Vito wrote in message ...
Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote:

I bought a Harken lazy-jack kit when we bought th eboat in 1989, but
have never installed it. Using them on other boats in the mid 30-foot
range is a PITA to me. We normally sail as a couple, so my wife keeps
the boat into the wind while I take the main down or hoist.

We changed to hank-on jibs about 5 years ago and love it this way.


Many people *enjoy* testing their ability to endure pain and misery. I
did too - a long time ago. I still "test" because my boat came hank on
without lazyjacks. I too spend mucho time forward with my child bride
steering into the wind - which is, by definition, *always* blowing a
gale or shifting constantly or both. If it weren't I wouldn't need to
adjust the sails. But I can no longer imagine LIKEING it when (not if)
the half-flaked sail catches an errant breeze and heads over the side
blinding the tillerman, let alone depending on the autotiller that can't
see wind shifts. IMHO that's *almost* as much fun as loosing a good fist
fight. The only reason I don't have lazyjacks and a RF genoa 'rat now'
is the yardbirds can't get off their lazy's to install them. Hopefully
by xmas ....

I installed my own RF and am glad I did, Took me three tries to get
it right. Now I know some of the possible ways it can be screwed up
and how to fix them.

NOW, about lazy jacks on a 28' boat. Some ppl say they are a pain and
some ppl say they are great. SO, how do you keep the main from
blinding the helmsman when it has been pulled down and not yet flaked
on the boom?