Opinions on Lazy Jacks

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by mlibkind

I'm 5'7" and I have not found a stack pack that I can reach into in order to attach the halyard to the sail. One boat has a step on the mast which gets me up enough to reach into the stack pack, but with one had holding me upright, it is near impossible to connect the halyard with one hand.

I've sailed a Wilderness 40 with a retractable lazy jack system and was totally impressed. Retracting insured that there was no hang up on raising the sail. It was easy to flake the sail before retracting the lazy jack.

Marcus

I was going to say that it sounds like you've been trying to reach the headboard with the lazy jack deployed. But then you hit the nail on the head.

I think a couple of post have touched on it, but it's not stack pack (type sail covers) vs. lazy jacks. Stack packs are sail covers with integrated lazy jacks. And any lazy jack set up that is permanently deployed is just not properly set up in my book.

I have a custom made "stack pack" (with stowable lazy jacks of course), loose footed sail and 2 point jiffy reefing from the cockpit. Does it do magic ? No. I don't do push button sailing. Sometime I have to actually go up and handle things. couldn't be happier

[savoir]

The system shown in post #1 will work OK, but is a little OTT in the hardware department. Blocks = extra weight and $$$ for no benefit. SS thimbles are lighter, cheaper and will work just as well.

[roverhi]

I made up lazy jacks using the illustration on the yellow graph paper in this link Lazy Jacks. Instead of blocks, just used brass rings except for the mast halyard cheek blocks.

They've worked great single handing. I just have to loose the halyard and the sail drops and stays gathered on the boom by the Lazy Jacks and I can proceed on into the slip. They make flaking the sail and stowing it a piece of cake. Since they really don't have any use except for lowering the sail, I only deploy them to lower the sail. The rest of the time they are stowed against the mast.

[Factor]

I have a stack pack - its great - wouldnt own a boat without it. As well as ease of handling, when doing a longish run it takes 30 seconds to loosen the lines and tie them forward and put a couple of straps round the bag, no chafe and really quick to have out again.

Did I say I love it?

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Since they really don't have any use except for lowering the sail, I only deploy them to lower the sail. The rest of the time they are stowed against the mast.

So many of the complaints seem to come from people trying to raise the sail with them deployed. They are great when you know
1)why
2)when
3)how

[Peggy]

Could someone explain what is a stack pack and a Dutchman's? I was about to install lazy jacks (single hander, large main) with about a foot of netting above the boom to better contain the sail. I'd like to consider other options as well.

[Minggat]

Try here.
Doyle Sailmakers: StackPack

or
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ers-46168.html

And this should show you the Dutchman system
The Dutchman Sail Flaking System

[mlibkind]

I agree that a lazy jack and stack pack are two different animals used for different purposes.

What I was trying to say is that I liked retractable lazy jacks, but I didn't like stack packs because of the difficulty not only of reaching the headboard, but also even zipping it up.

I brought this up because in a previous response there was praise for stack packs (as a sail cover) and I wanted short people like me to know that there is a down side.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Minggat

I was going to say that it sounds like you've been trying to reach the headboard with the lazy jack deployed. But then you hit the nail on the head.

I think a couple of post have touched on it, but it's not stack pack (type sail covers) vs. lazy jacks. Stack packs are sail covers with integrated lazy jacks. And any lazy jack set up that is permanently deployed is just not properly set up in my book.

I have a custom made "stack pack" (with stowable lazy jacks of course), loose footed sail and 2 point jiffy reefing from the cockpit. Does it do magic ? No. I don't do push button sailing. Sometime I have to actually go up and handle things. couldn't be happier

[swagman]

If you're not tall enough to sort out a sail dropped into a stack pack, how are you going to flake a sail onto the same height boom, or place a sail cover over the flaked sail?

Anyway - they are all tall in my family.

At 5' 8" I had to carry a fold-flat stool so I could get up to sort out badly dropped sail into our stackpack / lazy jack set up.

Also had a few folding mast steps to allow me to get up the headboard which with a 25 metre mast and mainsail track, was perhaps 15' off the deck.

But one has to cope somehow, and this all worked really well for us.

Having a stackpack and lazyjacks gave us the ability to drop the main in an instant before heading in, neaning we always gained lots of extra time at the dock to climb around making it all neat and tidy - but after we'd tied up and not when bouncing around on the ocean.

If I had to do it again, I'd install exactly the same set up. And provided you can hold the boat head to wind OK whilst the main goes up real quick, we never had any issues leaving our lazyjacks deployed full time.

Cheers
JOHN

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Vasco

I really like lazy jacks but if I had to do it over I'd get a stack-pack. Just drop the sail and zip it up (if it's installed correctly). Since you need a sail cover too why don't you go for the stack-pack.

WOOPS ! I didn't look at the date of the first post!

Del,
I could have typed the previous quote.
Stop by and I'd be happy to give you the 5 cent tour.
I love my homemade version of the Stackpack.

[rebel heart]

My friend has lazy jacks and it took a while to get the batten to not snag on them. I don't have them. I like the concept, but the more crap I put up in the air the better chance it will foul on something so I try to cut down on lines aloft. Seems to be something short handed crews dig or basically people who don't want to wrestle a pig in mud when a big ass sail comes down.

I think I just have other stuff to worry about aside from those, but like I said my friend has them and likes them once he figured out the positioning as to not snag on the battens.

[billyehh]

Absolutely. A stackpack and lazy jacks are a Godsend when you are singlehandling or shorthanded. It took a while to figure out the correct opening for the stack pack using the tension on the lazy jacks and the topping lift which attached to the stack pack battens. Now the only time I have problems is if the wind is extemely shifty. If there is room I usually raise the main at anchor. On a Voyage 38 cat it is a large heavy sail.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Instead of blocks, just used brass rings except for the mast halyard cheek blocks.

They've worked great single handing. I just have to loose the halyard and the sail drops and stays gathered on the boom by the Lazy Jacks and I can proceed on into the slip. They make flaking the sail and stowing it a piece of cake. Since they really don't have any use except for lowering the sail, I only deploy them to lower the sail. The rest of the time they are stowed against the mast.

This post is a bit old but I'll update my decision.
The quote is basically what I've done but with SS rings and I stow against the boom.
The pictures below are the set up except I added a forth leg farther aft on the boom the next year. There wasn't enough support for the roach of a full batten sail. It kept trying to fall off the boom but works fine now.

When raising the sail the lazy jacks are stowed. Unless I'm in light air the upper battens do try to hang up on the L-jack lines.

I use 5 sail ties to hold the sail on the boom and when raising the sail I only remove the 3 most forward ties until the sail is starting to pull on the forth one, then I'll remove the last two. This keeps the sail and all the reefing lines out of the cockpit for the most part.

A stack pack would be nice but will not work the way I have this loose-footed sail rigged. It would be in the way for down wind runs and the reefing lines.

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by mlibkind

I agree that a lazy jack and stack pack are two different animals used for different purposes.

What I was trying to say is that I liked retractable lazy jacks, but I didn't like stack packs because of the difficulty not only of reaching the headboard, but also even zipping it up.

I brought this up because in a previous response there was praise for stack packs (as a sail cover) and I wanted short people like me to know that there is a down side.

Cheers.

Not sure who you're agreeing with. I don't feel like they are two different animals. A Stack Pack is a sail cover with integrated lazy jacks.

if you haven't already, try a long tail on the zipper slider. Makes a big diff.

I'm only 1 inch taller, so maybe your setup (boom maybe?) starts out higher.

[EZSailor]

Lots of people discuss raising the sail with a lazy jack. Never had any problems with that but I do find it difficult to drop the sail. I have full battened sail and when I drop it the first or second battens bend and prevent the sail dropping all the way I usually have to pull it down by hand. Not always pleasant in choppy areas or solo.
Anyone has experienced similar problems and had an idea?