lazy jack support block location

scosch · #1 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

Im adding lazy jacks to my CD 30. Ive read all the posts I could find and can see there are a lot of variations on the theme. I want to diy. Better, I think, and definitely cheaper.
Question. Most suggest putting the main support block about 70-75% the distance up the mast between the masthead and boom gooseneck. Some suggest its good to put it under the spreader about 6-8 away from mast to minimize chafe and noise of lines on mast. Both these conditions can be met with double spreaders.
My boat has single spreaders about half way between gooseneck and masthead. So with a 30' luff length, that puts the main block only about 15-16' above the gooseneck. Will this angle create problems or should I go ahead and mount the block to the mast above the spreaders.
And if one puts the main block on the mast above the spreaders, isnt it going to chafe on the spreader on the way down?
Seems like most the angular issues occur up high and by the time you get down near the boom, where its most important, theres not much difference.

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by scosch

Im adding lazy jacks to my CD 30. Ive read all the posts I could find and can see there are a lot of variations on the theme. I want to diy. Better, I think, and definitely cheaper.
Question. Most suggest putting the main support block about 70-75% the distance up the mast between the masthead and boom gooseneck. Some suggest its good to put it under the spreader about 6-8 away from mast to minimize chafe and noise of lines on mast. Both these conditions can be met with double spreaders.
My boat has single spreaders about half way between gooseneck and masthead. So with a 30' luff length, that puts the main block only about 15-16' above the gooseneck. Will this angle create problems or should I go ahead and mount the block to the mast above the spreaders.
And if one puts the main block on the mast above the spreaders, isnt it going to chafe on the spreader on the way down?
Seems like most the angular issues occur up high and by the time you get down near the boom, where its most important, theres not much difference.

When I setup the new lazy jacks on my boat, I wrote about it here. The line doesn't chafe much on the spreader because of the angles involved and the padeye for the block should be towards the aft side of the mast.

You can see the setup in this image:

gc1111 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

Draw it out to scale and look at it. There is a lot of flexibility in where things are located and if it looks right it will probably work. Sure it will chafe and bang against the mast also, but external halyards have been doing that for centuries.

Faster · #4 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

One of the neat things about setting up the lazy jacks from a spreader a few inches off the mast is that it greatly eases the sometimes difficult job of threading the mast-mounted lazyjack lines during a hoist. The flogging headboard can quite easily snag one of the lines on the way by... something that's hard to see if lines are led aft and you're under a dodger during the hoist. (one reason to stop if things suddenly seem harder than usual....and to be at the mast during the hoist so you can see things like this developing...)

T37Chef · #5 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

FWIW, I installed mine on the underside of the spreader about 6" from the mast and it works well, but then I have only a single spreader rig. Also, its a ez jax, not lazy jax but much the same thing with more versatility IMO.

scosch · #6 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

So the extra opening up of the upper part of the jack system by mounting the blocks on the spreaders isnt that critical? It doesnt make that much difference to the hanging up of battens? Or does all the cussing about battens getting caught mostly occur on raising the main and that problem doesnt exist if we use a jack system that is pulled foreward and out of the way except to drop the main.
And SD, do you think your design turned out to work as well, if not better, than any others youve encountered?

scosch · #7 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

So, Faster and T37Chef, your main blocks are on the spreaders and roughly halfway between the masthead and the gooseneck and you have no problems, that you know of, with that angle being different than the usual recommendation?

T37Chef · #8 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

Scosch,

Yes, spreaders, about 6" from the mast, and yes, the spreaders a little less than halfway.

The EZ Jax (E-Z-JAX Systems) are stowed away when raising the main, and deployed when lowering so the battens catching the jax is not an issue, although I have left them deployed when raising with little problems, but they do catch if your not fast raising the sail

I cant speak to the lazy jax, but all is working well with the ezjax.
(sorry I don't have any pics of it)

Faster · #9 (**permalink**) 03-30-2009

Actually ours are mast mounted, I was making the poiint that spreader mounted kinda makes more sense.

That said, however, we only deploy our lazy jacks during the douse of the main, and stow them off the boom at all other times. Ours are upper half line, lower half bungee cord. Aside from deploying them being one other pre-douse chore, I like the lack of chafe and interference doing it this way.