main sail packing system

[bobmoho]

Looking at purchasing either a mack sail or Doyle stack pack system where the main is dropped into a fabric sail cover cloth and trough and wanting to know the pros and cons of each

[captain465]

I had my original main converted to a Doyle Stack pack.......very happy with it. Only one caveat though.........you should include all full battens in your plan. The sail will be much happier falling into the bag with full battens.

[colemj]

We have had both and they both work very well. Doyle makes two versions: the original StakPac and the Cradle Cover. We have the Cradle Cover on this boat and the Mack on our previous boat.

Advantage of the Mack is price and easier to stow against the boom when the sail is raised (if that is important to you) and it is not permanently connected to your sail.

Supposed advantage of the StakPac is that the membrane sewed to the sail pulls the canvas against the sail when raised and filled. This seems like a specious advantage to me, with several disadvantages of having the StakPac permanently connected to your sail outweighing it.

The advantages of the Cradle Cover is that it is not permanently connected to your sail and the lazy jacks are connected to full length rigid battens running fore and aft on each side of the opening. This makes for much neater and easier lowering of the sail into the pack vs. the Mack, and it contains the sail better. However, it is not as easily stowed against the boom when the sail is raised as the Mack and costs about twice as much.

Mark

[Sailorman375]

Almost any sail maker/canvas shop can make a "stack pack" type sail cover to use with lazy jacks. Cost much less than Doyle too.

[RolfP]

I know this is an old post, but want to comment on flacking my main. After I drop the main, I go to the END of the boom and pull the leach of the sail away from the mast in one foot sections on each side. Pulling it away from the mast along the length of the boom straightens it and flakes each section to one side or the other. As I move my way toward the mast I tie it up with a sail tie. By the time I get to the mast it's all on top of the boom, and I can alternate the luff, slug by slug.

I'm planning on a stak pack type arrangement for my new sail cover, we had it on our last boat and loved it. Very easy to manage the sail with the lazy jacks attached, though annoying to raise at times when the battens catch.

[knot smart]

I live in NJ and I met a little old man, retired, and likes to make covers ect, for a little extra $$$ . average cost for a cover is $250.. cant beat it.. and he doesn't care what color .. he stocks pretty much every color.. I just had him fix a head sail for me .. he cut out a 10 LF section of worn Dacron and put in a new piece , then stitched everywhere he thought the suncover needed it.. he charged me $50.. as soon as I get the mast up he'll be making a cover for me as well .. if you live far away you can email him the measurements and he'll mail it to you.. his name is sailor sam.. 732 495 18 nine two .. real nice guy, and I don't mind sending him the business.. the only down side is he'll talk your ear off... took me two hrs to pick up my sail... he'll BS all day .. I should have brought a lawn chair and a 6 pack

[JPA Cate]

Make sure it's still easy to get the reefing rings onto the horn with the "bag" up. Usually requires a cowl that goes around the mast over the top of the stowed sail, and connected to the "bag" with detachable plastic fittings like a two part belt buckle, and with the same plus velcro for the forward closure. A sailmaker made ours, and I love that you don't have to tie up the bunt of the sail, or tie the reefs in; the "bag" contains it all.