Lazy Jacks

[CHSN WND]

I read an article that discusses how to make your own Lazy Jack system. Here's the link:

http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/articles/tamers.php

Has anyone made their own Lazy Jacks? Was it a difficult, moderately difficult or easy to do? It seems a bit difficult, but maybe with a little help from my new marina friends, it's doable?

Just wondering. An easy way to flake and store the main seems desirable, but only if the price is <$200 and the difficulty level is moderate / easy.

 

[topcat0399]

I read an article that discusses how to make your own Lazy Jack system. Here's the link:

http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/articles/tamers.php

Has anyone made their own Lazy Jacks? Was it a difficult, moderately difficult or easy to do? It seems a bit difficult, but maybe with a little help from my new marina friends, it's doable?

Just wondering. An easy way to flake and store the main seems desirable, but only if the price is <$200 and the difficulty level is moderate / easy.

We made our own. Not difficult or super expensive. We used hardware store strong cording and just knotted it all together - no hardware except 2 small blocks on the spreaders.

Takes thought and trial and error to get good fit but once its done its done.
Short booms need less legs, long booms need more legs. I used tape to secure everything to the boom and tested in use before drilling for the boom straps.

There are a hundred designs out there - that's where most of the thought comes in. The system doesn't need to be made super duper strong - they just catch a sail.

If you single hand you almost have to have these I think.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

There will be a lot said after this but I found lazy jacks on small boats particularly for those trailering a lot to create additional work. First let me start on the proper way of flaking. You simply pull on the back of the sail and move forward folding the sail on the boom starting off with small folds with the folds getting larger and then in two places, secure it. The issue I have are two fold. First I can secure the sail faster knowing how to flake correctly and secondly what you have to do to take the lazy jack system apart in order to remove the boom not to mention securing the lazy jack lines attached to the mast onto the mast preparing for trailering.

If we were talking about a larger boat, I could see it one without in mast roller furling but on a trailerable boat, I found it to be simply in the way if you know how to flake the mainsail correctly on the boom in the first place on smaller trailerable sailboats. Let the comments begin

 

[Jackdaw]

We use lazy jacks when cruising on the 36.7. Very handy on a huge sail.

On our smaller First 260 with laminated full batten main, as Dave says its better and almost as fast to properly flake it on the boom. Our boat came with a set of harken jacks still in the box but we never installed them.

But i can see how they would be handy if we cruised a lot with Dacron sails. If I wanted to make a set, I'd look at the harken manual. It has all the dimensions based on rig size. Handy.

http://www.harken.com/uploadedfiles/Product_Support/PDF/4059.pdf

 

[flynhi4u]

Once I was shown the "right" way to flake the sail I could do it much faster than the old way, which was just trying to wad it up so it would fit in the cover. I guess it takes me less than a minute to flake it and wrap a couple of grip ties around it.
Glad I had old sails to screw up with before we get our new ones LOL.

Sam in IN, hoping the wind blows again

 

[topcat0399]

Lazy jacks can be designed to be easily removable/stowable on a trailer sailer. For example the halyards can stay with the mast and the cradle can stay with the boom or removed. Nylon clips work well for attachment halyard to cradle. Nylon clips can also be used to attach/detach cradle from boom. There are many ways it could be done.

For me the lazy jacks aren't so much about stowing the main - when single handing they are more about having a place for the main to go quick when the pucker factor has increased...

 

[Benny17441]

Lazy jacks lead to additional work and can lead to frustration when raising the sail. They require adjustments in preparation to sail and then afterwards. Their use is only justified when the weight of the sail is just to large to be easily handled. I doubt that is a condition of your 26' boat. Save yourself the hassle.

 

[shanker]

The po had installed homemade lazy jacks on my 260. His idea was solid but I don't think he fit it very well to the sail and boom. It is very easily removed/set up when trailering. The issue I had was when raising the main, the battens would get hung up in the jack lines unless; I was going dead into the wind. Also when dropping the main it wouldn't catch the leach of the sail very well. Some simple modifications to the positioning of some of the jack lines and the system now works fantastic.
Because I single hand quite a bit, having the option of dropping that main sail quickly into the jacks is really important for me. For that reason alone I would endorse them and agree with Topcat. Relatively cheap for the role they perform for me. I love mine.

 

[Jackdaw]

Two things to remember:

Lazy jacks work MUCH better with full batten mains. Much.

And they have much more ultility with a lazy bag replacing a sail cover with slits.

 

[CHSN WND]

Good discussion. My main has full battens. Although she's very trailerable, the boat's slipped at a marina and hasn't been on the trailer beside to launch and remove seasonally. She's stored with the mast up and has been since it was delivered.

I don't single hand - I'm still a novice sailor and don't find sailing alone to be anywhere near as much fun as sailing with others. But, I sometimes sail with crew who tend to prefer watching vs. helping..!

I have read about full batten sails sometimes getting hung up on the jack lines when raising. But, it sounds like that issue can be overcome by adjusting the lines to better suit the circumstances. I like the idea of taping things first then drilling after everything has been optimally adjusted.

I have other boat projects underway (teak refinishing), so this is a longer-term consideration. I'm not sure it's necessary but does sound like it could be a nice feature.

 

[CHSN WND]

We use lazy jacks when cruising on the 36.7. Very handy on a huge sail.

On our smaller First 260 with laminated full batten main, as Dave says its better and almost as fast to properly flake it on the boom. Our boat came with a set of harken jacks still in the box but we never installed them.

But i can see how they would be handy if we cruised a lot with Dacron sails. If I wanted to make a set, I'd look at the harken manual. It has all the dimensions based on rig size. Handy.

http://www.harken.com/uploadedfiles/Product_Support/PDF/4059.pdf

Thanks! The Harken instructions seem pretty straight forward. Hmm, still have that Lazy Jack kit taking up valuable space in your garage..?

 

[Jackdaw]

Thanks! The Harken instructions seem pretty straight forward. Hmm, still have that Lazy Jack kit taking up valuable space in your garage..?

Funny I didn't think about that until you asked, but yes.

 

[CHSN WND]

Funny I didn't think about that until you asked, but yes.

PM me and let me know what it might take... if you'd like to free up that garage space!

 

[TENACITY CS36T]

Jack, Thanks for that Harken link.