main sail getting jammed against the lazy jacks

[mistril]

I've received some interesting views about the canopy so how do owners deal with the problem of the head of the main sail getting stuck in the lazy jacks? Very frustrating! Going head to wind doesn't seem to solve the problem, either.

I'm considering the path of releasing the lazy jacks prior to raising the sail, and clipping them back on ready for the dropping of the sail. Any other clever solutions?

Charles

[nauticalnick]

Hi,

Yes - it's very frustrating to say the least. My current boat (LM 30) and last boat (Moody 33) both have lazy jacks and after many ideas etc the best way l have found is to have the lazy jacks rigged on the slack side and when hoisting the main to motor into the wind at 2 to 3 knots at least. It goes without saying that the boat must be kept head to wind, to help this l also let the mainsheet go. On the 30 the boom is well above head height so being banged on the head shouldn't be an issue.

Regards,

Nick

[Sula]

I have no real experience of lazyjacks*, but I have read several times that it pays to have them held a little way out to the side from the mast, e.g. by suspending them from the spreaders, part way out. I wonder whether that would help your situation.

(*I will shortly be wrestling with lazy jacks myself, as my new boat has them.)

[duckie]

Hi,

I have had lazy jacks on my LM27 since 6 years now, and do not have any problems raising or lowering the main sail... IF You just go straight into the wind in both situations.

When I got the lazy jacks (same time as I ran all the ropes back to the canopy) it was a wonderfull thing - before that, when I dropped the main sail it splattered all over the canopy and more than one time blocked the view  - now everything runs smoothly - even though that I have to enter the deck when lowering the sail... due to the fact that my sleighs are old and worn and not very smooth running in the mast... so the sail comes down 60 % and the rest I have to take down by hand - but it has always been so with or without the lazy jack and the lazy jack still holds the sail on the boom.

Another nice thing to install is the Barton "boomstrut"- so You don´t need the line from the aft of the boom.

Yours

Duckie

[motomike]

I have used the Dutchman system for the past 15 years, after having lazy jacks on a previous vessel. I had the same operational issues with lazy jacks described in the above posts, most of which were solved with the Dutchman. I still benefit from heading into the wind when raising and lowering, but much more orderly than before. Highly recommended, IMO.