Question for Giulietta - and may be others

[ref_123]

Hi Alex,

cannot help but notice that your beatiful boat has a set of lazy jacks and a stack-pack-like deivice... I am thinking about one, but keep hearing that batens are often catching on the lazy jacks lines, so hoisting main is a hassle in any kind of breeze. What's your experience, and, more importantly, what's your Admiral's experience with the setup?

Thanks in advance,
Stan

[Giulietta]

It does indeed catch up in the lines, if you let it...but you can get by by having the boat pointing nicely into the wind, and coordinating the pull on the halyard with the time the battens stay in the middle..almost like a coreographed gest...I am so used to it, I never snag.

It's not big of a deal, you get used to it, and to be honest the problem it causes is way offset by the ease it provides..

I do it on my own alone, with no problems whatsoever, I say go for it, really...it's just a little annoyance that you must remember but can learnm to cope with..

Both my wife and my son hoist the main without any problem, one watches, the other one pulls...for my wife, the "other" system is much more complicated..the sail doesn't flake that good, its like plastic as she says, it lies on the boom, and I keep removing it...ehehehe

The lazt bag and cruisng sail is a warm welcome for her

Alex

[Giulietta]

forgot to tell you..the solution for NO snag, is to have the line that hangs the other lines as high as possible, this way, the lower loops are out of the way of the battens, and the top one is so near the mast, the batten passes thru it easily.
And the lower ones as low as possible.

I see a lot of production boats with the lazy bag lines so badly rigged I find it hard to understand what goes in their minds..

[ref_123]

Great info! Thanks Alex.

[jorgenl]

Alex,

Question: Have you got Harken Batt cars or similar installed?

I also have lazy's - it is all about the timing on my boat, when the battens are centered - pull fast.

/J

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by jorgenl

Alex,

Question: Have you got Harken Batt cars or similar installed?

I also have lazy's - it is all about the timing on my boat, when the battens are centered - pull fast.

/J

Jorge, no..

All I have is simple teflon slides...I like my main sails as close and tight to the mast as possible, to increase sail efficiency.

My slides are pretty good and fast...the slides you talk about are often seen on cruisers and such.

[jorgenl]

OK,

makes sense.

I did not realize that the Harkens would reduce sail area that much.

Edited: maybe not sail area- is it the gap between the mast and the sail that matters? Air flow?

To a rookie they seem to be a nice thing on a big main sail.

Sorry for the minor hi-jack.

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by jorgenl

OK,

makes sense.

I did not realize that the Harkens would reduce sail area that much.

Edited: maybe not sail area- is it the gap between the mast and the sail that matters? Air flow?

To a rookie they seem to be a nice thing on a big main sail.

Sorry for the minor hi-jack.

No problem..Hyjack at will.I think the OP had his question answered...

In a way it does reduce sail area, but it's minimal...you are right..airflow disturbance and weird mast effects on the wind spilling rear of the mast..

I want my sails as close and tight as possible..see..I really do worry about these little things..but you add "little things" here and there, then you can sail at 12 knots...

[jorgenl]

I'd have to add a lot of little things to sail at 12 knots - such as 15 feet of water line or 1 (maybe 2?) extra hulls;

Thanks for the explanation, I am a wannabe racer and this stuff helps gives me a better understanding.

BTW - do you ever sleep or are you on our side of the water?

[Giulietta]

on your side of the water, 6000 plus miles south of New York...almost near the Horn...as we speak