Lazy Jacks

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REX SMITH

My wife and I have just bought a 92 Hunter 30T. We are really enjoying sailing it. I am thinking about adding lazy jacks because we have trouble dropping the full batten main with only one person. Which is the best type, the ones that stay in place or the ones that slide back against the Mast? Where is the best place to purchase them? Do they really help that much? I would apreciate any help I can get.
 
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Jim Sowle

Lazy Jacks are most helpful. My boat originally had fixed lazy jacks but I have modified them to go back to the mast. I used elastic shock cord for the bottom line and it works fine. I wouldn;t even consider fixed lines. They will always be in the way when you hoist your sail unless you are exactly dead to the wind. Having them retract to the mast is the only way to go.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Look at Dutchman System too.

Rex: Look at the Dutchman System too. It costs more but is superior in most respects. There are more complaints from sailors with lazyjacks. The only real problem with a Dutchman System, is that they are not recommended for very worn sails. They depend on the memory of the sail to assist in the folding.
 
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REX SMITH

Dutchman System

What is the Dutchman System and where do I find it. Is there a webb site.
 
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Marcus Hart

On my H27...

Instead of purchasing lazy jacks I made them myself. It is not hard to do if you can splice your own rope. Mine fall back out of the way. Jim is right that fixed lines are hard unless dead into the wind. Study what others do and make your own. You can do it for a fraction of the cost of buying.
 
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Paul Akers

Dutchman URL

Check this URL: http://www.sailnet.com/dutchman/ I got one
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
and here are some realistic costs....

http://www.sailchoice.com/dutchman.html Good luck and Happy Sails to you.
 
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Ed Sabornie

Ditto on Dutchman Sail Flaking System

I had the Harken lazy jacks on a previous boat, but I had the Dutchman system installed this spring on my '97 h280. The Dutchman is by far better (but somewhat more expensive, as was stated previously). Make sure that you adapt your main sail cover for either the lazy jacks or Dutchman system, too. Ed s/v Royal Tease
 
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Ed Schenck

Affordable flaking.

Actually I only have lazyjacks so that my wife can see to steer down the river. Before, when the mainsail came down, there was no telling if she would run over a jetskier. Bought the retractable model from Sailnet(see link). No hang ups with battens and no sailcover mods. There was also a "Photo Forum" item about making your own.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
and Ed, don't you know......

a jetskier is a terrible thing to waste. Time to get rid of those lazy jacks.<grin>
 
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Gene B. s/v Paradigm

Retracting non-retractable Lazyjacks

My 29.5 came with lazyjacks, and I experienced some of the problems referred to in earlier posts. However, I found that I could slack the lazyjack lines and pull both lines on both sides up to the mast and hook them under the reefing hooks. That's where they stay in port, and no mod to the sail cover is needed. I find I don't usually need them going out, and when coming in, I reset them for the sail drop, then stow them after the main ties are in place. It's a bit of a nuisance going forward to release them when taking the sail down, and Steve D is right (as always) about the advantages of Dutchman. But if you already have lazyjacks, you might try the above technique.
 
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Doug Margison

non retracting lazy jacks

Congrats on your purchase of a 92 Hunter 30T. My wife and I have had a 91 Hunter 30 for two years now and love it. We have fixed lazy jacks. Its the only pet peave we have. About 50% of the time the first batten on the full battened main gets stuck in the lazy jacks and one of us has to go foreward to release it. Not a major problem, just a bit of a nuisance. I am now thinking of rigging something up as commented in a previous post. Other than that the lazy jacks are great. Go with retractable ones and you will be very happy. Good Sailing. Regards, Doug s/v Mokum II
 
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Perry

Retractable

Rex, I would not recommend the Dutchman system. They are expensive and sail repair can be costly, fixed lazy jacks are a pain when hoisting the main. You must be dead into the wind or your battens hang up. The retractable lazy jacks are affordable, will not damage sails, and best of all you can choose to use or not to use them.
 
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Joe

Anybody heard of this?

Last year at the Annapolis boat show I saw a display of a mainsail retracting system that used small lines run through grommets in the sail. There were about 3 or 4 verticle lines and they retracted in to small spring loaded reels mounted to the boom. Can anyone tell me who makes that system? It was very neat and clean with nothing to get tangled and it flaked the sail very well. Thanks, Joe C. in NC
 
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Ed Schenck

Joe, that was Dutchman.

I also saw that display and it is what is being discussed here as the Dutchman. My dockmate has the system on his Yamaha 36. Once your sail has taken a shape it really is the next best thing to in-boom furling IMHO. But the product, the installation, and the mainsail mod totals up to big $$$$! Link below is Dutchman web-site.
 
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Joe

Dutchman expense

Ed, Isn't one of the expensive aspects of the Dutchman system the batten mods to the sail? I think that my main on the H260 already has horizonal full battens because of the roach main. It seems like it would only need the fairleads (grommets). Seems like it would make a world of difference for singlehanding. What do you think? Joe
 
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Jim Anzalone

Lasy Jacks

I just got a Hunter 28 and the Lasy Jacks are a pain. The battens get stuck in the lasy jacks when raising the sail. The sail still need to be pulled down at the mast and flaked. Jim
 
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