Lazy Jacks for B&R rig

Navicula · Jul 16, 2013

no problem I have a stack pack with lazy jacks..........its a big mail sail and has long as your in irons when you put the sail up or down its a dream............if not in irons....you may catch one of your battens on a lazy jack......

for us .....it works

Jared1048 · Jul 16, 2013

As Navicula said. I have the stack pack also and I'd never sail about without one again. Makes putting the sail away a breeze...

Dave602 · Jul 16, 2013

Yep, stack pack. Lazy jacks can be a pain with a full battened main but worth it to us.

IanJ · Jul 16, 2013

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a stack pack? Is that the pouch round the boom? I tend to have more problems raising the sail with the battens catching on the lazy jacks.

Jared1048 · Jul 18, 2013

Stack pack...

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...yE4eGiQLu4IC4CA&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ9QEwAg&dur=159

Steve Dion · Jul 18, 2013

Mark:

Before you jump to lazy jacks take alook at the Mack Pack. Www.Macksails.com

It is more expensive but you may find that it is worth the expense.

Lazy jacks and the packs are no panacea. The battens can/will get caught in the lines unless tbe are retractable.

wufibugs · Jul 18, 2013

So do these packs fold down when sailing so they don't interfere with sail shape?

IanJ · Jul 19, 2013

Thanks. Thats what I thought they were, but always heard them called pouches.

silverbeard · Jul 20, 2013

wufibugs said:
So do these packs fold down when sailing so they don't interfere with sail shape?

I have a Mack Pack and the battens can catch on the lazy jacks but it isn't hard to keep that from happening. The lazy jacks can be loosened which makes it easier to raise the mainsail without the battens catching. That also keeps the lazy jacks from interfering with the shape of the sail. Tighten up the lazy jacks before you drop the mainsail and you will be a happy sailor.

Tally Ho · Jul 21, 2013

I have a full batten mail (no stack pack), and Lazy-Jacks.

I generally loosen the Lazy Jacks before I shove off, so they can be pulled apart when raising the main. As others have said, I can catch the first batten when raising, but usually I just push the batten past the lazy jack, then continue raising the mast. I single-hand a lot, and the lazy jacks are great when dropping the main. I always tighten them before I drop the sail, and they hold the sail on the boom without much effort on my part. I generally put 1 sail tie on the back end of the sail to keep it tidy until I get back to the slip.

I like them a lot, and do not find that catching the batten is a big deal. If it catches, it is only the first one and it is easy to clear.

Greg

IH82BL8 · Jul 22, 2013

So if you slacken the lazy jacks before hoisting the main yuou still need a topping lift. I was hoping that with lazy jacks I coulg get rid of the topping lift.

silverbeard · Jul 22, 2013

Mark Nooney said:
Thanks everyone -
Now the next question - Any pictures of your Lazy Jacks?
I think it will be cheaper to make my own rather than a set of Harken.
How many lines go to you booms -
253 Lazy Jack system recommends two lines extending to the boom as the cradle.
Should I think more is better?
Thanks
Mark
Dream Too

This pic should give you some idea of how the lazy jacks are rigged. The lazy jacks are attached to the mast above the second set of spreaders.

IanJ · Jul 23, 2013

You can always get a piston boom vang. I had one on my last boat and it was awesome. No more topping lift!

Tally Ho · Jul 25, 2013

IH82BL8 said:
So if you slacken the lazy jacks before hoisting the main yuou still need a topping lift. I was hoping that with lazy jacks I coulg get rid of the topping lift.

Yes...
I have a topping lift, as well as a boom kicker.

Greg

DianaOfBurlington · Jul 27, 2013

Doyle Stack-Pack vs lazyjacks

wufibugs said:
So do these packs fold down when sailing so they don't interfere with sail shape?

No. They do affect sail shape. Doyle (who developed the Stack-Pack) claim that this lower portion of the sail isn't so crucial to sail shape. I have no idea why they would say that. Meanwhile all the rest of us are playing the medium between having enough pouch in the bottom of the main and having it as flat as plywood.

The new(est) owner of C44 White Hawk opted for a Stack-Pack. It was annoying to rig, necessitating many holes through the sail itself, and is pretty hard to get rid of if (when) you change your mind. (See the photo, especially how the Stack-Pack bag on the mizzen fits.)

In answer to Mark Nooney's question I would prefer lazyjacks every time.

harv · Jul 29, 2013

Lazy jacks do not get rid of a topping lift. You would need a rigid boom vang to do that. There are no special requirements for the B&R rig. There are a couple of options with lazyjacks. The Hunter standard system has 2 main wire legs attached to eyelets on the mast above the spreaders. From the main leg eyelets, there are 2 sets of rope that are support legs attached to the boom on cleats.
The sail cover is modified for each set of support legs.
If you are making up your own system, use rope main legs connected to SS rings with a clove hitch.
A modification of that setup has 2 main rope legs going up to 2 blocks on the mast above the spreaders and leading down to 2 blocks at the base of the mast and then to jam cleats. This gives you the option of varying the tension or relaxing the lasy jacks. You have the option of 2 or 3 sets of support legs attached to eyelets on the boom.
For three sets of support legs- The main leg goes down to a ring which holds the a set of forward legs and then after that another ring which holds 2 sets of support legs.

Remember that the boom supports the weight of the sail and the lazyjacks just contains the sail.
Since you can relax the whole rig with the jam cleats, you have to option of relaxing the support legs and bringing the lazyjacks system back to the mast by grabbing the support legs and securing the laszyjack rig to the mast out of the way. When you hoist sail no battens get fouled. Note that the lazyjack system is still secured to the boom, it is just out of the way. If you wish, you retract it at your dock before you leave. Just use a sail tie or two to secure the sail.
If you don’t want to step to the mast, you can rig two dousing lines to 2 blocks on the mast and douse it from the cockpit. When dropping sail, release the dousing lines and tension the support legs.
If you have end of boom sheeting you can devise it so that the entire lazyjack system is detached from the boom and goes up to the mast. There is a commercial system that does this.
When you are ready to drop sail you just tension the support legs and deploy the lazyjacks.
I’ve used my custom system for about 7 years based on an sailing magazine article.
My personal feeling is that after sailing, you should always secure the sail with sail ties. Don’t trust sail covers.

captcoho · Jul 29, 2013

Lazy Jacks
Here ya go........

Lazy Jacks for B&R rig

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