On 28 Oct 2003 06:20:26 -0800, (Jim Woodward)
wrote:

Lazy jacks are great for large mains -- they were an essential part of
being able to handle Swee****er short handed, but her main is 750 sq
ft.

On a 28' boat, though, I might pass.
1) They interfere with the sail cover. Either the cover has to be cut
around them or you have to pull them down to the gooseneck before
putting on the cover.
2) If you have battens, you have to be very careful hoisting the sail,
else the battens get caught under a lazy jack. Although you routinely
head upwind before hoisting, with lazy jacks you have to do it with
considerably more precision.
3) If you rig them with blocks up the mast, then the portion going up
the mast will slap in the wind. If you rig them deadended on the upper
mast, then the block under the boom will catch the sail.

I agree with Jim on this one. Our main is 47 foot hoist by 15 foot. It
has slugs so it doesn't all come out of the mast when it drops.

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.

Getting the main up single-handed is a hassle compared with double
handing. I normally hump the halyard by the mast, and my wife at the
wheel gathers the line through the clutch.



I have a new autopilot that might be able to keep the boat into the
wind, but won't be able to try until spring.

Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

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 ....

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?

Parallax wrote:

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?



When in a hurry, I carry the gaskets over my shoulder, drop the sail and
quickly tie up any old way. Might take a minute in adverse conditions,
but the bulk of the sail is tamed within 5-10 seconds of the drop. We
flake the sail properly once things have quieted down.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 09:55:06 -0500, Vito wrote:


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.

Oh, you have a child bride too? G Mine is 29...no kid, but
considerably more agile than me and fearless on the foredeck. Being a
wiry 105 pounds and five feet tall, she has a little more trouble
dousing the genoa than I do, but she is far less likely to go over the
side, being a lot closer to the deck than I am in the first place.
Besides, I can luff the main better...G

R.

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 09:55:06 -0500, Vito wrote:


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.

Oh, you have a child bride too? G Mine is 29...no kid, but
considerably more agile than me and fearless on the foredeck. Being a
wiry 105 pounds and five feet tall, she has a little more trouble
dousing the genoa than I do, but she is far less likely to go over the
side, being a lot closer to the deck than I am in the first place.
Besides, I can luff the main better...G

R.