Lazy Jack Materials and Installation

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ktbowles

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Apr 20, 2009
6
No Name 2002 26 Everywhere
I have a 2002 26X and have just ordered a new main sail with slugs and would like to install a Lazy Jack system to store the main. The retail options are pretty expensive and wondered if there are other options? Looking for materials and installation instructions.

Thanks
 
cscott

cscott

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Oct 18, 2007
188
Macgregor 26S - 1993 Aumsville, OR
I also bought one for my 26S. It worked great. I attached a 3 to 4 foot line at the center attachment were it goes under the clip. When the main was up, I would release the shock cord at that point, and it would not interfer with the sail shape. When I wanted to lower the main, I would grab the 3 to 4 foot line and pull down to reattach the shock cord. Works great and you do not have to leave the cockpit. Need one on each side.

Chuck
 
smoothsailing

smoothsailing

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Jan 26, 2009
100
HUNTER 340 Raritan Yacht Club
cscott said:
I also bought one for my 26S. It worked great. I attached a 3 to 4 foot line at the center attachment were it goes under the clip. When the main was up, I would release the shock cord at that point, and it would not interfer with the sail shape. When I wanted to lower the main, I would grab the 3 to 4 foot line and pull down to reattach the shock cord. Works great and you do not have to leave the cockpit. Need one on each side.

Chuck
Click to expand
Chuck,

What a great idea. Why did'nt I think of that.

Regards

Bill
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,481
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I also bought the Sail Cradle system. It sounds great but in the real world you discover the limitations pretty quickly. I ended up modifying mine so I could use it for raising and lowering without having the detach it while sailing

Notice the ad:
"stows against the mast while sailing" This is a huge limitation. You want a system you can leave deployed so you can raise or lower the mainsail without having to go forward the get the lines.

"Deploys quickly when needed" Not really. When you need it most, it's harder to go to the mast and fetch the lines.

The only real advantage is you don't have to modify the sail cover as with a conventional system. My modified Sail Cradle (I already spent the money) lets me leave it attached for the duration of the sail, and after I'm back in my slip and have flaked and secured my sail, I can then take the cradle lines back to the mast and put on my sailcover.

Just advice from someone who has owned this system for a while now.
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
You might want to consider a sailpack with the lazy-jacks.

We, Ruth mainly, made one for the Mac that...



...has worked great and the mod is here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-9.html

The...



... lazy jack mod is here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/rigging-21.html

and we also made a sailpack for the Endeavour...



...and that is here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/canvas-8.html

The one for the Mac was our design and the one for the Endeavour was a combination of Sailrite's design that we modified with some of our ideas. The Sailrite one is pretty quick and easy to sew up. Much faster to make than what we did for the Mac.

There really isn't much to lazy jack lines and I see no reason to not have a system that is employed all the time regardless of if you have the sailpack or not. As was mentioned above, it is sure nice not to have to mess around when it is time to drop the main at times. The Endeavour had that setup when we bought her,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links
 
F

FlbkRoxie

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Jan 8, 2011
77
Macgregor 26S San Diego
Justin_NSA said:
I also bought the Sail Cradle system. It sounds great but in the real world you discover the limitations pretty quickly. I ended up modifying mine so I could use it for raising and lowering without having the detach it while sailing

Notice the ad:
"stows against the mast while sailing" This is a huge limitation. You want a system you can leave deployed so you can raise or lower the mainsail without having to go forward the get the lines.

"Deploys quickly when needed" Not really. When you need it most, it's harder to go to the mast and fetch the lines.

The only real advantage is you don't have to modify the sail cover as with a conventional system. My modified Sail Cradle (I already spent the money) lets me leave it attached for the duration of the sail, and after I'm back in my slip and have flaked and secured my sail, I can then take the cradle lines back to the mast and put on my sailcover.

Just advice from someone who has owned this system for a while now.
Click to expand
How did you modify the system? I am interested in the Sail Cradle system, but would also want to keep it attached while under sail. I just made a convention sail cover, so I like this idea.
 
Chris & Lenore

Chris & Lenore

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Apr 24, 2006
868
Aloha 32 Toronto, Lake Ontario
Has anyone tried a system like ezjacks? Their website had enough info to make your own but their prices are reasonable. No cover mods needed, stores against mast but deployed in seconds from cockpit. That's the sales pitch - anyone tried them?@
http://www.ezjax.com/

Chris
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,481
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
FlbkRoxie said:
How did you modify the system? I am interested in the Sail Cradle system, but would also want to keep it attached while under sail. I just made a convention sail cover, so I like this idea.
Click to expand
I'll try to take pictures this weekend. I used to maintain a website with my mods but my ISP Yahoo/Prodigy decided to stop hosting customer sites.
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,481
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
holdech said:
Has anyone tried a system like ezjacks? Their website had enough info to make your own but their prices are reasonable. No cover mods needed, stores against mast but deployed in seconds from cockpit. That's the sales pitch - anyone tried them?@
http://www.ezjax.com/

Chris
Click to expand
It looks good in the lab video, but there's no wind and they have full batten sails making is look real easy. it's a better mousetrap than the Sail Cradle in my opinion, and I own one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_0q_n3tf3s&feature=player_embedded
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
holdech said:
...stores against mast but deployed in seconds from cockpit. That's the sales pitch - anyone tried them? Chris
Click to expand
I don't see much different there that you can't do with about any of the lazyjack systems. They are at the mast in the video clipping the lines to the mast and also adjusting two lines for the lazyjacks on both sides. Maybe I'm missing something? Also all of the lines on their little demo setup are really short and easy to manage. Longer lines are going to be harder to pull down and store at the mast.

I also have two separate lines at the mast so I could lower the lazyjack lines and pull them forward, but don't really see a need to do that. I don't buy into the chaffing on the sails, but maybe over lots of years of use?

If one ever has the sailpack/lazyjack combo I think they will really like it. Drop the sails right into the pack and pull the zipper and you are done for the day. Also to reef you don't need to put the ties on the sail at the reef point as the pack holds the sail.

There isn't much to lazyjacks. Get some clothsline and mock them up until they work good for you with some rings and snaphooks like on our pages and when it is working well at home on the trailer buy some better line and you are done,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links
 
Don T

Don T

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Mar 27, 2012
6
MacGregor 26X PDX
I made my own lazy jack system. Slightly different so rigging and de-rigging the mast and boom is simple. One control line aft on the boom so I don't have to leave the cockpit. I had to go above the spreaders to get better hoist and douse performance. Made my own down haul slug as I guess no one makes them.


Lines hook under dual cringle hooks so boot fits normally.


Custom down haul slug, halyard and down haul are a continuous loop.
 
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