. Having the whole thing makes it even easier, with the sail being fully stowed away and covered in seconds, or a couple of mins if you put the mast section on. Covering it is very important to eliminate UV degradation of the top zipper. Rig your own lazyjacks upcheap as chips. Let us know which route you decide to go with! The idea was to connect the rope to a sail cover to avoid having to remove the cover every time the boat was used. I posted earlier, and the reason I didn't mention any of those things is that they don't occur with ours. what stack pack? Porthandbuoy, I daresay you're only going to read about the positive side of lazyjacks, herewhich is appropriate, because they're fantastic! I made a set of retractable lazy jacks for my 25+ I used with a standard sail cover. Lazy jacks say "cruising boat." I would think that when traveling down where you are heading that the concern would be tight and low profile when the sails are down, since you will be more likely to get into heavier weather. This brings the lazy jacks back to their usual tightness, and then we finish dropping the sail. I love the convenience of dropping and zipping. As an alternative to replacing them, we could just have new traditional sail covers made. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Our boat, Starry Horizons, a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44, has a stack pack for the mainsail. While they do have some load to them because they need to hold up the weight of the pack, this is way below any sized dyneema rated working load. I don't mind lifting the 155% kevlar-mylar triradial, but the dacron 140% is a beast. Learn how your comment data is processed. Do you make and sell the sail packs? This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. While we investigated his problem, we discovered that he didnt have pulleys, the installers had simply tied the risers to the legs via a bowling knot. Your email address will not be published. I think there are different risks here. Im intrigued by the simplicity and lack of fouling on hoist. World Renowned Reputation - The UK's Premier Boat Cover Maker, WORLD RENOWNED REPUTATION The main zip is a No. Previously lazyjacks. my main has full length battens and most times I just release the halyard and get a neat self stow while I head forward and drop the anchor. It is true that you have to watch the battens as you start hoisting, but that is only until the top batten clears the jacks. Got a stack pack this year. If we adjust the topping lift for any reason, we adjust the topping lift. The cupped shape really hugs the shape of the mast, eliminating the need for Velcro, which breaks down quickly under UV exposure. You can get around the first two by easing the lazyjacks after hoisting the sail (then tightening them up before you drop), and by tucking the stack pack down next to the boom to reduce windage. We do not adjust ours at all. An upgrade was necessary for durability. How does the boom movement work when the lazy jack lines are no longer centred on the boom? I'll also have to see how much reduced friction the Tides provides because right now I just have a little 4" non-self tailing halyard winch near the mast and it was a struggle for me to get the mainsail up myself. Out Chasing Stars is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, What do you do after seven years and a world circumnavigation? It is effectively a sail that you cant reduce or control. I struggled for a year without lazy jacks or stackpack and now wonder why I waited so long. It's so much easier to not have to tidy the sail up when only stopped for a few hours, the sail and reefing lines all drop into the bag without dropping onto the deck. We no longer arrive at our destinations completely fried from a long day in the blazing sun! A pulley connects the risers and to the middle of the legs or at least it should be! When cruising for more extended periods, I find it does not come on and off that much; during the day we are sailing, at night there is no sun, and we then stay in a harbor for a few days with the cover on. Then just zip it right up, zip on the front piece and you're literally good to go. This creates slack in the lines when raising the mainsail. I was thinking about a stack pack as a possible solution. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I wonder if the stack pack is not at its best chartering, when the boat is likely to sail somewhere every day, and to see the afternoon at anchor every day. Sunbrella Textile Guide Sustainability Information, Cheoy Lee Offshore 41 Stackpack, ref 10099, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 Stackpack, ref 5821. Our Stackpacks will usually incorporate a separate boot section to cover the mast and head section of the sail; this part can be removed when sailing. The Lazyjacks attach to the stack pack by webbing loop, which is sewn onto the sides of the Stackpack. It had a bolt rope which attached it to the boom. So Im in favor for the sailcover. We will be replacing our 14 year old traditional sail cover with another traditional cover when we get to NZ. I started making these Lazy Jack covers 20 years ago, as a progress/advance of the Lazy Jack rope system, designed to help flake a main sail as it is put away. An integral part of the process is molding the acrylic canvas to hold the fabric in a shape that it would not regularly stay without the assist. 5 degrees to either side is enough to a cause it. User Agreement & Liability/Disclaimer Notice, Lazy Jacks or Dutchman? As a further benefit, this adds a second layer where the batten is slid inside. If you are daysailing or racing, then a sailcover is cheaper and easier because you just take it off and toss it below (or wherever) before going out and put it on after returning. As long as I can find clear space in the marina to drift for a couple of minutes, I can drop the sail and do a quick sloppy flake, tied up with the dangling reefing lines. A stack pack and lazy jacks is a huge help with this? I went with a Mack Pack from Mack Sailsabout $950 including the cover and jacks. I would not worry about a stackpack affecting beercan racing. This adds strength for the rope pull points. On a bigger boat I would certainly have one. We still make some this way. Aside from keeping the stack pack on top of the boom, they also help guide the mainsail down when you drop it. The first project on my 87 E34 was to make a stack pack from Sailrite, best project ever. While circumnavigating, weve learned so much about our boat, but one of our very early lessons was on lazy jacks. (though not hard if someone is tailing the line and you can use both hands on the handle and/or pull the halyard out from the mast). I can unzip it at the dock, attach the halyard, and be ready to sail I can drop the sail and have the sail stowed and covered by the time I get back to the slip. I just had my sail maker install a Tides Track, Lazy Jacks and what they call their Lazy bag on our E32-3. (and under-powered arms. Then I have the option of slackening the jack lines so that I could rig a boom tent when moored. We use a canvas-to-canvas attachment version of the Stayputfastener. Thanks, we are still searching for a solution weve been using Cat Impis solution which is just free the main sheet an let the boom out to follow the wind, and this works well in stable seas and constant wind, but not so much if the seas are rough talked to one guy who ran the lazy Jacks to blocks on the end of the spreader and then to the mast and down; never got a clear answer as to how he controlled the extra tension in the lines when down wind and the boom was well out, Pulling the lazy jacks forward and down is appealing, but wonder if the sail would fall out a bit over the boom might try it and see I dont think I need to do anything but connect a line to the top block on each side and pull it down once I loosen the lazy jacks. Daedalus Park, Daedalus Drive I think that having a separate track, and having the sail pre-rigged as you described, is the safest way to go. About $2K. Contact ustoday on 02392 556548 to learn more about our Stackpack Sail Covers and to discuss the creation of a Stackpack most suited to your boat. I'm looking at the Vela Lazy Cradle (, My previous boats have had lazy jacks like jssailem that just capture the sail - they can be built very inexpensively and work well. Thanks. The main issue is being able to control and secure the main as quickly as possible when the oh shit moment happens, as youll probably have much more to worry about than just the main. When we see people in foulies over thick fleece hunkered down in 45 degree temps and blowing rain on other boats without enclosures, we think that is ugly and our enclosure is the prettiest thing going. When you raise the mainsail, the boom lifts higher than it does when the weight is on the topping lift. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Ive never actually seen a boat with that system. Anything you can do to reduce your total area to the wind and protect the sails from wind damage when they are down seems like an advantage. They do require extra cinching down when at the slip or they become another thing to bang against the mast. Your email address will not be published. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Marine Fabricator Magazine is a publication of the Advanced Textiles Association. I should have added I have the Kemp stackpack and think it is great, sail zipped up in a few seconds. These names are some of the descriptions for a process of suspending sail covers. Early in my business I spent time analyzing failure points of covers. Some people rig their lazyjacks long enough that they can pull them forward to the gooseneck, eliminating sail distortion and almost all of the windage. We first fitted home built lazy jacks in about 2000, when we bought our new sails. We supply our Mainsail Stackpacks without Lazyjacks as these are best configured on the boat and are usually installed by a rigger. Breathability is very important to stop mold on the sail. The No. Ive crewed on several boats with the stackpack system and considered one for me. Best regards Accepted file types: jpg, png, jpeg, Max. Our lazy jacks are 1/8" dyneema. Between the strong track and the Mack Pack the main was neaver easier to handle, head up into the wind , release the halyard and the main drops and practically flakes itself. No, it doesnt interfere with the boom swing. All you need is the replacement line and your knowledge of the most important knots for sailors the bowline! After having a first-hand look at the stack packs Dave makes, both onboard and under construction, we have used some of his processes on our sail covers and in other areas of cover making. Just be sure that you will be able to reach the head of the pack aft of the mast, where the zipper starts. Many packs will have a method of dropping the canvas section into a small bundle that lays alongside the boom so doesn't interfere with the foot of the sail for racing. If one's pack system does not, this is easy to alter with some extra jackline, a cleat, and maybe a small block. Some great feedback there, with the majority in favour of Stac-Pack and only JumbleDuck quite 'anti'. Most of the original designs had removable front sections, which became annoying as many were blown, even lost, overboard. Ladybird's getting a new mainsail made over the winter and I'm trying to decide whether to order:-, It is all down to cost.I have the full system & think it is great. Also, does it affect your ability to reach the outhaul or cunningham? We have not been asked to make a stack pack sail cover yet, as most yachts on the Gippsland Lakes have the traditional style sail cover. Whereas I cant speak to the ease of the system you are looking into, I can, perhaps, add something to the discussion here of alternatives. Lacing shock cord loosely between these eyelets stops bird access. I'm looking for a stack pack/lazy cradle system to make dousing much easier, especially as I'll be often single handing while my wife is managing our 18 month old. And as you can see, leading the halyard back adds a step if there is no one in the cockpit to take up the slack (Dyneema halyard kinks and fouls unless laid out for retrieval). In the summer all the side panels come off the boat and we are left with a huge bimini and dodger. But with a larger ketch and without fully battened sails I might feel differently. Good luck with whatever your decision will be. This stack pack attaches to the boom through a track. We kept the same system for 13 years, with only minor modification to the length and layout of lines, with a conventional mainsail cover. I have a fairly new mainsail so I know the issue of unruliness well. Dacron 380 square-foot mainsail with four full-length battens--hand over hand. I can't imagine handling or cleating off 1/16" lines, because our 1/8" sometimes is difficult to handle when I need to make adjustments or drop the pack. Another advantage of a Stackpack is that the sail stays furled within its protective cover on top of the boom, not draped over the boom. As expected, others tried to copy our work with limited success. For bigger crossings we then had the stormsail already loaded on that track and lashed at the bottom of the mast. We have lazy jacks that do occasionally get in the way of the battens, but one or both sides can be lowered for a few minutes. You may want to check with a local shop if one exists in your area. This ensures we get the boom to the same height every time. My guess is that carbon tape sail will be much lighter than dacron. That is what we have on ZTC (with separate lazy jacks), and the people we know here that have a similar vintage Amel Maramu have normal sail covers on their boat too. The material on Frosts present stack packs is old and faded, and the stitching has given way in many spots. You can also do retractable lazy jacks and use a normal sail cover. I think that starting with a boat that had a traditional sail cover instilled in us the discipline to always tidy everything up after anchoring for the day. Comments are moderated and will show up after being approved. Really easy to stow them at the mast, just hook them around their cleat and cinch up. I would rather be able to pull the jacklines forward (easier hoisting in rough conditions) and stow the cover (less windage). Most people that have them like them. 15 Paskal zipper. The zipper is the weak point and its more windage. They are becoming increasingly popular these days, rivallingSail Coversdue to ease of use. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I have a Neil Pryde lazy bagsystem and I dont recall paying a price as high as you were quoted. The next part of the lazy jacks is the risers. With lashings you saybut doesn t it slide down? Vela Sailing Technology - Lazy Cradle Mainsail System - Boom up to 5.5 meters, Lazyjacks for Your Mainsail - Sail Magazine. Yes, it solves one problem or headache of securing the unruly mainsail, but it creates others. FWIW the lazy jack system on the J40 was constructed of very thin line, perhaps a 1/16 Dyneema, and required no adjustment as they can be set loose as they carry no load of any type. I've had stack pack & lazy jacks on the project list for a long time. I don't race, however, and mostly day sail, with short weekend cruises. I have a standard Sunbrella canvas mainsail cover that seems to be needing mending a lot; e.g., zippers, velcro, etc. However, I should say that it was designed specifically for my own requirements. We do this in preparation for, or at the end of every sail. I ordered a new 140% dacron triradial RF genoa for family sailing last year and compared to my racing sails, that thing is heavy. Reefing lines are accommodated for by either zipped access when the mainsail is not loose-footed. Or, since Frost is a ketch, perhaps I should have written two of the items? JavaScript is disabled. 1801 County Road B W, Suite 100Roseville, MN 55113-4052, USA, By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies. A few sailmakers and I had started making them by request; each one we made had small changes and became more functional as time went on. IMHO the stack pack was a pain in the derriere. We do not use separating end zips on our sail covers. I'm a functionality is beautiful type of person. PTFE lifetime thread is a must, and I have used it for 20 years on all my covers. We have a large main sail. If I was a club racer with a crew I wouldn't have them and let humans do the work of flaking and gaskets. Most cruising sailors sail short-handed, and there is many a sailor who rejects in-mast or in-boom furling. You are using an out of date browser. We use continuous zippers and again at the aft end.