Mainsail cover w LazyJacks Attached?

[sailingdog]

The StackPack is integrated into the sail, and what Giu has is not. His is a separate sail cover/lazyjack system that mounts to the boom. Not the same thing at all, even though functionally they're almost identical.

[Quickstep192]

Denise,

I made one for my boat a few years back. Since I have a loose footed main, I sewed a bolt rope into the bottom of the cover and it slides into the track on the boom. Mine does not attach to the lazy jacks. the lazy jacks just contain it. I've also modified it over the years. I initially designed it so I could remove it once the sail was up. This works reasonably well. Like the others mine has a zipper that runs the length. I'd unzip that, raise the sail and then silde the cover out of the boom. This was great, but getting it back in while alone and with the sail up was occasionally a hassle. I also discovered that in this configuration it haled rainwater quite well. So, I added what looks like reef points at each place where the cover intersects the lazy jack. With that, I can roll the cover up and tie it to the lazy jack using the line that looks like a reef point. This way the cover is still on, but it's not flapping around. Also the grommets where those lines are lets the water drain.

That works for me. I'd urge you to design your own based on what you want from it.

[deniseO30]

ah ha! much to consider! thanks everyone!

[chef2sail]

Thanks GIU

[Marcvet]

I'm looking at going with either the Stack Pack by Doyle or the or the Quick Cover by North. The big difference seems to be that the sail cover on the QC slides on to the boom whereas the sail cover on the SP is sewn on the main.
Are either of these methods better than the other? I was worried that where the cover is sewn on the main it might actually weaken the material of the main.

[bubb2]

Originally Posted by Marcvet

I was worried that where the cover is sewn on the main it might actually weaken the material of the main.

Have you really taken a look at the construction of a mainsail? It takes hundred of thousands of stitches to assemble one, as they are made out of panels. This would not be one of my worries!

[sailingdog]

I'm not a big fan of the Doyle StackPack, since it is sewn to the sail. IMHO, it doesn't make sense to have the sail cover sewn to the sail... if you damage the main sail and have to replace it, if the stackpack is sewn to the sail, you either have to pay someone to remove it and re-attach it to the new sail or you have to buy a new one...