[kmdudley7]

I did see a post on here somewhere about lazy jacks. Well just want to give my 2 cents worth. I bought our hunter back in DEC 08, and necer used the lazy jacks until a week or so.. My 2 cents worth?? Thsy worked great for dropping the main, as far as raising the main?? Fu;; length battens hanging up on spreaders. So any way I like my lazy jacks for raising..
Marky

 

[T37Chef]

I agree, except that a system in which the jacks can be stowed when raising the main are even better, such as E-Z-JAX Systems

From their website:
The patented E-Z-JAX sail control system retracts neatly and easily below the boom when you are not using it. Most lazy jacks are designed to be left up all the time. Why is this unique feature so important?

- Eliminates chafing - Your E-Z-JAX doesn't touch the sail while you are sailing.

- No sail or sail cover modifications - Your E-Z-JAX will fit neatly under your existing sail cover.

- Eliminates battens catching - Leave the E-Z-JAX retracted when raising your sail, no problem.

- No interference with awnings - The retracted E-Z-JAX is out of the way for above-boom awnings.

The E-Z-JAX System has up to 4 lines on each side of the boom, depending on boom length. Most lazy jacks have only 2 or 3.

MORE LINES = BETTER CONTROL

 

[GoslingNY]

I've built quite a few lazyjacks using 1/8" Amsteel with no blocks except for a couple of cheeks on the mast. They are easily deployed and when not being used, bundle up to the mast so they are out of the way.

If interested, pm me with an email address and I'll send a sketch along.

Cheers,

MikeR

I agree, except that a system in which the jacks can be stowed when raising the main are even better, such as E-Z-JAX Systems

From their website:
The patented E-Z-JAX sail control system retracts neatly and easily below the boom when you are not using it. Most lazy jacks are designed to be left up all the time. Why is this unique feature so important?

- Eliminates chafing - Your E-Z-JAX doesn't touch the sail while you are sailing.

- No sail or sail cover modifications - Your E-Z-JAX will fit neatly under your existing sail cover.

- Eliminates battens catching - Leave the E-Z-JAX retracted when raising your sail, no problem.

- No interference with awnings - The retracted E-Z-JAX is out of the way for above-boom awnings.

The E-Z-JAX System has up to 4 lines on each side of the boom, depending on boom length. Most lazy jacks have only 2 or 3.

MORE LINES = BETTER CONTROL

 

[jackdale]

Let me second (third) those who recommend stowing lazy jacks when not in use. Most of the lazy jacks systems I use will stow. There are some badly designed built-in sail covers that make this impossible. If I had them on a boat I would modifying the system.

Jack

 

[bubb2]

I did see a post on here somewhere about lazy jacks. Well just want to give my 2 cents worth. I bought our hunter back in DEC 08, and necer used the lazy jacks until a week or so.. My 2 cents worth?? Thsy worked great for dropping the main, as far as raising the main?? Fu;; length battens hanging up on spreaders. So any way I like my lazy jacks for raising..
Marky

If your battens are hanging up on your SPREADERS, I don't think your problem is your lazy jacks. Try putting the bow into the wind!

 

[knothead]

I've built quite a few lazyjacks using 1/8" Amsteel with no blocks except for a couple of cheeks on the mast. They are easily deployed and when not being used, bundle up to the mast so they are out of the way.

If interested, pm me with an email address and I'll send a sketch along.

Cheers,

MikeR

It's nice to see another rigger around these parts.

I make my lazy jack systems either from 1/4" or 5/16" double braid dacron.
I've never seen any reason to make them from hi tech line.
Depending on the size of the boat, I will make a three, four or five drop system.
I use the "halyard" or "adjustable" portion of the system for the forward most drop. The "halyard is made long enough so that it can be eased so that the system can be retracted to lay along the boom and mast. Usually the retracted system can be hooked under the winches or reef hooks. No sail cover modification need be made.
I will usually splice the eyes around stainless steel or nylon thimbles. I choose thimbles that are small enough that the diameter of the line prevents the thimble from being able to contact the sail. Should they be left deployed. Sometimes I will just seize the line around the thimble if the line is particularly difficult to splice. A proper seizing is plenty strong enough.
Whenever possible, I will attach the lazy jacks to the bottom of the spreaders. About a foot out from the mast. This gives you a vee that allows the headboard and battens a little more room than using cheek blocks attached to the mast.
There are instances where it's not a good idea to use the spreader but usually it's no problem. You don't want to be supporting the weight of the boom with them anyway.

For the drops, I usually use a single eye strap fastened to the bottom of the boom and passing the lines under the boom, I tie one side to the other using a carefully adjusted clove hitch. That way the lines always pull on each other rather than pulling on the eye strap.
For the "halyard" drop, I will usually use a pair of small plastic horn cleats attached on either side of the boom about two feet aft of the gooseneck.

I hope that all makes sense. I just made and installed a four drop system Thursday. I can take a couple of pictures of it on Monday if anyone wants.

 

[sailingdog]

I made up new lazy jacks and a quick mainsail furling system for my boat and wrote about it here. The lazy jacks are long enough that they can be stowed when not in use.

 

[knothead]

I answered a PM asking a few further questions.
In case anyone else had the same questions, here's what I wrote.

I'll take a few pictures and post them to the same thread when I get to work on Monday. I have never figured out how to attach photos to PM's.

I usually use some adhesive lined heat shrink tubing over the seizing when I don't splice.

(On figuring out the lengths)

Don't over think the process.
On a three drop system, you want the eye on the "halyard" drop to be as high as is practical. Close to the spreader.
The way I usually do it is to mock it up on the boat.
Make up a "mock" system by tying bowlines, using a piece long enough to serve as the "halyard" drop, around a piece of old line long enough to reach from the spreaders to the two after most positions on the boom, doubled, . Then just throw the "halyard" drop over the spreaders from the deck. Set it up and then carefully retract the system. Tie some knots or apply some black tape at the appropriate spots and you have your lengths. Make the halyard a little long if you're in doubt.

 

[TejasSailer]

We have ez-jax and have them deployed when rising the sail, especially when reefed rather than tying off the sail via the reef points. To avoid catching the battens, we attach a shock cord from the top ez-jax rings to the shrouds that hold the ez-jax lines out a bit away from the mast. The only disadvantage seems to be restricting the deployment of the sail down wind in light air, which is easily remedied by loosing the ez-jax.

 

[kmdudley7]

If your battens are hanging up on your SPREADERS, I don't think your problem is your lazy jacks. Try putting the bow into the wind!

HAHAHHA bubb I got ya. I meant my lines in jacks system not my spreaders. Mine are out of way when not in use cleated to the boom. TRhey came with the boat not sure which brand they are but they look just like all the other 3 line systems I have seen here.
marky

 

[kmdudley7]

Geez Was I drinking when I wrote that topic?? (havent had a drop in 7 months) I was trying tp say, not good for raising but GREAT for lowering main neatly..
Marky

 

[knothead]

Here's the photo's I promised. Only a day late.
Check out the LED spreader lights we installed. They draw 1 amp each. The customer is really happy. Says they light up the deck like daylight. (his words) I haven't seen them at night.

 

[bljones]

Those maybe the most expensive lazyjacks ever installed, once you factor in the cost of renting that big crane.

But I am glad to see you work safe, knotty.

 

[knothead]

Those maybe the most expensive lazyjacks ever installed, once you factor in the cost of renting that big crane.

But I am glad to see you work safe, knotty.

Actually, we used that crane for a long time when we were on that side of the creek. We have since moved and bought our own. It's even bigger.

All the one shown does anymore is screw up my pictures and act like a big windvane. It's gonna rust away and fall down someday.

 

[sailingdog]

I hope your boat isn't under it when it falls over...

Actually, we used that crane for a long time when we were on that side of the creek. We have since moved and bought our own. It's even bigger.

All the one shown does anymore is screw up my pictures and act like a big windvane. It's gonna rust away and fall down someday.

 

[chef2sail]

Our lazy jacks are made to be clipped to the mast when not in use. On our way in before dropping the sail it is and easy to procedure to go to the mast and clip them under 3 slips on both sides of the boom.

No special sail cover or worry about the battens hanging up in them when raising the sail this way.

Dave

 

[Cande]

Thank you, T37 Chef!
My husband and I have just purchased a J37C, and took it out for the first time yesterday. Found lowering the mainsail difficult-- it's big and heavy (compared to the Ranger 28 we're used to). So we're going to research Lazyjacks, or a similar system. What do you suggest? We don't want to sacrifice speed, nor do we wish to put excessive wear on the sail. But it was really tricky to get it down neatly. We're located in Ithaca, NY, on Cayuga Lake, at Treman Marina.
Cande

 

[dhays]

Thank you, T37 Chef! My husband and I have just purchased a J37C, and took it out for the first time yesterday. Found lowering the mainsail difficult-- it's big and heavy (compared to the Ranger 28 we're used to). So we're going to research Lazyjacks, or a similar system. What do you suggest? We don't want to sacrifice speed, nor do we wish to put excessive wear on the sail. But it was really tricky to get it down neatly. We're located in Ithaca, NY, on Cayuga Lake, at Treman Marina. Cande

Congrats on the new boat. It is difficult to lower a larger main with two people and do it neatly and quickly. A lazy jack system of some kind is great it makes it much quicker. I had a lazy jack system on my Catalina 36 that was acceptable, but not as good as I would have liked. A great system to look at, would be a Doyle stack-pak or similar. The nice thing about those systems is the include an integrated sail cover which makes putting the boat to bed much easier.