Are Lazy Jacks 'Hip' ?

[savoir]

You don't need to use a spreader at all. Drill your mast roughly half way up and mount a ferruled saddle or small padeye on each side. Ignore what the riggers tell you. There is no need for pulleys anywhere in the system.

As for the lower rope joins you can also use SS thimbles. They are no better than the Antal ones but they are cheaper. If you want to store the lines on the mast then you could use plastic thimbles which won't clang on the mast.

By small padeye I mean these things.

[Pblais]

Could you elaborate on that. I just ordered Lazy jacks from Hood Sails and will have to use the first spreader as its my only one.

You want the jacks high enough to keep the upper batten inline and not flopping about. It could foul in the upper lines and so make it hard to bring down the sail. Only to a middle spreader would not be high enough. You need it well past the upper most batten when the sail is fully raised.

You always head to wind to raise or lower the main but in a stiff wind the sail will flop back and forth. Mostly the snagging is when initially raising and the middle battens need to clear the jack lines on the way up. I only have one batten I have to watch out for and so time it going up. Coming down usually isn't the problem if you have them high enough. I've never had a problem coming down.