Stack Pack Advise

med2463 · Apr 30, 2011

Stack Pack

elcriollo said:
As I get older, climbing up to the boom to tie the sailcover and run the zipper is becoming a bit more difficult. I presently have a Dutchman system on my 40.5 and it works fine except for the sailcover issue mentioned above, plus I need a new sailcover anyway.
I am considering taking out the Dutchman and installing a Stack Pack. Seems like it would much easier to deal with that sailcover. I would appreciate any input from Stack Pack owners.

Henry
S/V Siboney
Bradenton FL

I made our stack pack with a kit from Sailrite with minor modifications. I put a pulley made out of flag halyard to the zipper along the top. The kit includes a dvd. It seemed a little daunting, but I approached the project as if eating an elephant one bite at a time and got it done. Sailrite has dvd sample on youtube. Here is pic of our boat with stackpack.

Dave602 · Apr 30, 2011

We have a stack pack on our 29.5. I wouldn't be with out one now. We love it. Much easier to handle the big sails when they drop right in. Just a little straightening and zip it up.

JustDucky · Apr 30, 2011

We had a Doyle Stack Pack on our Catalina 30 and loved it. It is now time to replace the main on our Hunter 37.5 and have placed an order with Doyle for a main with the Stack Pack.
We found the Duchman was fine on newer sails with the proper creases in the sail, but, not much help with the older sail. We tend the streach the life of the sail as much as possable.

Rick D · Apr 30, 2011

Stack-Pac

Henry, I'm older than you are and understand the issue. However, I took off my stack-pac (it was a UK varient) because the zipper was a continuous PITA, the leech of the sail still spilled over and it took heading very exactly into the wind to drop the sail without the battens hanging up. I went to a retractable lazy jack system that is more tolerable and I can use a standard sail cover.

Having said that, many people love them and it's the standard on the Med. Good luck whatever you decide.

PS: Marlyn says hello too and please pass our regards to Chachi.

Steve Dion · Apr 30, 2011

If cost is not a factor (about $100/ft of boom), the ??? Packs appear to be okay.

I have a regular Jax system on our Hunter Vision 36 (18.5' boom) and really do not like it but there are not many alternatives considering no topping lift. We have issues when raising the sail (no issues dropping it).

I don't like putting on the sail cover either but for $2,000 I will put up with the trouble.

Rick D · Apr 30, 2011

And, Henry...

...you could always figure on a rolling furling boom for $10K or so. While it may be expensive initially, I suspect you would recover a lot of the cost at resale.

Steve Dion · Apr 30, 2011

.... and Rick, they quoted me $15k for a roller furling boom.

PrincessoftheLake · Apr 30, 2011

I had a stack pack installed on my 1995 Hunter 40.5 three seasons ago and have never been sorry. Mine is a UK version and I am very happy with it. I love blowing the halyard and watching the main collapse into the bag and it's nice not wrestling with that monster of a sail cover. It was worth every penny.

Steve W · May 2, 2011

Elcriollo, you started your post complaining about the hassle of climbing up to the boom to tie on the sail ties and then zipping up the cover ( I assume the zippers are to accomodate the Dutchman mono-lines). You don't say how large a boat you've got but I had the Dutchman system 'till I installed the North Sails "Quickcover" (similar to the Doyle system).

I absolutely LOVE the system but I still have to reach up above the boom to grab the zipper at the mast end and then easing the main sheet to swing the boom to the side to be able to reach the aft end while standing on the coaming or something.

I absolutelyl love it but you should be aware that you still have to reach up to the boom and have access to the top from one end to the other.

Steve

bugsboat · May 2, 2011

I have looked at the Stack Pack for our Hunter 37.5, and think Sailrite has a great idea. I looked at the kit from Sailrite and seems to be complete. I plan on ordering the kit after the boat is in the water. The sail has the dutchman, but I am very unhappy with the dutchman. Seems the aft end of the sail always falls off the boom. The cross wake around our channel creates a dangerous problem of securing the sail as it is dropped.

Steve W · May 3, 2011

Bugs, if the aft end of the sail is falling off the boom it's possible you might not have the Dutchman system installed correctly. I had it on my other boat (an '81 Hunter 33) and my current boat came with it installed. The issue I had with my 376 is that there's so damn much mainsail that after dropping and pulling the clue out to flake it, it hung below the boom about 2-feet! I was wearing out the leather rub strip at the front of the dodger! So I went to the North Sails version which they call the "Quick Cover". They used my existing mail by just removing the bolt rope along the foot (the cover goes in the boom track) and turning it into a loose footed main. The bottom line is I love it!!!!!

Steve W · May 10, 2011

ecriollo, here's the link to the North "Quick Cover":

http://www.na.northsails.com/SAILCARE/SailCareServices/QuickCover/tabid/8724/Default.aspx

I'm not sure how the StackPack or Sailrite version is designed but the only modification to my main was removing the bolt rope along the foot and removing the sewn on pockets for the dutchman system. The bolt rope has to come off 'cause the Quick Cover goes in the track and the main becomes loose footed. The dutchman pockets came off only for "neatness" and I ended up selling the halyard clamps and pockets. The buyer got a nice dutchman system for $50 and only had to add the monofiliment lines...

Stack Pack Advise

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