Getting the main sail to drop into a lazy jack's pack

[richbeck]

Change to a gaff rig and your problem is solved!

[Draughty]

Hi,
After tinkering around with this issue on my mono (12m, 42 sqm main) I finished up with all (5) full length battens with Rutgerson batt cars and intermediate cars. Works like a charm. The Rutgerson stuff is cheap as chips compared to others and uses your existing track. (various car configurations available)
Rgds

[JPA Cate]

barnakiel mentioned "silly spinnaker halyard escapes." We tie stopper knots in the tails of our lines that we don't want to escape. On our boat, most go through rope clutches, so the knot will stop close to hand, where it may be cut if necessary.

I let the main halyard on Jim's Yankee 30 escape in Hawaii. Don't ever want to let that happen again!

Ann

[Tanqueray]

Originally Posted by billdre

So I just installed a UK Sailmakers Lazy Cradle. It's lazy jacks with an integrated sail cover at the base. It's similar to a Mack Pack in that the sail and cradle are completely separate. Not a Doyle Stackpack. My main sail has two full battens up top and then two traditional battens lower. I'd like to be able to drop the whole thing into the bag or as close to it as possible without having to go forward and pull it down. Has anyone succeeded in doing that without installing a down haul? Yes, I'm headed directly into the wind when I release the main halyard. With two full battens and a traditional track it only comes down about half way on its own. Any suggestions?

I installed a new full batten main and the Tides Marine Strong track. My main falls pretty well, but I still need to tuck the sail into the cover some. I think once my sail is a bit crinkled and wrinkled, it may fall into the bag better...it is pretty stiff right now.

But I love the MackPack and Lazy Jacks. I installed it shortly after I bought the boat and had the sail spill all over the cockpit.

My old boat (Hunter 280) also had lazy jacks (but a regular sail cover). It also had full battens and Harkin Batt cars. That sail would drop completely onto the boom.

Greg

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

...We tie stopper knots in the tails of our lines that we don't want to escape. On our boat, most go through rope clutches, so the knot will stop close to hand, where it may be cut if necessary.

Doesn't everybody?

Another little trick for lines that have a habit of trying to escape - put the stopper knot a metre / few feet from the end, so that there is still some tail left to pull on when the stopper is against the clutch, block, sheave, etc.

[barnakiel]

Our tails are very very long. No way to escape then.


Meanwhile, at the other end, the one that was 5 seconds ago shackled into the headboard .....







b.