Thanks for the great information, I never would have figured that out.
Maybe I should close hauled in 30kts, this way the wind will help so there
will be no wrinkles in the sail when it's flaked.
Please direct this to Boobs, not the rest of us.
But anyway, maybe it's because I'm used to having the main halyard run back
to the cockpit and now it's on the mast.

Have fun anyway could this be the first good weekend up north without rain,
we're going to shoot for the Thimble Islands. With any luck we'll pass Boobs
while he's motoring along in the sound.

"Simple Simon" wrote in message
news
Hint everybody! Try lowering your mainsail while your bow is straight
into the wind. You might find you don't need to struggle so much getting
it down. Jeez! and these folks claim to sail . . .


"Marc" wrote in message
...
A. Move your lazy jack legs further aft. since the luff is contained
by the sail track, there is no need for support there. Most lazy jack
systems equally divide the boom, omitting support where it is needed,
aft.
B. don't drop your main so fast. If you control the rate of collapse,
it will do a good job of self flaking.

C. tighten the lazy jacks. When you drop the main, first sheet in the
boom to tighten the jacks. Adjust the jacks so they are tight when
the boom is mid shipped and down to the dodger.

The idea of lazy jacks is to contain the main at sea. You can always
straighten up the mess at the dock.

On my boat, I come into the wind, mid ship the boom, wrap the main
halyard around the winch and crack the clutch a hair to relase the
main halyard tension. I can then crank down on the boom and bring it
just to the top of my dodger which tightens the lazyjacks.. I then
ease the main halyard down and allow the main to fall into the
tightened lazyjacks. When the main is down, I ease the main sheet so
the boom rides in its normal position. I crank the traveller over and
tension the boom against a jack line and allow the solid vang to
support the boom and keep it from moving side to side. In heavy seas,
I'll support the boom with the main halyard.


On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 12:38:44 GMT, "me" wrote:


I'm running into that problem now, I had a 27' that I always went out
alone
in, but the cabin was too small and I needed to bend down a little
inside,
that got to be a real pain when I got stuck out in a storm and tried to
stay
below (for times other than sleeping)
Now I've moved up to 35' and it's more work, such is life, but flaking
the
main is a pain in the #$#@ by my self. I've got lazy jacks but they
don't do
all the work, does anyone have any suggestions on a good way to put
away the
main with jumping back and forth to the main winch and them in back of
the
boom to fold the sail, it seems to be many trips back and forth.
(please
don't say get a furling main)
thanks all.

Bobsprit is a good example of the old saying about the
bigger the boat the less it sails.

He sailed his Catalina more than he sailed his Pearson.

Now, it's plain he sailed his Pearson more than he sails
or is going to sail his C&C.

He is on the downhill slide because while his boats get
larger his skills remain just as small.