Older sailor needs sail cover advice

[RichandHelen]

We are buying a Tartan 4700 with a Park Ave boom and a conventionally raised mainsail with Lazy Jacks. The current main cover requires acrobatics to zip and unzip the integral cover. I have to unzip the Bimini connector (not yet installed in this photo. The boat now has a full Bimini with connector), move the massive boom to one side and stand on the cockpit coaming to attempt to unzip or resecure the cover. At the gooseneck end I have to climb several built in mast steps to secure fasteners over the leading edge of the mast. There has to be a less strenuous way to cover the main. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[rbk]

Stack pack. No affiliation, Doyle just has a good graphic depicting it.
https://www.doylesails.com/other/sai...ling/stackpack

[sailormed]

I beg to differ. Somebody still has to stand up to the level of the zipper to close it. And that is exactly the problem the OP has described.

[ullar]

Originally Posted by rbk

Stack pack. No affiliation, Doyle just has a good graphic depicting it.
https://www.doylesails.com/other/sai...ling/stackpack

What's so special with Stackpack? Still zipper to open and close.

[RichandHelen]

These gentlemen have nailed it. There is no difficulting "collecting" the dropped main in the huge trough that is the Park Ave boom. I don't need a Stack Pack (although the perfect flaking is cool). Likewise I am not in a position to spend thousands for an in-boom furler and toss this carbon-fiber boom.

[captain465]

I had a "STACKPACK" on my previous boat, a 38 ft center cockpit sloop, with a full bimini and dodger. A couple of small blocks amd a light line tied to the zipper allowed me to close the zipper from the end of the boom with minimal problems.

[steamgoat]

Check out the Sailrite video on making a stack pack, they show a way to pull the zip with a light line and pulleys. This could be led somewhere convenient.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by ullar

What's so special with Stackpack? Still zipper to open and close.

What I got from the OP it’s more the acrobatics required to fit and zip the cover not just standing and a SP eleiminates the fitting (rescueing) of said cover. Unless you’re suggesting he move to a 15k plus in boom firmer I don’t see you and sing anything constructive to his options

[Bill O]

Just delivered a boat w/a Selden type park avenue boom and what the OP described is exactly what we had to do to cover it w/the full bimini in place. Wasn't that big of a deal unless you are doing a lot of day sails.
Not really anyway around it with this style boom and don't think a stack pack would be much better besides only having 1 zipper instead of 2 to deal with the PA boom.


Bill O.

[rgleason]

This thread may be interesting but the OP should request the Moderators to move it from the OpenCPN thread to Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting

Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

The OP posted this incorrectly.

[psk125]

Makes me think of closing curtains in a hotel room. They attach a stick to the end of the curtain for you to pull. Would it be possible to pull the zipper open & shut with a stick from on deck? Start by experimenting with a 420 spinnaker pole, hooked onto the zipper, to see if the idea works. End fitting of the spinnaker pole would enable you to release the zipper when done. If the zipper is opened by pulling it forward, it should be easy to re-attach the pole when needed, or it could be left lashed to the mast. If the zipper opens by pulling it aft, getting the pole re-attached could be a problem. In that case, could you leave it lashed to the boom? Does this idea resolve any issues?

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by RichandHelen

We are buying a Tartan 4700 with a Park Ave boom and a conventionally raised mainsail with Lazy Jacks. The current main cover requires acrobatics to zip and unzip the integral cover. I have to unzip the Bimini connector (not yet installed in this photo. The boat now has a full Bimini with connector), move the massive boom to one side and stand on the cockpit coaming to attempt to unzip or resecure the cover. At the gooseneck end I have to climb several built in mast steps to secure fasteners over the leading edge of the mast. There has to be a less strenuous way to cover the main. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Attachment 181386

If you want to keep the boom, you're going to have to accept the strenuous way to cover the main. It is possible to have an extension on the zipper pull: in our case, we use light line (3mm), and you could probably figure out a light weight , detachable "wand" to extend it, a little more.

For the forward edge of the cover, you could add velcro, and and extension so that it overlaps at the front, but you can hold onto a halyard, or a new hand hold with one hand, and push the velcro together with the other. It would be good to also have the snap together buckles, for a mechanical back up to the velcro. I would want to hold on with my less dominant hand, and do the connecting with my dominant one, so you want to work out which side overlaps the other for you.

It is one of the problems with big boats that if you are not also big enough, it is very awkward to do things like getting the sail covers on and off, and the main halyard on and off, as well.

Good luck with it.

Ann