Do Lazy Jacks require a new sail cover?

[tominny]

I am thinking about lazy jacks, but the way it looks to me I would also have to make modifications to the sail cover. Is that correct?

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by tominny

I am thinking about lazy jacks, but the way it looks to me I would also have to make modifications to the sail cover. Is that correct?

Some are adjustable and can hook to the front of the boom when not in use. That way you can stow them inside the sail cover after you have tied up the sail. Not the most convenient, but it can be done without cover modification.

Product Photos: JIFFYJAX - The Fast Sail-Flaking System!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Opie91

Some are adjustable and can hook to the front of the boom when not in use. That way you can stow them inside the sail cover after you have tied up the sail. Not the most convenient, but it can be done without cover modification.

Product Photos: JIFFYJAX - The Fast Sail-Flaking System!

That is my prefered setup. The lazy jacks are needed to lower the sail. They are a PITA when raising the sail. I only have them in place when lowering the main.



The lazyjacks are stowed under the cleats just under the gooseneck.

I really dislike stack packs which prevent lazyjacks from being stowed. The battens get fouled regularly. The main halyard can also get easily fouled.

[roverhi]

Keep the lazy jacks stowed against the mast until I need them to drop the main. Don't need to modify the mainsail cover with the Jacks stowed against the mast. The sail cover I have was designed for Lazy Jacks with velcro closed openings for the lines. Tried to use it once with the Lazy Jacks deployed but it was such a hassle never did it again.

[jeepbluetj]

I find it far less hassle to stow the jacks after dropping the main than to drop the main without them.

As previously mentioned: if they're stowed, they don't mess up raising the main.

One of the best things I ever did to the boat was install easy jacks.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by tominny

I am thinking about lazy jacks, but the way it looks to me I would also have to make modifications to the sail cover. Is that correct?

Tom, your question has been pretty well answered. The answer depends on whether you want to continue to use the old sail cover. If you do, then you will want to have figured out a way to lower the lazy jacks and store them on the mast. You can leave them handy (like jackdale), or make a rope bag to stow them in, if you prefer.

If you want a stack-pack, yes, then you'll need a new sail cover.

Ann

[colemj]

I don't think the sail cover modifications are too difficult. You just need to cut and edge a some slots where the jack lines are.

For making the sail easier to raise without removing the lazy jacks, move the mast pulleys out to halfway out the spreaders. This opens the gap quite a bit - particularly where the first couple of battens usually catch.

Mark

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by colemj

I don't think the sail cover modifications are too difficult. You just need to cut and edge a some slots where the jack lines are.

For making the sail easier to raise without removing the lazy jacks, move the mast pulleys out to halfway out the spreaders. This opens the gap quite a bit - particularly where the first couple of battens usually catch.

Good ideas.

Or try this:

Lazy Jack Trick
Many folks complain about full battens getting caught up when raising the mainsail. They then spend a lot of time moving BOTH sides of the lazy jacks to the mast.

We developed an easier way with our lazy jacks.

We have a small cleat on the forward starboard side of the boom. When we put the halyard on the headboard, we move ONLY the starboard side of the lazy jacks forward and snug them under the forward side of the horn of this cleat.

Then, when we raise the mainsail, instead of going exactly head to wind, we bear off a tad to starboard so the wind is coming from the port side of the bow.

We then raise the mainsail and it doesn't get hooked on the lazy jacks even though the port side jacks are still there.

Been working for 16 years.

Yes, we have to go forward again to unhook the starboard lazy jack for dousing the sail if I forget to do it right when the main is raised, but there's never any hurry. The drill is: after the main is raised, I unhook that starboard lazy jack, so they're both ready to go when we drop the sails at the end of the day.

So, for those of you with lazy jacks, consider doing only one side.

Your boat, your choice.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Tom, your question has been pretty well answered. The answer depends on whether you want to continue to use the old sail cover. If you do, then you will want to have figured out a way to lower the lazy jacks and store them on the mast. You can leave them handy (like jackdale), or make a rope bag to stow them in, if you prefer.

If you want a stack-pack, yes, then you'll need a new sail cover.

Ann

Ann, actually there are ways around this, & it IS possible to keep the same cover, sans having to lead them forward all of the time.. Or so it was when I built some laxy jacks on the cheap.

On my first boat, a Ranger 33', I spliced up a custom set which were (semi) permanently installed. Meaning that I never even bothered to pull them forward, although they could be.
Their terminal ends went to cleats on the spar, & they were led through blocks on the (single) spreaders. With their lower ends tied to several padeyes which I screwed to the underside of the boom.

The cover fit just fine with them in place, albeit, it was easier to fit it with them slightly loosened. And they ran up to the spreaders, around the covered, flaked & lashed main, in exactly the same fashion which they stayed, & were used, when hoisting & dropping the sail, as well as when under sail.
Actually, the only time which they were ever fully tightened was once the main was covered & put to bed. Otherwise, they were left loose enough to hoist & drop the main, & so not to interfere with it's draft shape, under sail.

I suppose that in time, there would have been chafing issues on the sail cover, but aside from that hypothetical, they worked idyllically. The trick to their being snag free on the hoist & the drop was that I spliced their multiple parts in a gentle, "concave" curve, from boom end towards the spreaders. And I kept each section low enough & far enough forward to avoid fouling any battens.
- IIRC, on a 12' or so boom, there were 6 sections/legs, spliced into 3 legs higher up. Each with a forward cant, & spliced into the main line, leading up to the spreaders. With the tallest leg being perhaps 2/3 - 3/4 of the spreader height.

If you're up for an afternoon of splicing, over a few pints of ale, it's easy work, & other than requiring a good eye for design, no planning's required. Their biggest drawback was that had I ever wanted to fly a trysail, they'd have been in the way. But then, so are many others, & few are anything which a knife wont fix in 90 sec or less.
But she was a SoCal boat, & thus I fretted naught over the idea of such a conflict.

It's an educated guess, but part of my impetuous for their design may have come from one of Dan Spurr's books. The Sailor's Sketchbook perhaps? Although I knew from the start, after seeing them on some of my neighbor's boats how handy they'd be. And given that the West Marine kits for them were like $150 or something equally stupid, in 1992. I ponied up $35 for the; padeyes, screws, blocks, line, & a 6-pack, & got to work.

With a set of good ones, you can just let go of the main halyard, & the sail lands on the boom, flaking it'self along the way. Which really helps, if you give the chore of dousing the main to a total novice.


PS: The blocks on the spreaders were set perhaps 10" out from the spar. Also, if building jax like this now, it'd be a simple matter to sew anti-chafe strips onto the sail cover in the appropriate places. Be they doubled canvas patches of the same color, leather strips, or nylon or spectra webbing.

[UNCIVILIZED]

BTW, if the ends of the jax are tied to the underside of the boom, then you have the advantage of being able to "tune" the height of the upper part of the system so as to prevent/minimize the snagging of the mainsail on the jax. And once you're happy with their height, then the bottom ends can be properly finished off... or, purposely left long, to be used as "sail ties". With their bitter ends tucked up between the boom, & the falls of the next leg of the jax, when not in use.

[JPA Cate]

Tominny didn't tell us a whole lot about how tall is his mast, how much sail he needs to corral. I think if it is a smaller boat, the whole issue is easier. Definitely if you re-use the mainsail cover, it may need chafe strips.

Ann