Lazy jack question

[Tedd]

I've never used a lazy jack. I've watched a few videos of boats that have one and it seems they just dangle in the wind when you're under sail. I see the convenience of a jazy jack when it's time to drop the sail but I'm wondering if there are any drawbacks to having one. Do they get in the way at all? How far back on the boom do they typically go?

For reference, I'm sailing a 26 foot trailerable sailboat. I don't race and I almost always sail with just myself and my wife--no other crew.

 

[dlochner]

Lazy jacks are well worth the investment, which is pretty small. Mainsail handling, especially when short handed is much easier.

There are many ways to rig lazy jacks. Ours can retract to the mast while sailing. Generally we deeply the lazy jacks when we drop the main and retract them once the mainsail is flaked and secured. A couple of shockcords pull the vertical lines parallel to the boom.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of them. Search the internet, you'll find lots of suggestions.

 

[Hunter216]

Excellent thread here

Low cost, high performance lazy jacks

For years we have always saddle-bagged (large even flakes) the laminated mainsail on BlueJ's boom for storage. With 2 or more, this is an easy task due to the mast track and the full battens. No complaints, and it helps keep the main in great shape. But there are times when I think about lazy...

forums.sailboatowners.com

 

[SailormanDan]

I put lazyjacks on when I added a sailpack and like them because they contain the sail nicely without spilling it all over the deck and blocking your forward visibility. They can inhibit sail shape, so pulling them into the mast out of the way helps.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Most lazyjacks I've seen stay in place like a topping lift. I haven't usually seen too much interference with sail shape. They do interrupt air flow a bit. I think it is best to set them up as suggested above. I haven't heard of it happening, but they are another set of lines to potentially catch on rigging.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[VanIslandGuy]

Our lazy jacks can be tightened up or completely eased off. The only time they are tightened up is when lowering the sails. They are eased right off when sailing, and tensioned, but not tight when raising the sails just to make it easier to prevent a batten getting caught on the way up. Once back on the dock and the stack pack is zipped, the jacks are eased enough that there is nearly zero load on the line.

 

[Tedd]

This is great information. Thanks, everyone.

I have a trailerable boat and I'm working on a system that will allow me to keep the boom and mainsail attached when I step the mast. The boom will swing up parallel to the mast and be lashed to it. I'm going to try to incorporate a lazy jack into the system that raises and lashes the boom.

 

[Benny17441]

I hate lazy jacks, while they help taking the sail down they complicate raising it. They need repeated adjustments before , during and after an outing. If you are sailing solo try keeping the boat perfectly aligned to the wind while you try to raise the sail through a slot without getting the battens caught in the jacks. A little shift in the wind and it can become a circus. Usually you have to loosen them to open up the gap but after the sail is up they are usually tightened so they don't dangle but if you shift point of sail you may need to loosen them again to accommodate the belly of the sail...…….. Finally you are ready to take the sail down, so another adjustment is in order and once you get to the dock depending on the type of your sail cover you may need to totally retract them or tighten them for storage. A boat operation is so much easier without them, if you want to raise the sail just point the boom into the wind while the boat can wander. The only useful things about the Jacks is to retrieve the sail and perhaps eliminate the task of flaking it. My advise to boats under 28 feet is not to install them; the mainsails are not that heavy and can be easily handled. having said that some boats usually above 30' have very large and heavy sails that without lazy jacks could become a hazard on deck. Today's boats are mainsail driven and have large heavy mains as opposed to them 70s and 80s boats which were powered by large Genoas and small high aspect mains. I find we like to do things for our boats and the concept of Lazy jacks appeal as a project but I would recommend for your 26' boat to look for a different project. I really cannot express the frustration that jacks can bring and the attention they require.

 

[Tally Ho]

I love my Mack Pack with integrated lazy jacks. Really helps keep the sail on the boom when lowering, and since I sail solo a lot, it is invaluable.

I don’t find that the jacks get in the way when sailing, but I can pull them forward to the mast to get them out of the way if I wanted.

I do have to be careful raising the main, until the headboard is above the jacks.

But I would not want to drop my sail without them.

Greg

 

[dlochner]

Some of the issues that @Benny17441 mentions with lazy jacks are due to a poor design and not lazy jacks in general.

Lazy jacks that reach too high the mainsail are going to cause more problems than ones that are lower. Ours are below the 1st spreaders, so the headboard clears quickly if the lazy jacks are deployed when the sail is raised. Typically we only use the lazy jacks when dousing the sail. Once the sail is flaked and secured the LJs are pulled to the mast and secured. The sail cover goes over the sail and LJs.

 

[TomY]

I made lazy jacks for my boat. They are a huge help with a mainsail that is hard to furl, alone, especially.

Pretty simple; a block above the spreaders(more effective than located at spreader height), 3 eye straps per side on the boom and a small cleat on each side of the mast. Deployed, there are 4 legs per side because of the 18' foot of the mainsail.

I can 'usually' get a pretty good flake lowering the sail, solo. However, in any weather the jacks make it easy to drop the main without blocking the helm.

With sail ties loosely containing the sail, the jacks are then thrown off at the mast cleat and gathered, pulled under the cleat, and tightened to the mast. You can leave them up but I find the jacks make it too tedious to raise. Here the jacks are gathered and cleated at the mast.

 

[Hello Below]

Tedd, on my previous boat (28' Tanzer), I took the advice of the article in "Good Old Boat" and stowed the lazy jacks once I was alongside and had the sails flaked and covered. So no lazy jacks while hoisting or sailing, except when reefed, to alleviate chaffing and catching of the full battens.

Lazy-jacks: Mainsail Tamers – Good Old Boat

 

[Stu Jackson]

Tedd, I usually post this whenever lazy jacks come up:

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 20 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.

 

[jeepbluetj]

Installed my own for cheap - two tiny blocks for the up the mast, two small cleats down at the bottom of the mast, and some small line. Deploy them to drop the main, tie it to the boom and retract before the sail cover goes on. Of course won't interfere with launching the main or with sailing at all if I only deploy before drop. My main halyard is at the mast, so I've got to go anyway.

Love them. The wife loves them. Best bang for buck boat mod I've ever done.

 

[Hunter216]

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

Brilliant!

 

[Tedd]

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.

That's a clever idea! I might have trouble selling it to my "helmsman," though. She finds it challenging enough just keeping us head to wind. Maybe we can switch roles and she can put up the mainsail!

 

[Hunter216]

@Tedd
Did you research this kind of system?

EZ Mainsail Handling System

Blue Water Yachts, The Worlds Largest MacGregor Dealer. We Offer More Options and Accessories Than Anyone Else!

www.bwyachts.com

 

[jssailem]

Maybe we can switch roles and she can put up the mainsail!

Good luck.