift gets taunt with the weight of the boom lowering.
[QUOTE="I have a 34 foot Hunter and want to install a xxjack system to hold the sails once they are dropped. What should i be looking for in a xxjack system?[/QUOTE]
You have a 34, I have a 32. I added a 4th lazy jack line to the aft end of the boom to keep the sail up out of the cockpit and off the bimini.
You have a 34, I have a 32. I added a 4th lazy jack line to the aft end of the boom to keep the sail up out of the cockpit and off the bimini.